A neuropeptide circuit that coordinates sperm transfer and copulation duration in Drosophila
A neuropeptide circuit that coordinates sperm transfer and copulation duration in Drosophila
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DOI：
10.1073/pnas.1218246109
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发表时间：
2012-12-11
影响因子：
11.1
通讯作者：
Anderson, David J.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Tayler, Timothy D.;Pacheco, Diego A.;Anderson, David J.
与生俱来的行为通常与伴随的生理程序一起执行。这种协调是如何实现的，人们知之甚少。交配行为和精子和精液的转移(SSFT)为理解协调的行为和生理程序提供了一个模型。在这里，我们确定了一条雄性特有的神经通路，它协调果蝇交配行为的时间和交配行为的持续时间。沉默四个含有神经肽Corazin(CRZ)的腹神经节(AG)中间神经元(INS)既能阻断SSFT，又能显著延长交配持续时间。激活这些CRZ INS会导致隔离的男性快速射精，这种表型可以通过注射CRZ多肽来模仿。CRZ通过激活支配副腺的5-羟色胺(5-HT)投射神经元来促进SSFT。在交配过程中，这些三叉神经节的激活会导致SSFT提前，交配持续时间也会缩短。然而，当这些PN被沉默时，交配正常终止，这表明适当的交配持续时间不需要SSFT。因此，沉默CRZ INS导致的交配持续时间延长的表型不依赖于对SSFT的阻断。我们得出结论，四个CRZ INS独立地控制SSFT和交配持续时间，从而耦合这两个过程的时序。
Innate behaviors are often executed in concert with accompanying physiological programs. How this coordination is achieved is poorly understood. Mating behavior and the transfer of sperm and seminal fluid (SSFT) provide a model for understanding how concerted behavioral and physiological programs are coordinated. Here we identify a male-specific neural pathway that coordinates the timing of SSFT with the duration of copulation behavior in Drosophila. Silencing four abdominal ganglion (AG) interneurons (INs) that contain the neuropeptide corazonin (Crz) both blocked SSFT and substantially lengthened copulation duration. Activating these Crz INs caused rapid ejaculation in isolated males, a phenotype mimicked by injection of Crz peptide. Crz promotes SSFT by activating serotonergic (5-HT) projection neurons (PNs) that innervate the accessory glands. Activation of these PNs in copulo caused premature SSFT and also shortened copulation duration. However, mating terminated normally when these PNs were silenced, indicating that SSFT is not required for appropriate copulation duration. Thus, the lengthened copulation duration phenotype caused by silencing Crz INs is independent of the block to SSFT. We conclude that four Crz INs independently control SSFT and copulation duration, thereby coupling the timing of these two processes.