title: Sex-switching of the Drosophila brain by two antagonistic chromatin factors.
abstract: In Drosophila melanogaster, the fruitless (fru) gene encoding BTB-Zn-finger transcription factors organizes male sexual behavior by controlling the development of sexually dimorphic neuronal circuitry. However, the molecular mechanism by which fru controls the sexual fate of neurons has been unknown. Our recent study represents a first step toward clarification of this mechanism. We have shown that: (1) Fru forms a complex with the transcriptional cofactor Bonus (Bon), which recruits either of two chromatin regulators, Histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) or Heterochromatin protein 1a (HP1a), to Fru-target sites; (2) the Fru-Bon complex has a masculinizing effect on single sexually-dimorphic neurons when it recruits HDAC1, whereas it has a demasculinizing effect when it recruits HP1a; (3) HDAC1 or HP1a thus recruited to Fru-target sites determines the sexual fate of single neurons in an all-or-none manner, as manipulations of HDAC1 or HP1a expression levels affect the proportion of male-typical neurons and female-typical neurons without producing neurons of intersexual characteristics. Here, we hypothesize that chromatin landscape changes induced by ecdysone surges direct the HDAC1- or HP1a-containing Fru complex to distinct targets, thereby allowing them to switch the neuronal sexual fate in the brain.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurogenetics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Life Sciences, Sendai, Japan. hiro-san@m.tohoku.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Kosei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism*; D000090266:Chromobox Protein Homolog 5; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D059006:Chromosomes, Insect; D004330:Drosophila / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D056284:Histone Deacetylase 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D009415:Nerve Net; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D019849:Sex Determination Processes / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C502013:Bon protein, Drosophila; D002843:Chromatin; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C103226:fru protein, Drosophila; D000090266:Chromobox Protein Homolog 5; C512966:HDAC1 protein, Drosophila; D056284:Histone Deacetylase 1
keywords: Bonus; Fruitless; HDAC1; HP1a; courtship behavior; sexual fate; sexually dimorphic neurons