Genes underlying reproductive behavior and physiology

描述(由申请人提供)：神经生物学中的一个基本问题是理解复杂行为的潜力是如何建立的。果蝇是探索这个问题的一个很好的模型系统，因为一种健壮的行为--交配行为--是遗传编程的。雄性果蝇的求爱包括一系列指向雌性的步骤。没有交配的雌性会接受男性的求爱行为，而最近交配的雌性会拒绝这些求爱行为。有分子遗传学证据表明，性别等级通过双性(Dsx)和无性(FRU)编码的转录因子的作用，在建立雄性和雌性的求偶和交配行为中发挥核心作用。Dsx和fru都会产生性别特异的异构体。分子遗传学分析表明，dsx和fru在性别特异性细胞命运的建立中都起着基础作用，这些细胞命运对生殖行为非常重要。尽管这些转录因子很重要，但对它们的靶标几乎一无所知。我们将使用基因组方法来鉴定受这些转录因子调控的基因。我们将研究这些靶基因在神经系统中的功能，以深入了解行为的遗传规范。这将为理解包括人类在内的其他生物中复杂行为的规范提供基础，我们对这些行为的了解非常有限。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A fundamental problem in neurobiology is understanding how the potential for complex behaviors are established. Drosophila melanogaster is an excellent model system to explore this question, given that a robust behavior, mating behavior, is genetically programmed. Drosophila male courtship consists of a series of steps directed towards a female. Females that have not been mated are receptive to male courtship behaviors, whereas those that have been recently mated will reject these advances. There is molecular- genetic evidence demonstrating that the sex hierarchy plays a central role in establishing courtship and mating behaviors in both males and females, through the action of transcription factors encoded by doublesex (dsx) and fruitless (fru). Both dsx and fru produce sex-specific isoforms. Molecular-genetic analyses have demonstrated that both dsx and fru play fundamental roles in the establishment of sex- specific cell fates important for reproductive behaviors. Despite the importance of these transcription factors practically nothing is known about their targets. We will use genomic approaches to identify genes regulated by these transcription factors. We will study the functions of these target genes in the nervous system to gain insight into the genetic specification of behavior. This will provide a foundation for understanding the specification of complex behaviors in other organisms, including humans, for which we have very limited understanding.