Ecdysone modulation of sexual behavior in Drosophila melanogaster

蜕皮激素对黑腹果蝇性行为的调节

• 批准号: 7913520
• 负责人: GEOFFREY GANTER
• 金额: $ 22.28万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-09-09 至 2012-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7913520
• 关键词: Abdomen; Adult; Alleles; Animal Model; Animals; Attention; Behavior; Behavior Control; Biological Assay; Biological Models; Bisexual; Brain; Brain region; Copulation; Courtship; Data; Development; Developmental Biology; Drosophila genus; Drosophila melanogaster; Drug abuse; Ecdysone; Ecdysterone; Embryonic Development; Enhancers; Event; Female; Gender; Genes; Genetic; Hormonal; Hormones; Human; Lateral; Lead; Life; Liquid substance; Modeling; Motivation; Nature; Nervous system structure; Organism; Partner in relationship; Phenotype; Plastics; Production; Receptor Gene; Regulation; Research; Role; Series; Sex Behavior; Signal Transduction; Sleep; Steroids; Study models; System; Temperature; Testing; Time; Women' s Role; addiction; base; brain behavior; court; deprivation; design; ecdysone receptor; fly; interest; knowledge base; male; memory process; neurogenetics; preference; public health relevance; receptor function; reproductive function; research study; steroid hormone

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We will explore the control of sexual behavior of the fruit fly by the steroid hormone ecdysone. The Drosophila melanogaster model system has produced a quantity of data relevant to higher functions of the human nervous system, including findings in memory processing, sleep, drug abuse and addiction. Exploration of the neurogenetic and hormonal mechanisms controlling sexual behavior in flies will increase our understanding of this important part of human life. Regulation of fruit fly courtship by ecdysone, the fly's only known steroid hormone is previously unknown, despite the wealth of information on courtship behavior. Using a temperature sensitive allele (nonfunctional at 290C) of the ecdysone receptor (EcR) gene we have shown that when EcR activity is impaired in adult males, elevated male-male courtship results (Ganter et al. 2007). We have confirmed the relationship between ecdysone signaling and sexual behavior using the ecd1 temperature-sensitive allele of the ecdysone availability gene ecdysoneless. These results suggest that ecdysone signaling in the adult male is necessary for modulation of sexual motivation, and that sexual behavior is plastic in the adult male fly, neither finding having been shown before. These results establish the fruit fly as a valid model for the study of hormonal control of behavior, with implications extending to higher organisms such as humans. We will now characterize the nature of ecdysone's role in sexual behavior. Specific Aim 1: Characterize the effects of EcR deficiency in brain regions known to be involved in sexual behavior. We will an enhancer trap Gal4 strategy reducing EcR function in courtship initiation regions in the brain, and then assaying for changes in sexual behavior. Specific Aim 2: Characterize the effects of ecdysone signaling hypomorphy on female sexual motivation. Our recent preliminary results suggest that modulation of female sexual motivation may be dependent on ecdysone signaling. We will confirm this result and further test the hypothesis that ecdysone signaling is required for modulation of sexual motivation in adult female flies with a series of experiments focused on female precopulatory behavior. Specific Aim 3: Characterize the developmental profile of ecdysone sensitivity of the adult brain. We will characterize the developmental biology of ecdysone sensitivity by manipulating the ecdysone system at various timepoints and for varying durations. We have implicated this steroid hormone in the modulation of sexual behavior in this tractable model organism, and the results will help us understand how ecdysone carries out this critical reproductive function in the fly, and inform the nature of hormone-behavior connections in higher organisms as well. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The fruit fly is an excellent animal in which to study sexual behavior, and much is known about how flies attract and court their mates. We have shown that sexual behavior in the fly depends on a hormone called ecdysone: when the adult male fly is deprived of the steroid hormone ecdysone, it begins courting other males. Determination of the mechanisms by which ecdysone controls sexual behavior will result in important clues about the normal function of steroid hormones in controlling the sexual behavior of all animals, including humans.

描述（由申请人提供）：我们将探讨类固醇激素ecdysone对果蝇的性行为的控制。果蝇Melanogaster模型系统已经产生了与人类神经系统较高功能有关的大量数据，包括记忆加工，睡眠，药物滥用和成瘾方面的发现。探索控制苍蝇性行为行为的神经遗传和激素机制将增加我们对人类生命这一重要部分的理解。尽管有大量有关求爱行为的信息，但Fly唯一已知的类固醇激素对依def的果蝇求爱的调节是未知的。使用ecdysone受体（ECR）基因的温度敏感等位基因（在290C时进行非功能性），我们表明，当成年男性中ECR活性受损时，男性男性求爱结果升高（Ganter等，2007）。我们已经使用ecdysone可用性基因ecdysoneless的ECD1温度敏感等位基因的ECD1温度敏感等位基因确认了ecdysone信号传导与性行为之间的关系。这些结果表明，成年男性中的ecdysone信号对于调节性动机是必要的，并且性行为在成年男性苍蝇中是塑性，但以前都没有发现过。这些结果确立了果蝇作为研究行为荷尔蒙控制的有效模型，其含义扩展到了较高的生物（如人类）。现在，我们将表征埃迪森（Ecdysone）在性行为中作用的性质。特定目的1：表征ECR缺乏症在已知参与性行为涉及的大脑区域的影响。我们将采用增强器陷阱GAL4策略，以降低大脑求爱的发起区域的ECR功能，然后分析性行为的变化。特定目标2：表征ecdysone信号肌电对女性性动机的影响。我们最近的初步结果表明，对女性性动机的调节可能取决于ecdysone信号传导。我们将确认这一结果，并进一步检验以下假设：在成年女性苍蝇中调节性动机需要以一系列针对女性序列前行为的实验来调节性动机。特定目的3：表征成年大脑ecdysone敏感性的发育曲线。我们将通过在各种时间点和不同持续时间操纵ecdysone系统来表征ecdysone敏感性的发育生物学。我们已经将这种类固醇激素牵涉到这种可行的模型生物的性行为的调节中，结果将有助于我们了解ecdysone在苍蝇中如何执行这种关键的生殖功能，并为高等生物体中激素 - 行为连接的性质提供信息。公共卫生的相关性：果蝇是研究性行为的出色动物，并且对苍蝇的吸引和伴侣有多大了解。我们已经表明，苍蝇的性行为取决于一种称为埃迪肌肉的激素：当成年雄性苍蝇被剥夺了类固醇激素ecdysone时，它开始向其他雄性求爱。确定ecdysone控制性行为的机制将导致有关类固醇激素在控制所有动物（包括人类）的性行为方面的正常功能的重要线索。

项目成果

Drosophila male courtship behavior is modulated by ecdysteroids.

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2011.05.007
• 发表时间: 2011-09
• 期刊: JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY
• 影响因子: 2.2
• 作者: Ganter, G. K.;Panaitiu, A. E.;Desilets, J. B.;Davis-Heim, J. A.;Fisher, E. A.;Tan, L. C. H.;Heinrich, R.;Buchanan, E. B.;Brooks, K. M.;Kenney, M. T.;Verde, M. G.;Downey, J.;Adams, A. M.;Grenier, J. S.;Maddula, S.;Shah, P.;Kincaid, K. M.;O'Brien, J. R. M.
• 通讯作者: O'Brien, J. R. M.

Drosophila female precopulatory behavior is modulated by ecdysteroids.

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2012.01.004
• 发表时间: 2012-03
• 期刊: Journal of insect physiology
• 影响因子: 2.2
• 作者: Ganter GK;Desilets JB;Davis-Knowlton JA;Panaitiu AE;Sweezy M;Sungail J;Tan LC;Adams AM;Fisher EA;O'Brien JR;Kincaid KM;Heinrich R
• 通讯作者: Heinrich R