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The Drosophila pheromone cVA activates a sexually dimorphic neural circuit

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Listed:
  • Sandeep Robert Datta

    (College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA)

  • Maria Luisa Vasconcelos

    (College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA)

  • Vanessa Ruta

    (College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA)

  • Sean Luo

    (College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA)

  • Allan Wong

    (College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA
    California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA)

  • Ebru Demir

    (Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Dr Bohr-gasse 7, A-1030 Vienna, Austria)

  • Jorge Flores

    (College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA)

  • Karen Balonze

    (College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA)

  • Barry J. Dickson

    (Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Dr Bohr-gasse 7, A-1030 Vienna, Austria)

  • Richard Axel

    (College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA)

Abstract

Scent's different directions Despite dramatic behavioural differences between the sexes, surprisingly few anatomic features have been observed that differentiate the male and female brain in any species. Work in the Drosophila fruit fly has now uncovered a striking difference in male and female responses to the insect pheromone cVA (cis-vaccenyl acetate). Males release the pheromone, which is detected by both sexes via apparently identical neural circuits in their antennae. The scent induces females to become receptive to males, but in rival males it inhibits courtship behaviour. The single neuron tracing technique developed to make this discovery should be applicable to study the nervous systems of other genetically tractable species, such as the mouse.

Suggested Citation

  • Sandeep Robert Datta & Maria Luisa Vasconcelos & Vanessa Ruta & Sean Luo & Allan Wong & Ebru Demir & Jorge Flores & Karen Balonze & Barry J. Dickson & Richard Axel, 2008. "The Drosophila pheromone cVA activates a sexually dimorphic neural circuit," Nature, Nature, vol. 452(7186), pages 473-477, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:452:y:2008:i:7186:d:10.1038_nature06808
    DOI: 10.1038/nature06808
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    Cited by:

    1. Gwénaëlle Bontonou & Bastien Saint-Leandre & Tane Kafle & Tess Baticle & Afrah Hassan & Juan Antonio Sánchez-Alcañiz & J. Roman Arguello, 2024. "Evolution of chemosensory tissues and cells across ecologically diverse Drosophilids," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-17, December.
    2. Martin F Strube-Bloss & Austin Brown & Johannes Spaethe & Thomas Schmitt & Wolfgang Rössler, 2015. "Extracting the Behaviorally Relevant Stimulus: Unique Neural Representation of Farnesol, a Component of the Recruitment Pheromone of Bombus terrestris," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(9), pages 1-16, September.

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