Sex-specific signaling in the blood-brain barrier is required for male courtship in Drosophila.
Soluble circulating proteins play an important role in the regulation of mating behavior in Drosophila melanogaster. However, how these factors signal through the blood-brain barrier (bbb) to interact with the sex-specific brain circuits that control courtship is unknown. Here we show that male identity of the blood-brain barrier is necessary and that male-specific factors in the bbb are physiologically required for normal male courtship behavior. Feminization of the bbb of adult males significantly reduces male courtship. We show that the bbb-specific G-protein coupled receptor moody and bbb-specific Go signaling in adult males are necessary for normal courtship. These data identify sex-specific factors and signaling processes in the bbb as important regulators of male mating behavior.
Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.
Valbona
V
Hoxha
Chamala
C
Lama
Peter L
PL
Chang
Sumit
S
Saurabh
Naiya
N
Patel
Nicole
N
Olate
Brigitte
B
Dauwalder
D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics*
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; C542235:moody protein, Drosophila