female-specific desaturase gene responsible for diene hydrocarbon biosynthesis and courtship behaviour in Drosophila melanogaster

Drosophila melanogaster shows sexually dimorphic cuticular hydrocarbons, with monoenes produced in males and dienes produced in females. Here we describe a female-specific desaturase gene, desatF. RNAi knock-down led to a dramatic decrease in female dienes and increase in monoenes paralleled with an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Insect molecular biology 2006-08, Vol.15 (4), p.465-473
Main Authors: Chertemps, T, Duportets, L, Labeur, C, Ueyama, M, Wicker-Thomas, C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
acyl-CoA desaturase
Amino Acid Sequence
Animals
Base Sequence
biosynthesis
Blotting, Northern
Chromatography, Gas
copulation
courtship
DNA Primers
Drosophila
Drosophila melanogaster
Drosophila melanogaster - enzymology
Drosophila melanogaster - genetics
Drosophila Proteins - genetics
Drosophila Proteins - metabolism
Fatty Acid Desaturases - genetics
Fatty Acid Desaturases - metabolism
Female
female specificity
females
gender differences
gene expression
gene overexpression
gene silencing
Green Fluorescent Proteins - metabolism
hydrocarbons
Molecular Sequence Data
Nuclear Proteins - metabolism
pheromones
RNA Interference
RNAi
Sequence Analysis, DNA
Sex Attractants - biosynthesis
Sex Attractants - genetics
Sex Characteristics
sex pheromones
Sexual Behavior, Animal - physiology
stearoyl-CoA desaturase
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Description
Summary:Drosophila melanogaster shows sexually dimorphic cuticular hydrocarbons, with monoenes produced in males and dienes produced in females. Here we describe a female-specific desaturase gene, desatF. RNAi knock-down led to a dramatic decrease in female dienes and increase in monoenes paralleled with an increase in copulation latency and a decrease in courtship index and copulation attempts by the males. The desatF gene was also expressed in females from D. sechellia, rich in dienes, but not D. simulans, which produce only monoenes. When hydrocarbons were feminized in D. melanogaster males by targeted expression of the transformer gene, the expression of desatF occurred. These results strongly suggest that desatF is a crucial enzyme for female pheromone biosynthesis and courtship behaviour in D. melanogaster.
ISSN:0962-1075
1365-2583
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2583.2006.00658.x