Genetic Identification and Separation of Innate and Experience-Dependent Courtship Behaviors in Drosophila

• Published in: Cell Vol. 156; no. 1-2; pp. 236 - 248
• Main Authors: Pan, Yufeng, Baker, Bruce S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 16.01.2014
• Subjects: Animals; Courtship; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Drosophila; Drosophila melanogaster - genetics; Drosophila melanogaster - physiology; Drosophila Proteins - genetics; Drosophila Proteins - metabolism; Female; Learning; Male; Models, Animal; Nerve Tissue Proteins - genetics; Nerve Tissue Proteins - metabolism; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism
• ISSN: 0092-8674; 1097-4172
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2013.11.041

Wild-type D. melanogaster males innately possess the ability to perform a multistep courtship ritual to conspecific females. The potential for this behavior is specified by the male-specific products of the fruitless (fruM) gene; males without fruM do not court females when held in isolation. We show that such fruM null males acquire the potential for courtship when grouped with other flies; they apparently learn to court flies with which they were grouped, irrespective of sex or species and retain this behavior for at least a week. The male-specific product of the doublesex gene (dsxM) is necessary and sufficient for the acquisition of the potential for such experience-dependent courtship. These results reveal a process that builds, via dsxM and social experience, the potential for a more flexible sexual behavior, which could be evolutionarily conserved as dsx-related genes that function in sexual development are found throughout the animal kingdom. [Display omitted] •Naive fruM null males do not court, but after group-housing they do court•dsxM is necessary and sufficient for such fruM-independent courtship•Socially experienced fruM null males retain the ability to court for a week or more•The mate preference of experienced fruM males is dependent on prior experiences Male flies lacking the fruitless gene can still carry out courtship behavior, but they lose the innate preference for courting conspecific females, and instead show a courting preference for flies with which they have been housed—be they males or females or females from another species.