Animals choose among sleep, courtship, and feeding behaviors based on the integration of both external sensory cues and internal states; such choices are essential for survival and reproduction. These competing behavi...Animals choose among sleep, courtship, and feeding behaviors based on the integration of both external sensory cues and internal states; such choices are essential for survival and reproduction. These competing behaviors are closely related and controlled by distinct neural circuits, but whether they are also regulated by shared neural nodes is unclear. Here, we investigated how a set of male-specific P1 neurons controls sleep, courtship, and feeding behaviors in Drosophila males. We found that mild activation of P1 neurons was sufficient to affect sleep, but not courtship or feeding, while stronger activation of P1 neurons labeled by four out of five independent drivers induced courtship, but only the driver that targeted the largest number of P1 neurons affected feeding. These results reveal a common neural node that affects sleep,courtship, and feeding in a threshold-dependent manner,and provide insights into how competing behaviors can be regulated by a shared neural node.展开更多
Research on fruit fly courtship has mostly focused on males＇ behavioral repertoire whereas females have been as- sumed to respond by either rejecting or accepting males. In many fruit fly species including Drosophila...Research on fruit fly courtship has mostly focused on males＇ behavioral repertoire whereas females have been as- sumed to respond by either rejecting or accepting males. In many fruit fly species including Drosophila melanogaster, however, mating typically follows an extended period of courtship, which provides ample opportunities for females to inform males about their likelihood of mating. Our experiments indeed revealed that sexually immature females in both D. melanogasterand D. si- mulans showed responses to conspecific males that were distinct from those of sexually mature females. Furthermore, females＇ responses to conspecifie males were different from their responses to heterospecific males. Our data indicate that females＇ beha- vioral repertoire early in courtship can inform males about their probability of mating if they persist in courting. We hypothesize （i） that males can rely on behavioral feedback from females for optimally allocating their courtship efforts towards distinct female classes, （ii） that males may learn to modulate their courtship behavior based on specific feedback from females, and （iii） that fe- males may learn to alter their behavior towards distinct types of males in order to elicit the desired male response. Overall, we suggest that, although little explored, female behavior determines the dynamics of courtship and mating and can thus influence sexual selection and incipient speciation .展开更多
Adult male mice emit highly complex ultrasonic vocalizations(USVs)in response to female conspecifics.Such US Vs,thought to facilitate courtship behaviors,are routinely measured as a behavioral index in mouse models of...Adult male mice emit highly complex ultrasonic vocalizations(USVs)in response to female conspecifics.Such US Vs,thought to facilitate courtship behaviors,are routinely measured as a behavioral index in mouse models of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders such as autism.While the regulation of US Vs by genetic factors has been extensively characterized,the neural mechanisms that control USV production remain largely unknown.Here,we report that optogenetic activation of the medial preoptic area(mPOA)elicited the production of USVs that were acoustically similar to courtship US Vs in adult mice.Moreover,mPOA vesicular GABA transporter-positive(Vgat +)neurons were more effective at driving USV production than vesicular glutamate transporter 2-positive neurons.Furthermore,ablation of mPOA Vgat+ neurons resulted in altered spectral features and syllable usage of USVs in targeted males.Together,these results demonstrate that the mPOA plays a crucial role in modulating courtship USVs and this may serve as an entry point for future dissection of the neural circuitry underlying USV production.展开更多
A closed-loop teleprompter system was used to isolate and manipulate social interactivity in thenatural courtship interactions of pigeons Columbia livia. In Experiment 1, a live face-to-face real-time interaction betw...A closed-loop teleprompter system was used to isolate and manipulate social interactivity in thenatural courtship interactions of pigeons Columbia livia. In Experiment 1, a live face-to-face real-time interaction between 2 courting pigeons （Live） was compared to a played back version of thevideo stimulus recorded during the pairs Live interaction. We found that pigeons were behavinginteractively; their behavior depended on the relationships between their own signals and those oftheir partner. In Experiment 2, we tested whether social interactivity relies on spatial cues presentin the facing direction of a partner＇s display. By moving the teleprompter camera 90~ away from itsoriginal location, the partner＇s display was manipulated to appear as if it is directed 90~ away fromthe subject. We found no effect of spatial offset on the pigeon＇s behavioral response. In Experiment3, 3 time delays, 1 s, 3s, and 9s, a Live condition, and a playback condition were chosen to investi-gate the importance of temporal contiguity in social interactivity. Furthermore, both opposite-sex（courtship） and same-sex （rivalry） pairs were studied to investigate whether social-context affectssocial interactivity sensitivity. Our results showed that pigeon courtship behavior is sensitive totemporal contiguity. Behavior declined in the 9 s and Playback conditions as compared to Live con-dition and the shorter time delays. For males only, courtship behavior also increased in the 3-sdelay condition. The effect of social interactivity and time delay was not observed in rivalry inter-actions, suggesting that social interactivity may be specific to courtship.展开更多
Abstract In many animal species, males direct more intense courtship towards females they have not previously encountered, than towards females with which they have previously mated. To test the factors responsible fo...Abstract In many animal species, males direct more intense courtship towards females they have not previously encountered, than towards females with which they have previously mated. To test the factors responsible for this ＂Coolidge Effect＂, we need studies on a wide range of taxa - including those with mating systems in which we would not expect （based on current theory） that such an effect would be evident. The Coolidge Effect has been documented in several lizard species, but has not been looked for （and would not be expected） in snakes. We conducted experimental trials with red-sided garter snakes Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis at a communal den in Manitoba, to see whether previous exposure to a female （either courting, or courting plus mating） modified male mate choice or courtship intensity. In keeping with prediction from theory （but contrary to an early anecdotal report）, male garter snakes did not modify their courtship behaviour based upon their familiarity （or lack thereof） with a specific female. At least in large courting aggregations, male snakes may maximize their fitness by basing mate-choice upon immediate attributes of the female （body size, condition, mated status） and the intensity of competition （numbers and sizes of rival males） rather than information derived from previous sexual encounters .展开更多
Cicadas usually sing and mate in the higher parts of trees.Studies addressing the effects of different acoustic signals on mate choice in Cicadidae are very limited.We investigated the effects of both acoustical featu...Cicadas usually sing and mate in the higher parts of trees.Studies addressing the effects of different acoustic signals on mate choice in Cicadidae are very limited.We investigated the effects of both acoustical features and morphological traits on mate choice in an East Asian cicada Platypleura kaempferi.Males produce high-rate calling songs that attract females,then produce low-rate courtship songs to secure mating when a female is attracted.Higher calling song rate(CR),shorter single-pulse duration,and shorter pulse period of the calling song,together with lower courtship song rate and longer echeme period of the courtship song,are the most desirable traits used by females to choose a mate.These traits indicate that the more amale can raise the rate of song production,the higher the probability he is sexually selected by the female.No correlation was found between morphological traits and mating success.After mating,a minority of males started emitting calling songs again,but the CR was significantly lower than before mating and none of them attracted a new mate later.This promotes females mating with unmated males.We hypothesize that P.kaempferi may have the best of both worlds due to the unique song modulation and the mechanism of female mate choice:males change energetically,costly acoustic signals to achieve mates,while females choose a mate based on males’acoustic properties.Our results contribute to better understanding the diversity of mating preference and enrich the mechanism of mate choice in acoustic insects.展开更多
Species in Galliformes have elaborate ritual courtship displays,often including strutting,fluffing of tail or head feathers,and vocal sounds that serve as excellent examples of sexual selection.According to the male o...Species in Galliformes have elaborate ritual courtship displays,often including strutting,fluffing of tail or head feathers,and vocal sounds that serve as excellent examples of sexual selection.According to the male orientation to the female while either posturing or moving,these courtship displays of gallinaceous species can be classified into three categories:1)‘frontal displays’,2)‘lateral displays’,and 3)‘both frontal and lateral displays’.Questions regarding which category of displays is the ancestral state and the evolutionary history of courtship displays in Galliformes remain unanswered.We collected and classified 131 species in terms of their courtship displays into the three categories listed above and carried out a large-scale comparative analysis to reveal the evolutionary trajectory of this trait.We found that the ancestral state of courtship displays of Galliformes involves both relatively short and straightforward frontal and lateral elements(i.e.,the category of‘both frontal and lateral displays’).Furthermore,ancestral trait reconstructions suggest that transitions from‘lateral displays’to‘frontal displays’occurred more frequently than the other way around(i.e.,from‘frontal displays’to‘lateral displays’).In addition,some transitions occurred from‘both frontal and lateral displays’to‘lateral displays’but not from‘both frontal and lateral displays’to‘frontal displays’.Ancestral state reconstruction of courtship displays at the root of the Galliformes phylogeny supports the‘both frontal and lateral displays’first scenario.This original state then evolved towards two extremes,either‘frontal displays’or‘lateral displays’,with more complicated and elaborate display components.Moreover,subsequent transitions occurred from‘lateral displays’to‘frontal displays’much more frequently than the other way around during the evolutionary history,indicating positive selection of‘frontal displays’.展开更多
Olfactory activation of neuroendocrine pathways plays vital roles in many organisms for reproduction and survival.The importance of gonadotropin-releasing hormone(GnRH)neurons for reproduction is well-established but ...Olfactory activation of neuroendocrine pathways plays vital roles in many organisms for reproduction and survival.The importance of gonadotropin-releasing hormone(GnRH)neurons for reproduction is well-established but little is known about whether they can directly sense and transmit sex pheromone signals.We have uncovered the migration path and distribution pattern of a new GnRH neuronal population that fulfills this role.GnRH3 neurons arise from the region located beneath olfactory placode,undergo bidirectional migration along the olfactory nerve,and cell bodies lie within the olfactory epithelium,olfactory bulb and hypothalamus.These olfactory epithelial GnRH3 neurons express ora4,the olfactory receptor that detects pheromones.GnRH3-OB neurons with olfactory epithelial GnRH3 neurons ablation failed to respond to the waterborne post-ovulatory sex pheromone prostaglandin F_(2α)(PGF_(2α)).GnRH3 neurons in gnrh3^(-/-)mutants have a reduced basal firing rate leading to abnormal responses to PGF_(2α).Male gnrh3^(-/-)zebrafish exhibit deficiencies in courtship behavior and a decreased capacity to compete and spawn with females.These findings indicate that GnRH3-OE neurons function as crypt sensory neurons transducing sex pheromone-encoded information critical to reproductive success.展开更多
Variations in male body size are known to affect inter- and intrasexual selection outcomes in a wide range of animals. In mating systems involving sexual signaling before mating, body size often acts as a key factor a...Variations in male body size are known to affect inter- and intrasexual selection outcomes in a wide range of animals. In mating systems involving sexual signaling before mating, body size often acts as a key factor affecting signal strength and mate choice. We evaluated the effect of male size on courtship displays and mating success of the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae （Diptera： Tephritidae）. Wing vibrations performed during successful and unsuccessful courtships by large and small males were recorded by high-speed videos and analyzed through frame-by-frame analysis. Mating success of large and small males was investigated. The effect of male-male competition on mating success was evaluated. Male body size affected both male courtship signals and mating outcomes. Successful males showed wing-borne signals with high frequencies and short interpulse intervals. Wing vibrations displayed by successful large males during copulation attempt had higher frequencies over smaller males and unsuccessful large males. In no-competition conditions, large males achieved higher mating success with respect to smaller ones. Allowing large and small males to compete for a female, large males achieve more mating success over smaller ones. Mate choice by females may be based on selection of the larger males, able to produce high-frequency wing vibrations. Such traits may be indicative of ＂good genes,＂ which under sexual selection could means good social-interaction genes, or a good competitive manipulator of conspecifics.展开更多
Male-specific wing spots are usually associated with wing displays in the courtship behavior of Drosophila and may play important roles in sexual selection.Two closely related species,D.nepalensis and D.trilutea,diffe...Male-specific wing spots are usually associated with wing displays in the courtship behavior of Drosophila and may play important roles in sexual selection.Two closely related species,D.nepalensis and D.trilutea,differ in wing spots and scissoring behavior.Here,we compare male morphological characters,pigmentation intensity of male wing spots,wing-scissoring behavior,courtship songs,and reproductive isolation between 2 species.F1 fertile females and sterile males result from the cross between females of D.nepalensis and males of D.trilutea.The pigmentation of wing spots is significantly weaker in D.trilutea than in D.nepalensis and the F1 hybrid.Males scissor both wings in front of the female during courtship,with a posture spreading wings more widely,and at a faster frequency in D.nepalensis than in D.trilutea and the F1s.Males of D.trilutea vibrate wings to produce 2 types(A and B)of pulse songs,whereas D.nepalensis and the F1s sing only type B songs.The incidence of wing vibration and scissoring during courtship suggests that wing vibration is essential but scissoring is a facultative courtship element for successful mating in both species.The association between the darker wing spots with more elaborate scissoring might be the consequence of correlated evolution of these traits in D.nepalensis;however,D.trilutea retains wing scissoring during courtship despite having weaker pigmentation of wing spots.The genetic architecture of 2 traits differs in the F1s,consistent with maternal or sex-linked effects for spots but nonadditive effects for scissoring.展开更多
Sex pheromones are considered to play critical roles in partner communication of most parasitic Hymenoptera.However,the identification of sex pheromone components remains limited to a few families of parasitoid wasps....Sex pheromones are considered to play critical roles in partner communication of most parasitic Hymenoptera.However,the identification of sex pheromone components remains limited to a few families of parasitoid wasps.In this study,we functionally characterized a candidate sex pheromone component in Microplitis mediator(Hymenoptera:Braconidae),a solitary parasitoid of Noctuidae insects.We found that the body surface extract from female wasps could significantly stimulate courtship behavior of males.Gas chromatography-electroantennographic detection(GC-EAD)analysis revealed that a candidate semiochemical from extract triggered significant electrophysiological response of antennae of males.By performing gas chromatography-mass spectrometer(GC-MS)measurement,GC-EAD active compound was identified as n-octyl acrylate,a candidate sex pheromone component in female M.mediator.In electroantennogram(EAG)tests,antennae of male wasps showed significantly higher electrophysiological responses to n-octyl acrylate than those of females.Y-tube olfactometer assays indicated that male wasps significantly chose n-octyl acrylate compared with the control.Furthermore,male wasps showed a remarkable preference for n-octyl acrylate in a simulated field condition behavioral trial;simultaneously,n-octyl acrylate standard could also trigger significant courtship behavior in males.We propose that n-octyl acrylate,as a candidate vital sex pheromone component,could be utilized to design behavioral regulators of M.mediator to implement the protection and utilization of natural enemies.展开更多
Sex-specific neurons play pivotal roles in regulating sexually dimorphic behaviors.In insects,the sex determination gene doublesex(dsx)establishes major sexual dimorphism of the nervous system,in which male-specific d...Sex-specific neurons play pivotal roles in regulating sexually dimorphic behaviors.In insects,the sex determination gene doublesex(dsx)establishes major sexual dimorphism of the nervous system,in which male-specific dsx^(M)promotes neuronal development,while female-specific dsx^(F)inhibits neuronal development by promoting neuronal apoptosis.In this study,we find that dsx regulates the number of dsx-expressing central neurons in Drosophila in cell-specific manners.Although dsx^(M)overall promotes an increase in the number of dsx neurons,it inhibits the emergence of specific pC1 neurons.dsx^(F)reduces the number of different pC1/pC2 subtypes,but promotes the formation of pC1d.We also find that dsx^(M)and dsx^(F)barely affect the number of some pC2 neurons.Changes in the number of pC1/pC2 neurons alter their roles in regulating different behaviors,including courtship,aggression,and locomotion.Our results illustrate the multifaceted functions of dsx in sexually dimorphic neuronal development and behaviors.展开更多
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province of China (BK20150597 and BK20160025)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31571093 and 31622028)the Thousand Young Talents Program in China
文摘Animals choose among sleep, courtship, and feeding behaviors based on the integration of both external sensory cues and internal states; such choices are essential for survival and reproduction. These competing behaviors are closely related and controlled by distinct neural circuits, but whether they are also regulated by shared neural nodes is unclear. Here, we investigated how a set of male-specific P1 neurons controls sleep, courtship, and feeding behaviors in Drosophila males. We found that mild activation of P1 neurons was sufficient to affect sleep, but not courtship or feeding, while stronger activation of P1 neurons labeled by four out of five independent drivers induced courtship, but only the driver that targeted the largest number of P1 neurons affected feeding. These results reveal a common neural node that affects sleep,courtship, and feeding in a threshold-dependent manner,and provide insights into how competing behaviors can be regulated by a shared neural node.
文摘Research on fruit fly courtship has mostly focused on males＇ behavioral repertoire whereas females have been as- sumed to respond by either rejecting or accepting males. In many fruit fly species including Drosophila melanogaster, however, mating typically follows an extended period of courtship, which provides ample opportunities for females to inform males about their likelihood of mating. Our experiments indeed revealed that sexually immature females in both D. melanogasterand D. si- mulans showed responses to conspecific males that were distinct from those of sexually mature females. Furthermore, females＇ responses to conspecifie males were different from their responses to heterospecific males. Our data indicate that females＇ beha- vioral repertoire early in courtship can inform males about their probability of mating if they persist in courting. We hypothesize （i） that males can rely on behavioral feedback from females for optimally allocating their courtship efforts towards distinct female classes, （ii） that males may learn to modulate their courtship behavior based on specific feedback from females, and （iii） that fe- males may learn to alter their behavior towards distinct types of males in order to elicit the desired male response. Overall, we suggest that, although little explored, female behavior determines the dynamics of courtship and mating and can thus influence sexual selection and incipient speciation .
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31871066, 31471065)the National Basic Research Development Program (973 Program) of China (2015CB559201)+2 种基金the Thousand Young Talents Program of Chinathe Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB32010200)as part of the Chinese Academy of Science interdisciplinary innovation team
文摘Adult male mice emit highly complex ultrasonic vocalizations(USVs)in response to female conspecifics.Such US Vs,thought to facilitate courtship behaviors,are routinely measured as a behavioral index in mouse models of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders such as autism.While the regulation of US Vs by genetic factors has been extensively characterized,the neural mechanisms that control USV production remain largely unknown.Here,we report that optogenetic activation of the medial preoptic area(mPOA)elicited the production of USVs that were acoustically similar to courtship US Vs in adult mice.Moreover,mPOA vesicular GABA transporter-positive(Vgat +)neurons were more effective at driving USV production than vesicular glutamate transporter 2-positive neurons.Furthermore,ablation of mPOA Vgat+ neurons resulted in altered spectral features and syllable usage of USVs in targeted males.Together,these results demonstrate that the mPOA plays a crucial role in modulating courtship USVs and this may serve as an entry point for future dissection of the neural circuitry underlying USV production.
文摘A closed-loop teleprompter system was used to isolate and manipulate social interactivity in thenatural courtship interactions of pigeons Columbia livia. In Experiment 1, a live face-to-face real-time interaction between 2 courting pigeons （Live） was compared to a played back version of thevideo stimulus recorded during the pairs Live interaction. We found that pigeons were behavinginteractively; their behavior depended on the relationships between their own signals and those oftheir partner. In Experiment 2, we tested whether social interactivity relies on spatial cues presentin the facing direction of a partner＇s display. By moving the teleprompter camera 90~ away from itsoriginal location, the partner＇s display was manipulated to appear as if it is directed 90~ away fromthe subject. We found no effect of spatial offset on the pigeon＇s behavioral response. In Experiment3, 3 time delays, 1 s, 3s, and 9s, a Live condition, and a playback condition were chosen to investi-gate the importance of temporal contiguity in social interactivity. Furthermore, both opposite-sex（courtship） and same-sex （rivalry） pairs were studied to investigate whether social-context affectssocial interactivity sensitivity. Our results showed that pigeon courtship behavior is sensitive totemporal contiguity. Behavior declined in the 9 s and Playback conditions as compared to Live con-dition and the shorter time delays. For males only, courtship behavior also increased in the 3-sdelay condition. The effect of social interactivity and time delay was not observed in rivalry inter-actions, suggesting that social interactivity may be specific to courtship.
基金We thank A1 and Gerry Johnson for assistance, and the Manitoba Dept. of Natural Resources （especially Dave Roberts） for permits. Financial support was provided by the Australian Research Council and the Austra- lian Academy of Science （to RS）, and by the National Science Foundation （IBN-9357245） and the Whitehall Foundation （W95-04） to RTM. Research was conducted under the author- ity of Oregon State University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee Protocol No. LAR-1848B. All research was conducted in accord with the US Public Health Service ＇Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals＇ and the National Institutes of Health ＇Guide to the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals＇.
文摘Abstract In many animal species, males direct more intense courtship towards females they have not previously encountered, than towards females with which they have previously mated. To test the factors responsible for this ＂Coolidge Effect＂, we need studies on a wide range of taxa - including those with mating systems in which we would not expect （based on current theory） that such an effect would be evident. The Coolidge Effect has been documented in several lizard species, but has not been looked for （and would not be expected） in snakes. We conducted experimental trials with red-sided garter snakes Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis at a communal den in Manitoba, to see whether previous exposure to a female （either courting, or courting plus mating） modified male mate choice or courtship intensity. In keeping with prediction from theory （but contrary to an early anecdotal report）, male garter snakes did not modify their courtship behaviour based upon their familiarity （or lack thereof） with a specific female. At least in large courting aggregations, male snakes may maximize their fitness by basing mate-choice upon immediate attributes of the female （body size, condition, mated status） and the intensity of competition （numbers and sizes of rival males） rather than information derived from previous sexual encounters .
基金This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant numbers 31772505 and 32070476).
文摘Cicadas usually sing and mate in the higher parts of trees.Studies addressing the effects of different acoustic signals on mate choice in Cicadidae are very limited.We investigated the effects of both acoustical features and morphological traits on mate choice in an East Asian cicada Platypleura kaempferi.Males produce high-rate calling songs that attract females,then produce low-rate courtship songs to secure mating when a female is attracted.Higher calling song rate(CR),shorter single-pulse duration,and shorter pulse period of the calling song,together with lower courtship song rate and longer echeme period of the courtship song,are the most desirable traits used by females to choose a mate.These traits indicate that the more amale can raise the rate of song production,the higher the probability he is sexually selected by the female.No correlation was found between morphological traits and mating success.After mating,a minority of males started emitting calling songs again,but the CR was significantly lower than before mating and none of them attracted a new mate later.This promotes females mating with unmated males.We hypothesize that P.kaempferi may have the best of both worlds due to the unique song modulation and the mechanism of female mate choice:males change energetically,costly acoustic signals to achieve mates,while females choose a mate based on males’acoustic properties.Our results contribute to better understanding the diversity of mating preference and enrich the mechanism of mate choice in acoustic insects.
基金National Science and Technology Major Project(No.2018ZX10101004)X.R.was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31800320)+1 种基金the Joint Fund of the Natural Science Foundation of Hainan Province(No.320RC506)the Scientific Research start-up Fund of Hainan University(No.KYQD(ZR)20057).
文摘Species in Galliformes have elaborate ritual courtship displays,often including strutting,fluffing of tail or head feathers,and vocal sounds that serve as excellent examples of sexual selection.According to the male orientation to the female while either posturing or moving,these courtship displays of gallinaceous species can be classified into three categories:1)‘frontal displays’,2)‘lateral displays’,and 3)‘both frontal and lateral displays’.Questions regarding which category of displays is the ancestral state and the evolutionary history of courtship displays in Galliformes remain unanswered.We collected and classified 131 species in terms of their courtship displays into the three categories listed above and carried out a large-scale comparative analysis to reveal the evolutionary trajectory of this trait.We found that the ancestral state of courtship displays of Galliformes involves both relatively short and straightforward frontal and lateral elements(i.e.,the category of‘both frontal and lateral displays’).Furthermore,ancestral trait reconstructions suggest that transitions from‘lateral displays’to‘frontal displays’occurred more frequently than the other way around(i.e.,from‘frontal displays’to‘lateral displays’).In addition,some transitions occurred from‘both frontal and lateral displays’to‘lateral displays’but not from‘both frontal and lateral displays’to‘frontal displays’.Ancestral state reconstruction of courtship displays at the root of the Galliformes phylogeny supports the‘both frontal and lateral displays’first scenario.This original state then evolved towards two extremes,either‘frontal displays’or‘lateral displays’,with more complicated and elaborate display components.Moreover,subsequent transitions occurred from‘lateral displays’to‘frontal displays’much more frequently than the other way around during the evolutionary history,indicating positive selection of‘frontal displays’.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31721005,32030113,32000361)Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province(2024J08045)University of Ottawa Research Chair program and University of Ottawa International Research Acceleration Program(VLT)。
文摘Olfactory activation of neuroendocrine pathways plays vital roles in many organisms for reproduction and survival.The importance of gonadotropin-releasing hormone(GnRH)neurons for reproduction is well-established but little is known about whether they can directly sense and transmit sex pheromone signals.We have uncovered the migration path and distribution pattern of a new GnRH neuronal population that fulfills this role.GnRH3 neurons arise from the region located beneath olfactory placode,undergo bidirectional migration along the olfactory nerve,and cell bodies lie within the olfactory epithelium,olfactory bulb and hypothalamus.These olfactory epithelial GnRH3 neurons express ora4,the olfactory receptor that detects pheromones.GnRH3-OB neurons with olfactory epithelial GnRH3 neurons ablation failed to respond to the waterborne post-ovulatory sex pheromone prostaglandin F_(2α)(PGF_(2α)).GnRH3 neurons in gnrh3^(-/-)mutants have a reduced basal firing rate leading to abnormal responses to PGF_(2α).Male gnrh3^(-/-)zebrafish exhibit deficiencies in courtship behavior and a decreased capacity to compete and spawn with females.These findings indicate that GnRH3-OE neurons function as crypt sensory neurons transducing sex pheromone-encoded information critical to reproductive success.
文摘Variations in male body size are known to affect inter- and intrasexual selection outcomes in a wide range of animals. In mating systems involving sexual signaling before mating, body size often acts as a key factor affecting signal strength and mate choice. We evaluated the effect of male size on courtship displays and mating success of the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae （Diptera： Tephritidae）. Wing vibrations performed during successful and unsuccessful courtships by large and small males were recorded by high-speed videos and analyzed through frame-by-frame analysis. Mating success of large and small males was investigated. The effect of male-male competition on mating success was evaluated. Male body size affected both male courtship signals and mating outcomes. Successful males showed wing-borne signals with high frequencies and short interpulse intervals. Wing vibrations displayed by successful large males during copulation attempt had higher frequencies over smaller males and unsuccessful large males. In no-competition conditions, large males achieved higher mating success with respect to smaller ones. Allowing large and small males to compete for a female, large males achieve more mating success over smaller ones. Mate choice by females may be based on selection of the larger males, able to produce high-frequency wing vibrations. Such traits may be indicative of ＂good genes,＂ which under sexual selection could means good social-interaction genes, or a good competitive manipulator of conspecifics.
基金funded by the National Scientifie Foundation of China(31372187)funded by the NERC,UK(grants NE/E015255/1 and NE/020818/1).
文摘Male-specific wing spots are usually associated with wing displays in the courtship behavior of Drosophila and may play important roles in sexual selection.Two closely related species,D.nepalensis and D.trilutea,differ in wing spots and scissoring behavior.Here,we compare male morphological characters,pigmentation intensity of male wing spots,wing-scissoring behavior,courtship songs,and reproductive isolation between 2 species.F1 fertile females and sterile males result from the cross between females of D.nepalensis and males of D.trilutea.The pigmentation of wing spots is significantly weaker in D.trilutea than in D.nepalensis and the F1 hybrid.Males scissor both wings in front of the female during courtship,with a posture spreading wings more widely,and at a faster frequency in D.nepalensis than in D.trilutea and the F1s.Males of D.trilutea vibrate wings to produce 2 types(A and B)of pulse songs,whereas D.nepalensis and the F1s sing only type B songs.The incidence of wing vibration and scissoring during courtship suggests that wing vibration is essential but scissoring is a facultative courtship element for successful mating in both species.The association between the darker wing spots with more elaborate scissoring might be the consequence of correlated evolution of these traits in D.nepalensis;however,D.trilutea retains wing scissoring during courtship despite having weaker pigmentation of wing spots.The genetic architecture of 2 traits differs in the F1s,consistent with maternal or sex-linked effects for spots but nonadditive effects for scissoring.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32150410366,31972338,and 32372639)China Agriculture Research System(CARS-02-26)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2021YFD1400700).
文摘Sex pheromones are considered to play critical roles in partner communication of most parasitic Hymenoptera.However,the identification of sex pheromone components remains limited to a few families of parasitoid wasps.In this study,we functionally characterized a candidate sex pheromone component in Microplitis mediator(Hymenoptera:Braconidae),a solitary parasitoid of Noctuidae insects.We found that the body surface extract from female wasps could significantly stimulate courtship behavior of males.Gas chromatography-electroantennographic detection(GC-EAD)analysis revealed that a candidate semiochemical from extract triggered significant electrophysiological response of antennae of males.By performing gas chromatography-mass spectrometer(GC-MS)measurement,GC-EAD active compound was identified as n-octyl acrylate,a candidate sex pheromone component in female M.mediator.In electroantennogram(EAG)tests,antennae of male wasps showed significantly higher electrophysiological responses to n-octyl acrylate than those of females.Y-tube olfactometer assays indicated that male wasps significantly chose n-octyl acrylate compared with the control.Furthermore,male wasps showed a remarkable preference for n-octyl acrylate in a simulated field condition behavioral trial;simultaneously,n-octyl acrylate standard could also trigger significant courtship behavior in males.We propose that n-octyl acrylate,as a candidate vital sex pheromone component,could be utilized to design behavioral regulators of M.mediator to implement the protection and utilization of natural enemies.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(2021YFA1101300)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32371067 to Y.P.)+1 种基金the Natural Science Foundation from Jiangsu Province(BK20231418 to Q.P.)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(2242023R40054 to Q.P.).
文摘Sex-specific neurons play pivotal roles in regulating sexually dimorphic behaviors.In insects,the sex determination gene doublesex(dsx)establishes major sexual dimorphism of the nervous system,in which male-specific dsx^(M)promotes neuronal development,while female-specific dsx^(F)inhibits neuronal development by promoting neuronal apoptosis.In this study,we find that dsx regulates the number of dsx-expressing central neurons in Drosophila in cell-specific manners.Although dsx^(M)overall promotes an increase in the number of dsx neurons,it inhibits the emergence of specific pC1 neurons.dsx^(F)reduces the number of different pC1/pC2 subtypes,but promotes the formation of pC1d.We also find that dsx^(M)and dsx^(F)barely affect the number of some pC2 neurons.Changes in the number of pC1/pC2 neurons alter their roles in regulating different behaviors,including courtship,aggression,and locomotion.Our results illustrate the multifaceted functions of dsx in sexually dimorphic neuronal development and behaviors.
