Sexually dimorphic peripheral sensory neurons regulate copulation duration and persistence in male Drosophila

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 6177
• Main Authors: Jois, Shreyas, Chan, Yick-Bun, Fernandez, Maria Paz, Pujari, Narsimha, Janz, Lea Joline, Parker, Sarah, Leung, Adelaine Kwun-Wai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 13.04.2022; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/378/1804/1805; 631/378/3920; Animals; Copulation; Copulation - physiology; Courtship; DNA-Binding Proteins; Drosophila; Drosophila - genetics; Drosophila melanogaster - metabolism; Drosophila Proteins - metabolism; Environmental stress; Female; Fertilization; Gene expression; Genitalia; Humanities and Social Sciences; Insects; Male; multidisciplinary; Nerve Tissue Proteins - metabolism; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Seminal fluid; Sensory neurons; Sensory Receptor Cells - metabolism; Sexual Behavior, Animal - physiology; Sexual dimorphism; Sperm; Transcription Factors - metabolism
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10247-3

Peripheral sensory neurons are the gateway to the environment across species. In Drosophila , olfactory and gustatory senses are required to initiate courtship, as well as for the escalation of courtship patterns that lead to copulation. To be successful, copulation must last long enough to ensure the transfer of sperm and seminal fluid that ultimately leads to fertilization. The peripheral sensory information required to regulate copulation duration is unclear. Here, we employed genetic manipulations that allow driving gene expression in the male genitalia as a tool to uncover the role of these genitalia specific neurons in copulation. The fly genitalia contain sex-specific bristle hairs innervated by mechanosensory neurons. To date, the role of the sensory information collected by these peripheral neurons in male copulatory behavior is unknown. We confirmed that these MSNs are cholinergic and co-express both fru and dsx . We found that the sensory information received by the peripheral sensory neurons from the front legs (GRNs) and mechanosensory neurons (MSNs) at the male genitalia contribute to the regulation of copulation duration. Moreover, our results show that their function is required for copulation persistence, which ensures copulation is undisrupted in the presence of environmental stress before sperm transfer is complete.