title: A single pair of neurons modulates egg-laying decisions in Drosophila.
abstract: Animals have to judge environmental cues and choose the most suitable option for them from many different options. Female fruit flies selecting an optimum site to deposit their eggs is a biologically important reproductive behavior. When given the direct choice between ovipositing their eggs in a sucrose-containing medium or a caffeine-containing medium, female flies prefer the latter. However, the neural circuits and molecules that regulate this decision-making processes during egg-laying site selection remain poorly understood. In the present study, we found that amnesiac (amn) mutant flies show significant defects in egg-laying decisions, and such defects can be reversed by expressing the wild-type amn transgene in two dorsal paired medial (DPM) neurons in the brain. Silencing neuronal activity with an inward rectifier potassium channel (Kir2.1) in DPM neurons also impairs egg-laying decisions. Finally, the activity in mushroom body αβ neurons is required for the egg-laying behavior, suggesting a possible "DPM-αβ neurons" brain circuit modulating egg-laying decisions. Our results highlight the brain circuits and molecular mechanisms of egg-laying decisions in Drosophila.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Lin
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chi-Nan University, Nantou, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tsai-Feng
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yen-Yun
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Sheng-Rong
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Yeh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002110:Caffeine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D005260:Female; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D010058:Oviposition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D024661:Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013395:Sucrose / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: C489461:Kir2.1 channel; D024661:Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying; D002110:Caffeine; D013395:Sucrose