Natural Variation in the Strength and Direction of Male Mating Preferences for Female Pheromones in Drosophila melanogaster

Pischedda, Alison; Shahandeh, Michael P.; Cochrane, Wesley G.; Cochrane, Veronica A.; Turner, Thomas L.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0087509

Cited by 16 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…We cannot rule out the possibility that this finding is unique to our strains, as significant variation in male CHC preference response has been observed across strains of D. melanogaster (Pischedda et al. ). We think this is unlikely however, because our results mirror the pattern of CHC preferences between D. melanogaster and D. simulans (Billeter et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Male mate choice via cuticular hydrocarbon pheromones drives reproductive isolation betweenDrosophilaspecies

2017

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Mate discrimination is a key mechanism restricting gene flow between species. While studied extensively with respect to female mate choice, mechanisms of male mate choice between species are far less studied. Thus, we have little knowledge of the relative frequency, importance, or overall contribution of male mate discrimination to reproductive isolation. In the present study, we estimated the relative contributions of male and female choice to reproductive isolation between Drosophila simulans and D. sechellia, and show that male mate discrimination accounts for the majority of the current isolation between these species. We further demonstrate that males discriminate based on female cuticular hydrocarbon pheromones, and collect evidence supporting the hypothesis that male mate discrimination may alleviate the costs associated with heterospecific courtship and mating. Our findings highlight the potentially significant contribution of male mate choice to the formation of reproductive isolating barriers, and thus the speciation process. K E Y W O R D S :Male mate choice, reproductive isolation, courtship, behavior, speciation, pheromones.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Male mate choice via cuticular hydrocarbon pheromones drives reproductive isolation betweenDrosophilaspecies

2017

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“…This system would allow for a graded response by males to female pheromones. This would explain why the main stimulatory CH of females 7,11-HD is expressed at different levels in different strains of D. melanogaster and elicits different level of courtship response by males from different strains (Marcillac et al, 2005b;Grillet et al, 2012;Pischedda et al, 2014). This difference in level does not make sense in terms of the function of 7,11-HD as a species-specific pheromone inhibiting courtship from males from different species because amounts of 7,11-HD as low as 70 ng completely block mating with males of sibling species (Marcillac and Ferveur, 2004;Billeter et al, 2009).…”

Section: Pheromone Processing In Drosophilamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Greater amount of 7,11-HD might for instance reduce the inhibitory effect of cVA (Billeter et al, 2009) in populations where males synthesize large amounts of cVA. These differences might also come from individual variation in the sensitivity of the male chemosensory system to each of these pheromones (Pischedda et al, 2014).…”

Section: Pheromone Processing In Drosophilamentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of cVA and the Odorant binding protein Lush in social and sexual behavior in Drosophila melanogaster

Billeter¹,

Levine

2015

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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Social living is beneficial because it allows conspecifics to interact in ways that increase their chances of survival and reproduction. A key mechanism underlying these benefits is the ability to recognize conspecifics; thus, allowing the production of coordinated social interactions. Identification of such individuals is often through chemical communication: the individuals' pheromonal profile indicates their sex, species, and even past experiences. However, we know little about how the chemosensory system of conspecifics detects and how the nervous system processes this information. One of the best documented pheromonal detection mechanisms is that of cis-Vaccenyl Acetate (cVA) made by male Drosophila melanogaster and transferred to females during mating. Sensing of cVA by males inhibits courtship behavior toward already mated females. Sensing of cVA on other males also inhibits courtship and increases aggression. In this hybrid review/research article, we discuss the pheromonal system of Drosophila putting an emphasis on the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in cVA sensing by the olfactory system, perception by the nervous system and ultimately the regulation of social interactions. The behavioral effect of cVA is context-as well as experience-dependent leading us to conclude that cVA plays a modulatory role in regulating social interactions rather than being a recognition pheromone. We also provide new behavioral data on the function of the Odorant Binding Protein Lush, which binds cVA in olfactory sensilla and help sensing this chemical. Our data indicate that lush may be involved in the sensing of additional pheromones to cVA and suggest the existence of a lush-independent cVA detection system. Interpretation of our data in the light of our current knowledge about pheromonal recognition in Drosophila indicates that this system is incompletely understood.

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“…This affords the opportunity for flies to reduce energy expenditure on reproductively fruitless partners. While female mate choice has been more heavily studied (Spieth 1952; Partridge 1980; Fowler and Partridge 1989; Greenspan and Ferveur 2000), there is a growing recognition that choice by males can also be an important factor (Byrne and Rice 2006; Edward and Chapman 2011; Pischedda et al 2014; Shahandeh et al 2018). In fact, male choice can be responsible for most reproductive isolation in some cases (Shahandeh et al 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tissue-specific cis-regulatory divergence implicates a fatty acid elongase necessary for inhibiting interspecies mating inDrosophila

Combs

Krupp

Khosla

et al. 2018

Preprint

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15Pheromones known as cuticular hydrocarbons are a major component of reproductive 16 isolation in Drosophila. Individuals from morphologically similar sister species produce 17 different sets of hydrocarbons that allow potential mates to identify them as a suitable 18 partner. In order to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying speciation, we 19 performed RNA-seq in F1 hybrids to measure tissue-specific cis-regulatory divergence 20 between the sister species D. simulans and D. sechellia. By focusing on cis-regulatory 21 changes specific to female oenocytes, we rapidly identified a small number of candidate 22 genes. We found that one of these, the fatty acid elongase eloF, broadly affects both the 23 complement of hydrocarbons present on D. sechellia females and the propensity of D. 24 simulans males to mate with those females. In addition, knockdown of eloF in the more 25 distantly related D. melanogaster led to a similar shift in hydrocarbons as well as lower 26 interspecific mate discrimination by D. simulans males. Thus, cis-regulatory changes in 27 eloF appear to be a major driver in the sexual isolation of D. simulans from multiple 28 other species. More generally, our RNA-seq approach proved to be far more efficient 29 than QTL mapping in identifying candidate genes; the same framework can be used to 30 pinpoint cis-regulatory drivers of divergence in a wide range of traits differing between 31 any interfertile species.

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Natural Variation in the Strength and Direction of Male Mating Preferences for Female Pheromones in Drosophila melanogaster

Cited by 16 publications

References 53 publications

Male mate choice via cuticular hydrocarbon pheromones drives reproductive isolation betweenDrosophilaspecies

Male mate choice via cuticular hydrocarbon pheromones drives reproductive isolation betweenDrosophilaspecies

The role of cVA and the Odorant binding protein Lush in social and sexual behavior in Drosophila melanogaster

Tissue-specific cis-regulatory divergence implicates a fatty acid elongase necessary for inhibiting interspecies mating inDrosophila

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