The genetic and neural basis of female behaviours in Drosophila.

果蝇雌性行为的遗传和神经基础。

• 批准号: RGPIN-2020-06464
• 负责人: Moehring, Amanda
• 金额: $ 5.03万
• 依托单位: University of Western Ontario
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=718343
• 关键词: genetic; neural; basis; female; behaviours

Identifying the underlying genetic and neural basis of variation in complex behaviour remains a primary goal, and challenge, in behavioral biology. The proposed research program identifies single genetic changes, individual neurons, and the neural circuitry underlying variation in complex behavior. We focus on the poorly-understood, yet critical, traits of female mate rejection behaviour and female aggression, using the powerful genetic tools available within the Drosophila model system. The traits of mating behavior and aggression have been extensively studied at the genetic and neural level in males, but are poorly understood in females. Since female choice is more often the deciding factor in whether mating occurs, including preventing matings between closely-related species, and female aggression can be important for resource acquisition and reproduction, this gap in fundamental natural sciences knowledge limits our ability to make larger-scale evolutionary theories about the evolution of critical behavioural pathways and the effect of those pathways on speciation. This gap also prevents an exploration of whether there is divergence or cohesiveness in the formation of complex reproductive behaviours in males and females. To rectify this gap: (1) We will use targeted genetic changes to determine the specific genetic polymorphisms that underlie variation in female receptivity, focusing on two genes we previously identified as affecting variation in species-specific female mate rejection behavior. (2) We will identify the neurons that these two candidate genes are acting through to affect female rejection by targeting transcript knockdown in subsets of candidate neurons. (3) We will use cutting-edge tools to identify the upstream and downstream circuitry of a female rejection pathway we recently identified involving a single pair of octopamine neurons that induce active female rejection when the neurons are silenced. (4) We will use an array of Drosophila tools to identify the neurotransmitters and circuitry of female-specific aggression, focusing on a small cluster of neurons we recently identified that induce female-specific aggression when these neurons are hyper-activated; these same neurons induce courtship in males. Completion of these four objectives will provide the first characterization of a gene for female behaviours responsible for isolating species, the first identification of neurons affecting species isolation, the first fine-scale characterization of neurons and circuitry in the central nervous system for female mate rejection behavior, and the first characterization of neurons and circuitry for female-specific aggression. Understanding the genetic and neural basis of these key female-specific behaviours is essential if we are to have a complete perspective of how complex behaviours are generated.

确定复杂行为变异的潜在遗传和神经基础仍然是行为生物学的主要目标和挑战。拟议的研究计划确定单一的遗传变化，单个神经元，以及复杂行为变化背后的神经回路。我们专注于了解不多，但关键的，特征的女性配偶拒绝行为和女性的侵略，使用强大的遗传工具，果蝇模型系统内。交配行为和攻击性的特征在雄性的遗传和神经水平上得到了广泛的研究，但在雌性中却知之甚少。由于雌性的选择往往是交配是否发生的决定因素，包括阻止近亲物种之间的交配，而雌性的攻击性对资源的获取和繁殖很重要，基础自然科学知识的这一差距限制了我们对关键行为途径的进化以及这些途径对物种形成的影响进行大规模进化理论的能力。这一差距也妨碍了对男女复杂生殖行为的形成是否存在分歧或凝聚力的探讨。为了弥补这一差距：（1）我们将使用有针对性的遗传变化，以确定特定的遗传多态性，在女性接受性的变化，重点是两个基因，我们以前确定为影响物种特异性的女性伴侣拒绝行为的变化。(2)我们将通过靶向敲低候选神经元亚群中的转录本来鉴定这两个候选基因作用于影响女性排斥反应的神经元。(3)我们将使用尖端的工具来识别女性排斥反应通路的上游和下游电路，我们最近发现，涉及一对章鱼胺神经元，当神经元沉默时，它会诱导主动性女性排斥反应。(4)我们将使用一系列果蝇工具来识别女性特定攻击的神经递质和电路，重点是我们最近发现的一小群神经元，当这些神经元被过度激活时，它们会诱导女性特定的攻击;这些相同的神经元会诱导男性的求爱。 这四个目标的完成将提供第一个表征的女性行为负责隔离物种的基因，第一个识别的神经元影响物种隔离，第一个精细尺度表征的神经元和电路在中枢神经系统的女性配偶排斥行为，和第一个表征的神经元和电路的女性特有的侵略。如果我们要对复杂行为是如何产生的有一个完整的视角，了解这些关键的女性特有行为的遗传和神经基础是必不可少的。