Contribution of visual and circadian neural circuits to memory for prolonged mating induced by rivals.

ABSTRACT: Rival exposure causes Drosophila melanogaster males to prolong mating. Longer mating duration (LMD) may enhance reproductive success, but its underlying mechanism is currently unknown. We found that LMD is context dependent and can be induced solely via visual stimuli. In addition, we found that LMD involves neural circuits that are important for visual memory, including central neurons in the ellipsoid body, but not the mushroom bodies or the fan-shaped bodies, and may rely on the rival exposure memory lasting for several hours. LMD is affected by a subset of learning and memory mutants. LMD depends on the circadian clock genes timeless and period, but not Clock or cycle, and persists in many arrhythmic conditions. Moreover, LMD critically depends on a subset of pigment dispersing factor

SUBMITTER: Kim WJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3417086 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature