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: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=741229
• 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.

识别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了单个基因变化、单个神经元以及复杂行为变化背后的神经回路。我们利用果蝇模型系统中可用的强大遗传工具，重点关注人们知之甚少但又至关重要的雌性排斥行为和雌性攻击性特征。雄性的交配行为和攻击性特征已在遗传和神经水平上进行了广泛研究，但对雌性的了解却很少。由于雌性的选择往往是交配是否发生的决定因素，包括阻止密切相关的物种之间的交配，并且雌性的攻击性对于资源获取和繁殖可能很重要，基础自然科学知识的这种差距限制了我们进行更大规模的研究的能力关于关键行为途径的进化以及这些途径对物种形成的影响的进化理论。这种差距也阻碍了对男性和女性复杂生殖行为的形成是否存在分歧或凝聚力的探索。为了纠正这一差距：（1）我们将使用有针对性的遗传变化来确定雌性接受性变化背后的特定遗传多态性，重点关注我们之前确定的影响物种特异性雌性交配拒绝行为变化的两个基因。 (2) 我们将通过靶向候选神经元子集中的转录本敲低来识别这两个候选基因所作用的神经元，从而影响雌性排斥。 (3) 我们将使用尖端工具来识别雌性排斥途径的上游和下游电路，我们最近发现该途径涉及一对章鱼胺神经元，当神经元沉默时，该神经元会诱导活跃的雌性排斥。 (4) 我们将使用一系列果蝇工具来识别女性特异性攻击性的神经递质和回路，重点关注我们最近发现的一小群神经元，当这些神经元过度激活时，这些神经元会诱导女性特异性攻击性；这些相同的神经元会诱导雄性求爱。完成这四个目标将首次表征负责物种隔离的雌性行为的基因，首次鉴定影响物种隔离的神经元，首次对中枢神经系统中雌性排斥行为的神经元和电路进行精细表征，以及针对女性特定攻击性的神经元和电路的首次表征。如果我们想要全面了解复杂行为是如何产生的，那么了解这些关键女性特有行为的遗传和神经基础至关重要。