scholarly journals The role of species-specific sensory cues in male responses to mating rivals in Drosophila melanogaster fruitflies

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (22) ◽  
pp. 9247-9256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Bretman ◽  
James Rouse ◽  
James D. Westmancoat ◽  
Tracey Chapman
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Sensory Cues ◽  
Species Specific

scholarly journals Or47b plays a role in Drosophila males' preference for younger mates

Open Biology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 160086 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luming Zhuang ◽  
Ying Sun ◽  
Mi Hu ◽  
Chenxi Wu ◽  
Xiaojin La ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Olfactory Receptor ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Sensory Cues ◽  
Male Courtship ◽  
Sensory Inputs ◽  
Preference Behaviour ◽  
Gustatory Perception

Reproductive behaviour is important for animals to keep their species existing on Earth. A key question is how to generate more and healthier progenies by choosing optimal mates. In Drosophila melanogaster , males use multiple sensory cues, including vision, olfaction and gustation, to achieve reproductive success. These sensory inputs are important, yet not all these different modalities are simultaneously required for courtship behaviour to occur. Moreover, the roles of these sensory inputs for male courtship choice remain largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that males court younger females with greater preference and that olfactory inputs are indispensable for this male courtship choice. Specifically, the olfactory receptor Or47b is required for males to discriminate younger female mates from older ones. In combination with our previous work indicating that gustatory perception is necessary for this preference behaviour, our current study demonstrates the requirement of both olfaction and gustation in Drosophila males' courtship preference, thus providing new insights into the role of sensory cues in reproductive behaviour and success.

scholarly journals The scent of the fly

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul G. Becher ◽  
Sebastien Lebreton ◽  
Erika A. Wallin ◽  
Erik Hedenström ◽  
Felipe Borrero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Biological Role ◽  
Sensory Panel ◽  
Mate Finding ◽  
Vinegar Fly ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Species Specific

Abstract(Z)-4-undecenal (Z4-11Al) is the volatile pheromone produced by females of the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster. Female flies emit Z4-11Al for species-specific communication and mate-finding. A sensory panel finds that synthetic Z4-11Al has a characteristic flavour, which we perceive even at the small amounts produced by one female fly. Since only females produce Z4-11Al, and not males, we can reliably distinguish between single D. melanogaster males and females, according to their scent. Females release Z4-11Al at 2.4 ng/h and we readily sense 1 ng synthetic Z4-11Al in a glass of wine (0.03 nmol/L), while a tenfold concentration is perceived as a loud off-flavour. This corroborates the observation that a glass of wine is spoilt by a single D. melanogaster fly falling into it, which we here show is caused by Z4-11Al. The biological role of Z4-11Al or structurally related aldehydes in humans and the basis for this semiochemical convergence remains yet unclear.

scholarly journals MULTIPLE ALLELE APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF GENES IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER THAT ARE INVOLVED IN IMAGINAL DISC DEVELOPMENT

Genetics ◽  
1978 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 355-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allen Shearn ◽  
Grafton Hersperger ◽  
Evelyn Hersperger ◽  
Ellen Steward Pentz ◽  
Paul Denker
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Phenotypic Variation ◽  
Mutant Allele ◽  
Imaginal Disc ◽  
Reference Allele ◽  
Multiple Allele ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Chromosome Mutations ◽  
Cold Sensitive

ABSTRACT The phenotypes of five different lethal mutants of Drosophila melanogaster that have small imaginal discs were analyzed in detail. From these results, we inferred whether or not the observed imaginal disc phenotype resulted exclusively from a primary imaginal disc defect in each mutant. To examine the validity of these inferences, we employed a multiple-allele method. Lethal alleles of the five third-chromosome mutations were identified by screening EMS-treated chromosomes for those which fail to complement with a chromosome containing all five reference mutations. Twenty-four mutants were isolated from 13,197 treated chromosomes. Each of the 24 was then tested for complementation with each of the five reference mutants. There was no significant difference in the mutation frequencies at these five loci. The stage of lethality and the imaginal disc morphology of each mutant allele were compared to those of its reference allele in order to examine the range of defects to be found among lethal alleles of each locus. In addition, hybrids of the alleles were examined for intracistronic complementation. For two of the five loci, we detected no significant phenotypic variation among lethal alleles. We infer that each of the mutant alleles at these two loci cause expression of the null activity phenotype. However, for the three other loci, we did detect significant phenotypic variation among lethal alleles. In fact, one of the mutant alleles at each of these three loci causes no detectable imaginal disc defect. This demonstrates that attempting to assess the developmental role of a gene by studying a single mutant allele may lead to erroneous conclusions. As a byproduct of the mutagenesis procedure, we have isolated two dominant, cold-sensitive mutants.

scholarly journals Dietary Modulation of Bacteriophages as an Additional Player in Inflammation and Cancer

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 2036
Author(s):  
Luigi Marongiu ◽  
Markus Burkard ◽  
Sascha Venturelli ◽  
Heike Allgayer
Keyword(s):  
Structural Damage ◽  
Folk Medicine ◽  
Gastrointestinal Diseases ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Anticancer Properties ◽  
Specific Phage ◽  
Microbial Network ◽  
Inflammatory Bowel ◽  
Species Specific

Natural compounds such as essential oils and tea have been used successfully in naturopathy and folk medicine for hundreds of years. Current research is unveiling the molecular role of their antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. Nevertheless, the effect of these compounds on bacteriophages is still poorly understood. The application of bacteriophages against bacteria has gained a particular interest in recent years due to, e.g., the constant rise of antimicrobial resistance to antibiotics, or an increasing awareness of different types of microbiota and their potential contribution to gastrointestinal diseases, including inflammatory and malignant conditions. Thus, a better knowledge of how dietary products can affect bacteriophages and, in turn, the whole gut microbiome can help maintain healthy homeostasis, reducing the risk of developing diseases such as diverse types of gastroenteritis, inflammatory bowel disease, or even cancer. The present review summarizes the effect of dietary compounds on the physiology of bacteriophages. In a majority of works, the substance class of polyphenols showed a particular activity against bacteriophages, and the primary mechanism of action involved structural damage of the capsid, inhibiting bacteriophage activity and infectivity. Some further dietary compounds such as caffeine, salt or oregano have been shown to induce or suppress prophages, whereas others, such as the natural sweeter stevia, promoted species-specific phage responses. A better understanding of how dietary compounds could selectively, and specifically, modulate the activity of individual phages opens the possibility to reorganize the microbial network as an additional strategy to support in the combat, or in prevention, of gastrointestinal diseases, including inflammation and cancer.

scholarly journals Species-Specific Regulation of TRPM2 by PI(4,5)P2 via the Membrane Interfacial Cavity

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 4637
Author(s):  
Daniel Barth ◽  
Andreas Lückhoff ◽  
Frank J. P. Kühn
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid Residues ◽  
Hek 293 ◽  
Complete Inactivation ◽  
293 Cells ◽  
Activation Mechanisms ◽  
Specific Regulation ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Inside Out ◽  
Positively Charged

The human apoptosis channel TRPM2 is stimulated by intracellular ADR-ribose and calcium. Recent studies show pronounced species-specific activation mechanisms. Our aim was to analyse the functional effect of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2), commonly referred to as PIP2, on different TRPM2 orthologues. Moreover, we wished to identify the interaction site between TRPM2 and PIP2. We demonstrate a crucial role of PIP2, in the activation of TRPM2 orthologues of man, zebrafish, and sea anemone. Utilizing inside-out patch clamp recordings of HEK-293 cells transfected with TRPM2, differential effects of PIP2 that were dependent on the species variant became apparent. While depletion of PIP2 via polylysine uniformly caused complete inactivation of TRPM2, restoration of channel activity by artificial PIP2 differed widely. Human TRPM2 was the least sensitive species variant, making it the most susceptible one for regulation by changes in intramembranous PIP2 content. Furthermore, mutations of highly conserved positively charged amino acid residues in the membrane interfacial cavity reduced the PIP2 sensitivity in all three TRPM2 orthologues to varying degrees. We conclude that the membrane interfacial cavity acts as a uniform PIP2 binding site of TRPM2, facilitating channel activation in the presence of ADPR and Ca2+ in a species-specific manner.

scholarly journals Sialic Acids as Receptors for Pathogens

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 831
Author(s):  
Patrycja Burzyńska ◽  
Łukasz F. Sobala ◽  
Krzysztof Mikołajczyk ◽  
Marlena Jodłowska ◽  
Ewa Jaśkiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Malaria Parasite ◽  
Sialic Acids ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Disease Vectors ◽  
Animal Disease ◽  
Parasite Plasmodium ◽  
Parasite Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Infection Biology ◽  
Species Specific

Carbohydrates have long been known to mediate intracellular interactions, whether within one organism or between different organisms. Sialic acids (Sias) are carbohydrates that usually occupy the terminal positions in longer carbohydrate chains, which makes them common recognition targets mediating these interactions. In this review, we summarize the knowledge about animal disease-causing agents such as viruses, bacteria and protozoa (including the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum) in which Sias play a role in infection biology. While Sias may promote binding of, e.g., influenza viruses and SV40, they act as decoys for betacoronaviruses. The presence of two common forms of Sias, Neu5Ac and Neu5Gc, is species-specific, and in humans, the enzyme converting Neu5Ac to Neu5Gc (CMAH, CMP-Neu5Ac hydroxylase) is lost, most likely due to adaptation to pathogen regimes; we discuss the research about the influence of malaria on this trait. In addition, we present data suggesting the CMAH gene was probably present in the ancestor of animals, shedding light on its glycobiology. We predict that a better understanding of the role of Sias in disease vectors would lead to more effective clinical interventions.

scholarly journals Dual roles for the Drosophila PI 4-kinase Four wheel drive in localizing Rab11 during cytokinesis

2009 ◽  
Vol 187 (6) ◽  
pp. 847-858 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon Polevoy ◽  
Ho-Chun Wei ◽  
Raymond Wong ◽  
Zsofia Szentpetery ◽  
Yeun Ju Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Successful Completion ◽  
Dual Roles ◽  
Recycling Endosome ◽  
Golgi Membranes ◽  
Wheel Drive ◽  
Dividing Cells ◽  
Four Wheel Drive

Successful completion of cytokinesis relies on addition of new membrane, and requires the recycling endosome regulator Rab11, which localizes to the midzone. Despite the critical role of Rab11 in this process, little is known about the formation and composition of Rab11-containing organelles. Here, we identify the phosphatidylinositol (PI) 4-kinase III β Four wheel drive (Fwd) as a key regulator of Rab11 during cytokinesis in Drosophila melanogaster spermatocytes. We show Fwd is required for synthesis of PI 4-phosphate (PI4P) on Golgi membranes and for formation of PI4P-containing secretory organelles that localize to the midzone. Fwd binds and colocalizes with Rab11 on Golgi membranes, and is required for localization of Rab11 in dividing cells. A kinase-dead version of Fwd also binds Rab11 and partially restores cytokinesis to fwd mutant flies. Moreover, activated Rab11 partially suppresses loss of fwd. Our data suggest Fwd plays catalytic and noncatalytic roles in regulating Rab11 during cytokinesis.

scholarly journals An Exon-Based Comparative Variant Analysis Pipeline to Study the Scale and Role of Frameshift and Nonsense Mutation in the Human-Chimpanzee Divergence

2009 ◽  
Vol 2009 ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
GongXin Yu
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Inflammatory Diseases ◽  
Cell Lineage ◽  
Nonsense Mutations ◽  
Less Is More ◽  
Sequencing Errors ◽  
Evolutionary Force ◽  
Variant Analysis ◽  
Species Specific

Chimpanzees and humans are closely related but differ in many deadly human diseases and other characteristics in physiology, anatomy, and pathology. In spite of decades of extensive research, crucial questions about the molecular mechanisms behind the differences are yet to be understood. Here I reportExonVar, a novel computational pipeline forExon-based human-chimpanzee comparativeVariant analysis. The objective is to comparatively analyze mutations specifically those that caused the frameshift and nonsense mutations and to assess their scale and potential impacts on human-chimpanzee divergence. Genomewide analysis of human and chimpanzee exons withExonVaridentified a number of species-specific, exon-disrupting mutations in chimpanzees but much fewer in humans. Many were found on genes involved in important biological processes such as T cell lineage development, the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases, and antigen induced cell death. A “less-is-more” model was previously established to illustrate the role of the gene inactivation and disruptions during human evolution. Here this analysis suggested a different model where the chimpanzee-specific exon-disrupting mutations may act as additional evolutionary force that drove the human-chimpanzee divergence. Finally, the analysis revealed a number of sequencing errors in the chimpanzee and human genome sequences and further illustrated that they could be corrected without resequencing.

scholarly journals Role of the Deubiquitylating Enzyme DmUsp5 in Coupling Ubiquitin Equilibrium to Development and Apoptosis in Drosophila melanogaster

PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. e0120875 ◽  
Author(s):  
Levente Kovács ◽  
Olga Nagy ◽  
Margit Pál ◽  
Andor Udvardy ◽  
Octavian Popescu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster
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