title: Complex genetic architecture of Drosophila aggressive behavior.
abstract: Epistasis and pleiotropy feature prominently in the genetic architecture of quantitative traits but are difficult to assess in outbred populations. We performed a diallel cross among coisogenic Drosophila P-element mutations associated with hyperaggressive behavior and showed extensive epistatic and pleiotropic effects on aggression, brain morphology, and genome-wide transcript abundance in head tissues. Epistatic interactions were often of greater magnitude than homozygous effects, and the topology of epistatic networks varied among these phenotypes. The transcriptional signatures of homozygous and double heterozygous genotypes derived from the six mutations imply a large mutational target for aggressive behavior and point to evolutionarily conserved genetic mechanisms and neural signaling pathways affecting this universal fitness trait.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Center for Human Genetics, Catholic University Leuven and Flemish Institute for Biotechnology, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Liesbeth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zwarts
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Magwire
authors.forename: Mary Anna
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.forename: Marijke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Versteven
authors.forename: Liesbet
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Herteleer
authors.forename: Robert R H
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Anholt
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Callaerts
authors.forename: Trudy F C
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Mackay
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D004843:Epistasis, Genetic; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D017344:Genes, Insect; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype