Female<i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>respond to song-amplitude modulations

Brüggemeier, Birgit; Porter, Mason A.; Vigoreaux, Jim O.; Goodwin, Stephen F.

doi:10.1242/bio.032003

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 42 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Particle velocity of the courtship song varied between about 0.87 mm/s and 4.90 mm/s. We measured sound levels with the sound-level meter positioned at the center of our speaker, with a distance of 3 cm to the speaker 72 . The defensive response was tested in this environment.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A neural circuit encoding mating states tunes defensive behavior in Drosophila

Liu

Zhang

et al. 2020

Nat Commun

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Social context can dampen or amplify the perception of touch, and touch in turn conveys nuanced social information. However, the neural mechanism behind social regulation of mechanosensation is largely elusive. Here we report that fruit flies exhibit a strong defensive response to mechanical stimuli to their wings. In contrast, virgin female flies being courted by a male show a compromised defensive response to the stimuli, but following mating the response is enhanced. This state-dependent switch is mediated by a functional reconfiguration of a neural circuit labelled with the Tmc-L gene in the ventral nerve cord. The circuit receives excitatory inputs from peripheral mechanoreceptors and coordinates the defensive response. While male cues suppress it via a doublesex (dsx) neuronal pathway, mating sensitizes it by stimulating a group of uterine neurons and consequently activating a leucokinin-dependent pathway. Such a modulation is crucial for the balance between defense against body contacts and sexual receptivity.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A neural circuit encoding mating states tunes defensive behavior in Drosophila

Liu

Zhang

et al. 2020

Nat Commun

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…We therefore suggest that tt contraction activates contraction of dlm, by this increasing pulse amplitude. Flies regulate pulse amplitude based on an estimate of female distance and according to a speciesspecific pattern [39,40]. The tt MN might thus be controlled by upstream circuits for these adjustments.…”

Section: Functions Of Wing Muscles In Song and Flightmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multifunctional Wing Motor Control of Song and Flight

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Multifunctional motor systems produce distinct output patterns that are dependent on behavioral context, posing a challenge to underlying neuronal control. Flies use their wings for flight and the production of a patterned acoustic signal, the male courtship song, employing in both cases a small set of wing muscles and corresponding motor neurons. We took first steps toward elucidating the neuronal control mechanisms of this multifunctional motor system by live imaging of muscle ensemble activity patterns during song and flight, and we established the functional role of a comprehensive set of wing muscle motor neurons by silencing experiments. Song and flight rely on distinct configurations of neuromuscular activity, with most, but not all, flight muscles and their corresponding motor neurons contributing to song and shaping its acoustic parameters. The two behaviors are exclusive, and the neuronal command for flight overrides the command for song. The neuromodulator octopamine is a candidate for selectively stabilizing flight, but not song motor patterns.

show abstract

Probing Acoustic Communication during Fly Reproductive Behaviors

Philipsborn

Shohat-Ophir

Rezával

2023

Cold Spring Harb Protoc

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

During reproduction, male and female flies use wing vibration to generate different acoustic signals. Males produce a courtship song before copulation that is easily recognized by unilateral wing vibration. In copula, females produce a distinct sound pattern (copulation song) with both wings. Sexual rejection of immature virgins and aggressive encounters between males are also accompanied by sound pulses generated by wing flicks. Fly song has frequency ranges audible to the human ear and can be directly listened to after appropriate amplification. When displayed in an oscillogram, audio recordings can be mapped on wing-movement patterns and thus provide a fast and precise method to sample and quantify motor behaviors with high temporal resolution. After recording different fly sounds, their effect on behavior can be tested in playback experiments.

show abstract

FemaleDrosophila melanogasterrespond to song-amplitude modulations

Cited by 3 publications

References 42 publications

A neural circuit encoding mating states tunes defensive behavior in Drosophila

A neural circuit encoding mating states tunes defensive behavior in Drosophila

Multifunctional Wing Motor Control of Song and Flight

Probing Acoustic Communication during Fly Reproductive Behaviors

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About