Prospero mutants induce precocious sexual behavior in Drosophila males.
Brain maturation, a developmental process influenced by both endogenous and environmental factors, can affect sexual behavior. In vertebrates and invertebrates, sexual maturation is under the influence of hormones and neuromodulators, but the role of developmental genes in this process is still poorly understood. We report that prospero (pros), a gene crucial for nervous system development, can change the age of onset of sexual behavior in Drosophila melanogaster males: adult males carrying a single copy of several pros mutations court females and mate at a younger age than control males. However, these pros mutations had no effect on female sexual receptivity and did not alter other male phenotypes related to mating behavior. The Pros protein was detected in several brain and sensory structures of immature adult males, some of which are normally involved in the regulation of male specific behaviors. Our data suggest that the altered pros expression affects the age of onset of male mating behavior.
Grosjean
Yaël
Y
Unité Mixte de Recherche 5548 Associée au Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Bourgogne, 6, Bd Gabriel, Dijon 21 000, France.
Guenin
Laure
L
Bardet
Henri-Marc
HM
Ferveur
Jean-François
JF
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C073099:pros protein, Drosophila