Asexuality in Drosophila juvenile males is organizational and independent of juvenile hormone

ABSTRACT: Sexuality is generally prevented in newborns and arises with organizational rewiring of neural circuitry and optimization of fitness for reproduction competition. Recent studies reported that sex circuitry in Drosophila melanogaster is developed in juvenile males but functionally inhibited by juvenile hormone (JH). Here we find that the fly sex circuitry, mainly expressing the male-specific fruitless (fruM) and/or doublesex (dsx), is organizationally undeveloped and functionally inoperative in juvenile males. Artificially activating all fruM neurons induces substantial courtship in solitary adult males but not in juvenile males. Synaptic transmissions between major courtship regulators and all dsx neurons are strong in adult males but either weak or undetectable in juvenile males. We furth

SUBMITTER: Dr. Xiaoxiao Ji 

PROVIDER: S-SCDT-10_15252-EMBR_202356898 | biostudies-other |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other