decepentaplegic directs neuronal wiring for female reproductive behaviors in Drosophila

Female reproductive behaviours and physiology change profoundly after mating. The control of mating induced behavioural and physiological changes are largely hard-wired into the brain to guarantee reproductive success. In Drosophila, the post-mating response induced by male-derived sex-peptide in females is a well-established model to elucidate how complex innate behaviours are hard-wired into the brain. Yet the gene expression programs that direct neuronal differentiation and circuit wiring at the end of the sex determination pathway in response to mating are largely unknown. Here, we use a genetic approach to further characterize the molecular and cellular architecture of the sex-peptide response in Drosophila females. We did whole genome sequencing followed by screening for mutations that affect the sensitivity to sex-peptide and mapped sex-peptide insensitive EMS allele HB3 to dpp. Furthermore, qPCR analysis revealed reduced expression of Dpp in head and thorax in the HB3 mutants. Interestingly, RNAi knockdown of Dpp in SP target neurons did not impact SP response but alters neuronal wiring in the adult brain. Together, these results suggest Dpp directs correct wiring of adult brain neurons that express Fruitless/doublesex and are required for egg-laying. Here we are submitting whole genome sequencing data of the HB3 mutant adult Drosophila flies.

交配后，雌性的生殖行为与生理状态会发生显著改变。这类由交配诱发的行为与生理变化的调控程序，大多已固化在大脑神经环路中，以保障繁殖成功。在果蝇（Drosophila）中，由雄性分泌的性肽（sex-peptide）诱发雌性产生的交配后反应，是阐释复杂先天行为如何固化于大脑神经环路的经典模型。然而，在性别决定通路下游响应交配信号、指导神经元分化与环路构建的基因表达程序，其具体机制仍鲜为人知。本研究借助遗传手段，进一步解析了果蝇雌性体内性肽响应的分子与细胞架构。我们通过全基因组测序筛选影响性肽敏感性的突变，并将对性肽不敏感的EMS诱变等位基因HB3定位至dpp基因位点。此外，实时定量PCR（qPCR）分析显示，HB3突变体的头部与胸部组织中Dpp的表达水平显著降低。值得注意的是，在性肽靶神经元中通过RNA干扰（RNAi）敲低Dpp，并不会影响性肽响应，却会改变成体大脑的神经元环路连接。综合来看，上述结果表明Dpp可指导表达Fruitless与doublesex的成体大脑神经元形成正确的环路连接，而这类神经元对于产卵行为至关重要。本研究提交的是HB3突变体成体果蝇的全基因组测序数据。