TY - JOUR
T1 - A pleiotropic chemoreceptor facilitates the production and perception of mating pheromones
AU - Vernier, Cassondra L.
AU - Leitner, Nicole
AU - Zelle, Kathleen M.
AU - Foltz, Merrin
AU - Dutton, Sophia
AU - Liang, Xitong
AU - Halloran, Sean
AU - Millar, Jocelyn G.
AU - Ben-Shahar, Yehuda
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors
PY - 2023/1/20
Y1 - 2023/1/20
N2 - Optimal mating decisions depend on the robust coupling of signal production and perception because independent changes in either could carry a fitness cost. However, since the perception and production of mating signals are often mediated by different tissues and cell types, the mechanisms that drive and maintain their coupling remain unknown for most animal species. Here, we show that in Drosophila, behavioral responses to, and the production of, a putative inhibitory mating pheromone are co-regulated by Gr8a, a member of the Gustatory receptor gene family. Specifically, through behavioral and pheromonal data, we found that Gr8a independently regulates the behavioral responses of males and females to a putative inhibitory pheromone, as well as its production in the fat body and oenocytes of males. Overall, these findings provide a relatively simple molecular explanation for how pleiotropic receptors maintain robust mating signaling systems at the population and species levels.
AB - Optimal mating decisions depend on the robust coupling of signal production and perception because independent changes in either could carry a fitness cost. However, since the perception and production of mating signals are often mediated by different tissues and cell types, the mechanisms that drive and maintain their coupling remain unknown for most animal species. Here, we show that in Drosophila, behavioral responses to, and the production of, a putative inhibitory mating pheromone are co-regulated by Gr8a, a member of the Gustatory receptor gene family. Specifically, through behavioral and pheromonal data, we found that Gr8a independently regulates the behavioral responses of males and females to a putative inhibitory pheromone, as well as its production in the fat body and oenocytes of males. Overall, these findings provide a relatively simple molecular explanation for how pleiotropic receptors maintain robust mating signaling systems at the population and species levels.
KW - Biochemistry
KW - Biological sciences
KW - Ecological biochemistry
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85146096723&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105882
DO - 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105882
M3 - Article
C2 - 36691619
AN - SCOPUS:85146096723
SN - 2589-0042
VL - 26
JO - iScience
JF - iScience
IS - 1
M1 - 105882
ER -