Figure 1: Increased DA in PPL2ab neurons prompts male-male courtship behaviour. | Scientific Reports

Figure 1: Increased DA in PPL2ab neurons prompts male-male courtship behaviour.

From: Active and passive sexual roles that arise in Drosophila male-male courtship are modulated by dopamine levels in PPL2ab neurons

Figure 1

Representative images showing the expression patterns of the different driver lines. (a) murashka-1, (b) NP3024, (c) NP5945. and (d) LG121 expression patterns reported by UAS-mCD8::GFP in the adult brain (10-day-old) are shown (green in a–d shows PPL2ab cell bodies indicated by the arrowheads). The neuropil is immunostained by anti-Discs Large antibody (magenta). PPL2ab neurons targeted by the four independent drivers are dopaminergic, as indicated by TH immunostaining. The scale bars are 20 μm. (e,f) Ten-day-old mature male flies overexpressing TH in PPL2ab neurons had more frequent male-male courtship responses. There were significant differences in the courtship index (e) and chaining index (f) in 10-day-old mature males carrying TH-Gal4 > UAS-TH, murashka-1-Gal4 > UAS-TH, NP3024-Gal4 > UAS-TH, NP5945-Gal4 > UAS-TH, or LG121-LexA > LexAop-TH, and in 5-day-old males carrying UAS-LexPR;murashka-1-Gal4 > LexAop-TH fed 1.5 mM RU486 for 5 days when compared to their corresponding driver- and effector-heterozygous controls. Each column represents the mean of 18 courtship pair tests and 12 chaining tests. (g) Strategies for LexA-induced FLP recombinase (FLP) and GAL4 intersectional methods restrict the expression of the driver to PPL2ab neurons. The two gray boxes represent the extents of the murashka-1 (GAL4) or LG121 (LexA) expression patterns. (h) Micrograph of the intersectional expression patterns of the murashka-1 and LG121 drivers. eGFP expression is limited to regions wherein both FLP and GAL4 are expressed. The UAS > eGFP reporter is only expressed in a subset of PPL2ab neurons that co-express both GAL4 and FLP. (i) This genetic intersectional approach was used to restrict TH over-expression to PPL2ab neurons and analyze male-to-male courtship intensity. There were significant differences in the courtship indices of LexAop-FLP + , murashka-1 X UAS > * > TH, and LG121 flies compared to those of the corresponding parental heterozygous flies. Each column represents the mean of 16 tests. Error bars indicate SEM, ***P < 0.001. Analyses were performed using a one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test or a two-way ANOVA followed by a Bonferroni multiple-comparisons test.

Back to article page