scholarly journals Endocrine network essential for reproductive success in Drosophila melanogaster

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (19) ◽  
pp. E3849-E3858 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Meiselman ◽  
Sang Soo Lee ◽  
Raymond-Tan Tran ◽  
Hongjiu Dai ◽  
Yike Ding ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Juvenile Hormone ◽  
Egg Production ◽  
Juvenile Stages ◽  
Inka Cells ◽  
Ecdysis Triggering Hormone

Ecdysis-triggering hormone (ETH) was originally discovered and characterized as a molt termination signal in insects through its regulation of the ecdysis sequence. Here we report that ETH persists in adult Drosophila melanogaster, where it functions as an obligatory allatotropin to promote juvenile hormone (JH) production and reproduction. ETH signaling deficits lead to sharply reduced JH levels and consequent reductions of ovary size, egg production, and yolk deposition in mature oocytes. Expression of ETH and ETH receptor genes is in turn dependent on ecdysone (20E). Furthermore, 20E receptor knockdown specifically in Inka cells reduces fecundity. Our findings indicate that the canonical developmental roles of 20E, ETH, and JH during juvenile stages are repurposed to function as an endocrine network essential for reproductive success.

A NOTE ON KIDWELL'S CHROMOSOMAL ANALYSIS OF EGG PRODUCTION AND CHAETA NUMBER IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

1970 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 356-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Glaser ◽  
J. F. Kldwell
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Egg Production ◽  
Genetic Variance ◽  
Chromosomal Analysis ◽  
Epistatic Variance

An earlier paper (Kidwell, J.F., 1969, Can. J. Genet. Cytol 11: 547-557) has described partitioning of the genetic variance of egg production and chaeta number in Drosophila melanogaster, assuming equal frequencies of all chromosomes. Kidwell's data were analyzed again, and the new analyses were based on several panmictic populations with varying frequencies for each genotype. The importances of the several portions of the genetic variance were estimated for each population; several cases are presented. In most cases the ranges were substantial, especially those of the dominance and four-factor epistatic variances. The results of the present study generally support Kidwell's previous conclusions and suggest that epistatic variance should not routinely be assumed negligible.

scholarly journals REDUCED REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS FOR A CONDITIONING MUTANT IN EXPERIMENTAL POPULATIONS OF DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

Genetics ◽  
1985 ◽  
Vol 111 (4) ◽  
pp. 795-804
Author(s):  
Donald A Gailey ◽  
Jeffrey C Hall ◽  
Richard W Siegel
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Learning And Memory ◽  
Courtship Behavior ◽  
Virgin Female ◽  
Mating Advantage ◽  
Mating Efficiency ◽  
Normal Males ◽  
Time Required ◽  
Dependent Modification

ABSTRACT Male Drosophila melanogaster that have courted newly-emerged males can modify their subsequent courtship behavior to avoid further courtship with immature males for up to 6 hr (previously reported). Here, it was hypothesized that such an experience-dependent modification would afford a mating advantage to normal males over males that carried a mutation that affects learning and memory. Coisogenic lines were constructed which varied at the dunce gene (dnc  + and dnc  M14 alleles) in order to test this hypothesis. Whether previously experienced with immature males or not, dnc  + and dnc  M14 males were indistinguishable in their response and mating efficiency when individually paired with virgin females. However, courtship performance of dnc  + and dnc  M14 males was different if they were first experienced with immature males and were then individually tested in an artificial population of nine immature males and one virgin female. In this situation, dnc  + males spent much less time in courtship with immature males and achieved copulation in one-third the time required for dnc  M14 males. As a control, the behavior and mating efficiency of courtship-naive dnc  + and dnc  M14 males in the artificial population was indistinguishable. In competition for a single virgin female, experienced dnc  M14 males showed a slight mating advantage over experienced dnc  + males. But when competition by experienced males for a single virgin female took place in the presence of nine immature males, dnc  + males were the successful maters in three-fourths of the trials.

Dietary components modulate yolk protein gene transcription in Drosophila melanogaster

Development ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 103 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Bownes ◽  
A. Scott ◽  
A. Shirras
Keyword(s):  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Juvenile Hormone ◽  
Gene Transcription ◽  
Protein Gene ◽  
Yolk Protein ◽  
Complete Medium ◽  
General Effect ◽  
Total Recovery ◽  
Insect Hormones

The three yolk proteins of Drosophila melanogaster begin to be synthesized at eclosion. Transcription of the genes is regulated by the genes tra, tra-2 and dsx and also by the insect hormones, juvenile hormone and 20-hydroxyecdysone. We show that there is yet another level of control which is dependent upon feeding. Females that are starved from eclosion show a basal level of yolk protein gene transcription, which is rapidly increased when a complete diet is supplied. We show that the effect is not due to incorrect development of the fat body and is unlikely to be solely due to a general effect on protein synthesis. Later in development, cessation of feeding leads to selective inhibition of yolk protein synthesis and hence egg production. The effects of starvation can be partially overcome by 20-hydroxyecdysone, juvenile hormone, casein, amino acid mix or sucrose, but only a complete medium or live yeast brings about total recovery. Using yp1-Adh fusions (fusions of the promoter region of yp1 to the structural gene for Adh), the DNA sequence required for this diet-enhanced transcription has been located within an 890 bp fragment upstream of the yp1 gene. The insect hormones do not operate on this same DNA fragment.

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