Overexpression of a CREB repressor isoform enhances the female sexual receptivity in Drosophila.
The cAMP responsive transcriptional factor, CREB, is highly conserved among animal species, and its activity affects their behavior. In Drosophila melanogaster, one of alternatively spliced products of the CREB gene, dCREB2-a, is a transcriptional activator, while another isoform, dCREB2-b, is a repressor of dCREB2-a. Here, we demonstrate that overexpression of dCREB2-b in virgin females enhances their sexual receptivity. We studied the role of dCREB2 in female mating behavior using two transgenic lines, hs-dCREB2-a and hs-dCREB2-b, which overexpress respective products with heat-shock treatment. Wild-type males started their courtship behavior and mated more quickly with heat-shocked hs-dCREB2-b females than with non-heat-shocked hs-dCREB2-b females. Overexpression of dCREB2-a in females affected neither their courtship behavior nor mating frequency. The effects of overexpressed dCREB2-b were not due to elevated locomotor activities of heat-shocked females nor due to more vigorous courtship behavior of paired wild-type males. CREB might be involved in female sexual behavior of animals.
Sakai
Takaomi
T
Institute for Behavioral Sciences, Gunma University School of Medicine, 3-39-22, Maebashi, 371-8511, Japan. sakait@med.gunma-u.ac.jp
Kidokoro
Yoshiaki
Y
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D015534:Trans-Activators
C102181:CrebB protein, Drosophila; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators