Pheromonal and behavioral cues trigger male-to-female aggression in Drosophila.

ABSTRACT: Appropriate displays of aggression rely on the ability to recognize potential competitors. As in most species, Drosophila males fight with other males and do not attack females. In insects, sex recognition is strongly dependent on chemosensory communication, mediated by cuticular hydrocarbons acting as pheromones. While the roles of chemical and other sensory cues in stimulating male to female courtship have been well characterized in Drosophila, the signals that elicit aggression remain unclear. Here we show that when female pheromones or behavior are masculinized, males recognize females as competitors and switch from courtship to aggression. To masculinize female pheromones, a transgene carrying dsRNA for the sex determination factor transformer (traIR) was targeted to the pheromone pro

SUBMITTER: Fernandez MP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2990703 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature