The female pheromone (Z)-4-undecenal mediates flight attraction and courtship in Drosophila melanogaster

Specific mate communication and recognition underlies reproduction and hence speciation. Mate communication evolves during adaptation to ecological niches and makes use of social signals and habitat cues. Our study provides new insights in Drosophila melanogaster premating olfactory communication, showing that female pheromone (Z)-4-undecenal (Z4-11Al) and male pheromone cVA interact with food odour in a sex-specific manner. Furthermore, Z4-11Al, which mediates upwind flight attraction in both sexes, also elicits courtship in experienced males. Twin variants of the olfactory receptor Or69a are co-expressed in the same olfactory sensory neurons, and feed into the same glomerulus in the antennal lobe. Z4-11Al is perceived via Or69aB, while the food odorant (R)-linalool is a main ligand for the other variant, Or69aA. That Z4-11Al mediates courtship in experienced males, not (R)-linalool, is probably due to courtship learning. Behavioural discrimination is reflected by calcium imaging of th...