Fly courtship song: triggering the light fantastic.
In a study in this issue, Clyne and Miesenböck (2008) apply an ingenious optogenetic technology to activate neurons that generate male-specific courtship song in flies. This work sheds new light on the neural circuitry underlying sexually dimorphic behaviors in Drosophila.
Dornan
Anthony J
AJ
IBLS Division of Molecular Genetics, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G11 6NU, UK.
Goodwin
Stephen F
SF
D000818:Animals; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D014921:Wings, Animal