ISSN:
1573-3297
Keywords:
courtship
;
pheromones
;
Drosophila
;
apterous
;
juvenile hormone
;
reproductive development
;
sexual behavior
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Psychology
Notes:
Abstract Theapterous (ap) gene ofDrosophila melanogaster exhibits extreme pleiotrophy: its functioning is essential for life, normal wing structure, juvenile hormone production, female fertility, and normal development of female sexual receptivity. Four mutantap alleles (ap 4,ap 56f,ap c, andap blt) were characterized for three additional phenotypes: male mating success, courtship behavior, and immature male sex appeal (the ability of males to stimulate homosexual cortship). Mating success with mature wild-type virgin females is reduced in males mutant for theap gene, the extreme case beingap 4/ap 4 males, which are behaviorally sterile. Inap mutants, nonwing courtship elements are qualitatively like those ofap +/ap + males. However, the mean rate of nonwing courtship directed toward virgin wild-type females (i.e., the mean temporal frequency of these displays) is reduced in males homozygous forap 4,ap 56f, orap c alleles. In contrast, theap blt allele makes for wild-type rates of nonwing courtship. Immature male sex appeal persists for at least 3 days in males homozygous forap c and, to a lesser extent, inap 56f orap 4 homozygotes;ap blt/ap blt and wild-type males lose immature male sex appeal after 1 day. All three male phenotypes map to theap locus, which is therefore essential for the development of normal levels of male courtship and male mating success and for the timely loss of immature male sex appeal. For each phenotype,ap + is dominant toap alleles making for behavioral abnormalities, with a single exception (for rate of nonwing courtship,ap +/ap c was low). For mating success and frequency of nonwing courtship, each allele pair exhibits at least partial complementation, except forap 4 andap 56f, which fail to complement. For immature male sex appeal,ap c,ap 4, andap 56f fall into the same complementation group. Juvenile hormone production is not correlated with effects on male reproductive behavior.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01066616
Permalink
