Insulin-producing cells regulate the sexual receptivity through the painless TRP channel in Drosophila virgin females

Takaomi Sakai; Kazuki Watanabe; Hirono Ohashi; Shoma Sato; Show Inami; Naoto Shimada; Toshihiro Kitamoto

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0088175

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Insulin-producing cells regulate the sexual receptivity through the painless TRP channel in Drosophila virgin females

Journal article

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Insulin-producing cells regulate the sexual receptivity through the painless TRP channel in Drosophila virgin females

Takaomi Sakai, Kazuki Watanabe, Hirono Ohashi, Shoma Sato, Show Inami, Naoto Shimada and Toshihiro Kitamoto

PloS one, Vol.9(2), pp.e88175-e88175

2014

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0088175

PMCID: PMC3913769

PMID: 24505416

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Abstract

In a variety of animal species, females hold a leading position in evaluating potential mating partners. The decision of virgin females to accept or reject a courting male is one of the most critical steps for mating success. In the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster, however, the molecular and neuronal mechanisms underlying female receptivity are still poorly understood, particularly for virgin females. The Drosophila painless (pain) gene encodes a transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channel. We previously demonstrated that mutations in pain significantly enhance the sexual receptivity of virgin females and that pain expression in pain(GAL4) -positive neurons is necessary and sufficient for pain-mediated regulation of the virgin receptivity. Among the pain(GAL4) -positive neurons in the adult female brain, here we have found that insulin-producing cells (IPCs), a neuronal subset in the pars intercerebralis, are essential in virgin females for the regulation of sexual receptivity through Pain TRP channels. IPC-specific knockdown of pain expression or IPC ablation strongly enhanced female sexual receptivity as was observed in pain mutant females. When pain expression or neuronal activity was conditionally suppressed in adult IPCs, female sexual receptivity was similarly enhanced. Furthermore, both pain mutations and the conditional knockdown of pain expression in IPCs depressed female rejection behaviors toward courting males. Taken together, our results indicate that the Pain TRP channel in IPCs plays an important role in controlling the sexual receptivity of Drosophila virgin females by positively regulating female rejection behaviors during courtship.

Courtship

Drosophila melanogaster - physiology

Ion Channels - genetics

Male

Drosophila Proteins - metabolism

Mutation - genetics

Brain - physiology

Drosophila melanogaster - genetics

Brain - metabolism

Drosophila melanogaster - metabolism

Sexual Behavior, Animal - physiology

Insulin - metabolism

Animals

Ion Channels - metabolism

Transient Receptor Potential Channels - genetics

Female

Neurons - metabolism

Drosophila Proteins - genetics

Transient Receptor Potential Channels - metabolism

Insulin - genetics

Details

Title: Subtitle: Insulin-producing cells regulate the sexual receptivity through the painless TRP channel in Drosophila virgin females
Creators: Takaomi Sakai - Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
Kazuki Watanabe - Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
Hirono Ohashi - Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
Shoma Sato - Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
Show Inami - Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
Naoto Shimada - Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
Toshihiro Kitamoto - Department of Anesthesia, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America ; Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs in Genetics and Neuroscience, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: PloS one, Vol.9(2), pp.e88175-e88175
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0088175
PMID: 24505416
PMCID: PMC3913769
NLM abbreviation: PLoS One
ISSN: 1932-6203
eISSN: 1932-6203
Publisher: Public Library of Science; United States
Grant note: R01MH062684 / NIMH NIH HHS R01MH085081 / NIMH NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 2014
Academic Unit: Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Anesthesia; Neuroscience and Pharmacology
Record Identifier: 9984007170802771

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