title: The KRÜPPEL-like transcription factor DATILÓGRAFO is required in specific cholinergic neurons for sexual receptivity in Drosophila females.
abstract: Courtship is a widespread behavior in which one gender conveys to the other a series of cues about their species identity, gender, and suitability as mates. In many species, females decode these male displays and either accept or reject them. Despite the fact that courtship has been investigated for a long time, the genes and circuits that allow females to generate these mutually exclusive responses remain largely unknown. Here, we provide evidence that the Krüppel-like transcription factor datilógrafo (dati) is required for proper locomotion and courtship acceptance in adult Drosophila females. dati mutant females are completely unable to decode male courtship and almost invariably reject males. Molecular analyses reveal that dati is broadly expressed in the brain and its specific removal in excitatory cholinergic neurons recapitulates the female courtship behavioral phenotype but not the locomotor deficits, indicating that these are two separable functions. Clonal analyses in female brains identified three discrete foci where dati is required to generate acceptance. These include neurons around the antennal lobe, the lateral horn, and the posterior superior lateral protocerebrum. Together, these results show that dati is required to organize and maintain a relatively simple excitatory circuit in the brain that allows females to either accept or reject courting males.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America.
authors.forename: Joseph Moeller
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Schinaman
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America.
authors.forename: Rachel Lynn
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Giesey
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America; Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America.
authors.forename: Claudia Mieko
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Mizutani
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental & Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Tamas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lukacsovich
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sousa-Neves
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D059329:Cholinergic Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D059006:Chromosomes, Insect; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D008124:Locomotion; D008297:Male; D024521:Mushroom Bodies; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C000603491:Dati protein, Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors