Fruitless specifies sexually dimorphic neural circuitry in the Drosophila brain
Fruitless specifies sexually dimorphic neural circuitry in the Drosophila brain
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DOI：
10.1038/nature04229
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发表时间：
2005-11-10
期刊：
影响因子：
64.8
通讯作者：
Yamamoto, D
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Kimura, KI;Ote, M;Yamamoto, D
果蝇fruitless（fru）基因产物Fru被认为是一种神经性别决定因子，指导中枢神经系统（CNS）的发育，从而产生雄性典型的求偶行为并诱导雄性特异性肌肉（1-6）。雄性特异性Fru蛋白在分散于雄性果蝇（而非雌性果蝇）的CNS中的小群神经元中表达（4，7）。总的来说，这些观察结果表明，Fru '男性化'某些神经元，从而建立男性典型行为的神经基质。然而，由Fru的存在或不存在引起的神经元之间的具体差异是未知的。先前的研究表明，Fru可能导致中枢神经系统在功能水平上的性别差异，因为中枢神经系统结构中没有明显的性别二型性（8-10）。在这里，我们确定了一个子集的水果表达的中间神经元在大脑中，显示显着的性别二型性在其数量和投影模式。我们还表明，Fru支持与男性特定的树突领域，这是编程死亡的女性发展过程中，由于没有Fru的神经元的发展。因此，Fru表达可以产生一个男性特定的神经回路，可能在异性求爱期间使用，通过防止可识别的神经元中的细胞死亡。
The Drosophila fruitless (fru) gene product Fru has been postulated to be a neural sex determination factor that directs development of the central nervous system (CNS), thereby producing male-typical courtship behaviour and inducing male-specific muscle(1-6). Male-specific Fru protein is expressed in small groups of neurons scattered throughout the CNS of male, but not female, Drosophila(4,7). Collectively, these observations suggest that Fru 'masculinizes' certain neurons, thereby establishing neural substrates for male-typical behaviour. However, specific differences between neurons resulting from the presence or absence of Fru are unknown. Previous studies have suggested that Fru might result in sexual differences in the CNS at the functional level, as no overt sexual dimorphism in CNS structure was discernible(8-10). Here we identify a subset of fru-expressing interneurons in the brain that show marked sexual dimorphism in their number and projection pattern. We also demonstrate that Fru supports the development of neurons with male-specific dendritic fields, which are programmed to die during female development as a result of the absence of Fru. Thus, Fru expression can produce a male-specific neural circuit, probably used during heterosexual courtship, by preventing cell death in identifiable neurons.