Genetic and neuronal mechanisms governing the sex-specific interaction between sleep and sexual behaviors in Drosophila.

ABSTRACT: Animals execute one particular behavior among many others in a context-dependent manner, yet the mechanisms underlying such behavioral choice remain poorly understood. Here we studied how two fundamental behaviors, sex and sleep, interact at genetic and neuronal levels in Drosophila. We show that an increased need for sleep inhibits male sexual behavior by decreasing the activity of the male-specific P1 neurons that coexpress the sex determination genes fru ^M and dsx, but does not affect female sexual behavior. Further, we delineate a sex-specific neuronal circuit wherein the P1 neurons encoding increased courtship drive suppressed male sleep by forming mutually excitatory connections with the fru ^M -positive sleep-controlling DN1 neurons. In addition, we find that FR

SUBMITTER: Chen D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5533705 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature