The long-term objectives of this research are to elucidate the role of the Sex-lethal gene in regulating reproductive behavior in Drosophila males and females and to understand the function of homosexual courtship in this species. Mutations in the Sex-lethal gene, which has a primary role in sex determination, affect diplo-X flies' ability to perform and elicit courtship. The proposed experiments will reveal the role of the Sex-lethal gene in regulating specific aspects of sex pheromone synthesis in females and the visual stimuli that are associated with attractive female flies. Other mutations in the Sex-lethal gene affect haplo-X flies' ability to discriminate between attractive and unattractive flies and to avoid the courtship of normal mature males. Experiments are proposed to identify aspects of sex pheromone synthesis that are regulated by the Sex-lethal gene in males and to identify female-specific Sex-lethal transcripts that interfere with males' ability to distinguish attractive females from unattractive males. Other experiments are proposed to analyze experience-dependent courtship modification, a phenomenon that has apparently evolved to limit the performance of reproductively wasteful homosexual courtship in this species. One set of experiments will reveal the stimuli that a courting male must perceive for experience-dependent courtship modification. In addition, parts of the nervous system that must function normally for a male's homosexual courtship to be limited will be revealed by analysis in genetic mosaics of the silver mutation, which affects courting males' ability to limit their homosexual courtship. Finally, the extent to which homosexual courtship and mechanisms for limiting its occurrence are characteristic of the genus will be determined by monitoring the behavior of other Drosophila species. These experiments will further our understanding of reproductive behavior in insects, which has obvious implications for biological control of agricultural pests.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01GM033511-05
Application #
3283321
Study Section
Genetics Study Section (GEN)
Project Start
1984-04-01
Project End
1990-03-31
Budget Start
1988-04-01
Budget End
1989-03-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
1988
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Temple University
Department
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
City
Philadelphia
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
19122
Tompkins, L; McRobert, S P (1995) Behavioral and pheromonal phenotypes associated with expression of loss-of-function mutations in the sex-lethal gene of Drosophila melanogaster. J Neurogenet 9:219-26
McRobert, S P; Schnee, F B; Tompkins, L (1995) Selection for increased female sexual receptivity in raised stocks of Drosophila melanogaster. Behav Genet 25:303-9
Vaias, L J; Napolitano, L M; Tompkins, L (1993) Identification of stimuli that mediate experience-dependent modification of homosexual courtship in Drosophila melanogaster. Behav Genet 23:91-7
Tompkins, L (1990) Effects of the apterous4 mutation on Drosophila melanogaster males' courtship. J Neurogenet 6:221-7
Napolitano, L M; Tompkins, L (1989) Neural control of homosexual courtship in Drosophila melanogaster. J Neurogenet 6:87-94
Tompkins, L; McRobert, S P (1989) Regulation of behavioral and pheromonal aspects of sex determination in Drosophila melanogaster by the Sex-lethal gene. Genetics 123:535-41
Lamb, N J; Fernandez, A; Feramisco, J R et al. (1989) Modulation of vimentin containing intermediate filament distribution and phosphorylation in living fibroblasts by the cAMP-dependent protein kinase. J Cell Biol 108:2409-22
Lamb, N J; Fernandez, A; Conti, M A et al. (1988) Regulation of actin microfilament integrity in living nonmuscle cells by the cAMP-dependent protein kinase and the myosin light chain kinase. J Cell Biol 106:1955-71
Curcillo, P G; Tompkins, L (1987) The ontogeny of sex appeal in Drosophila melanogaster males. Behav Genet 17:81-6
McRobert, S P (1986) The effects of yeast on sexual behavior in Drosophila melanogaster. Behav Neural Biol 45:150-4

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