title: The neuropeptide tachykinin is essential for pheromone detection in a gustatory neural circuit.
abstract: Gustatory pheromones play an essential role in shaping the behavior of many organisms. However, little is known about the processing of taste pheromones in higher order brain centers. Here, we describe a male-specific gustatory circuit in Drosophila that underlies the detection of the anti-aphrodisiac pheromone (3R,11Z,19Z)-3-acetoxy-11,19-octacosadien-1-ol (CH503). Using behavioral analysis, genetic manipulation, and live calcium imaging, we show that Gr68a-expressing neurons on the forelegs of male flies exhibit a sexually dimorphic physiological response to the pheromone and relay information to the central brain via peptidergic neurons. The release of tachykinin from 8 to 10 cells within the subesophageal zone is required for the pheromone-triggered courtship suppression. Taken together, this work describes a neuropeptide-modulated central brain circuit that underlies the programmed behavioral response to a gustatory sex pheromone. These results will allow further examination of the molecular basis by which innate behaviors are modulated by gustatory cues and physiological state.
authors.affiliation: Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Shruti
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shankar
authors.affiliation: Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Jia Yi
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chua
authors.affiliation: Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Kah Junn
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Meredith E K
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Calvert
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Ruifen
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.affiliation: Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Wan Chin
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Photosensitive Materials Research Center, Toyo Gosei Co., Ltd, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.affiliation: Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Joanne Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Yew
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004330:Drosophila / Q000502:physiology*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D010675:Pheromones / Q000378:metabolism*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000032:analysis; D015320:Tachykinins / Q000378:metabolism*; D055697:Taste Perception
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D010675:Pheromones; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D015320:Tachykinins; C405956:gustatory receptor, Drosophila
keywords: CH503; D. melanogaster; NPF; anti-aphrodisiac; behavior; calcium imaging; courtship; neuroscience