Journal article
Recurring Ethanol Exposure Induces Disinhibited Courtship in Drosophila
PloS one, Vol.3(1), pp.e1391-e1391
01/02/2008
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0001391
PMCID: PMC2148075
PMID: 18167550
Abstract
Alcohol has a strong causal relationship with sexual arousal and disinhibited sexual behavior in humans; however, the physiological support for this notion is largely lacking and thus a suitable animal model to address this issue is instrumental. We investigated the effect of ethanol on sexual behavior in
Drosophila
. Wild-type males typically court females but not males; however, upon daily administration of ethanol, they exhibited active intermale courtship, which represents a novel type of behavioral disinhibition. The ethanol-treated males also developed behavioral sensitization, a form of plasticity associated with addiction, since their intermale courtship activity was progressively increased with additional ethanol experience. We identified three components crucial for the ethanol-induced courtship disinhibition: the transcription factor regulating male sex behavior Fruitless, the ABC guanine/tryptophan transporter White and the neuromodulator dopamine.
fruitless
mutant males normally display conspicuous intermale courtship; however, their courtship activity was not enhanced under ethanol. Likewise,
white
males showed negligible ethanol-induced intermale courtship, which was not only reinstated but also augmented by transgenic White expression. Moreover, inhibition of dopamine neurotransmission during ethanol exposure dramatically decreased ethanol-induced intermale courtship. Chronic ethanol exposure also affected a male's sexual behavior toward females: it enhanced sexual arousal but reduced sexual performance. These findings provide novel insights into the physiological effects of ethanol on sexual behavior and behavioral plasticity.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Recurring Ethanol Exposure Induces Disinhibited Courtship in Drosophila
- Creators
- Hyun-Gwan LeeYoung-Cho KimJennifer S DunningKyung-An Han
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- PloS one, Vol.3(1), pp.e1391-e1391
- DOI
- 10.1371/journal.pone.0001391
- PMID
- 18167550
- PMCID
- PMC2148075
- NLM abbreviation
- PLoS One
- ISSN
- 1932-6203
- eISSN
- 1932-6203
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science; San Francisco, USA
- Alternative title
- Alcohol-Induced Disinhibition
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/02/2008
- Academic Unit
- Neurology; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Record Identifier
- 9984014020202771
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