A sperm peptide enhances long-term memory in female Drosophila

Can mating influence cognitive functions such as learning and memory in a permanent way? We have addressed this question using a combined behavioral and in vivo imaging approach, finding that aversive long-term memory performance strongly increases in females in response to sperm transfer following...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science advances 2019-11, Vol.5 (11), p.eaax3432-eaax3432
Main Authors: Scheunemann, L, Lampin-Saint-Amaux, A, Schor, J, Preat, T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Brain - physiology
Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases - metabolism
Drosophila melanogaster - physiology
Drosophila Proteins - genetics
Drosophila Proteins - metabolism
Female
Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - genetics
Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - metabolism
Life Sciences
Male
Memory, Long-Term - physiology
Neurobiology
Neurons and Cognition
Neuroscience
Receptors, Peptide - metabolism
RNA Interference
RNA, Small Interfering - genetics
SciAdv r-articles
Serotonergic Neurons - metabolism
Sexual Behavior, Animal - physiology
Spermatozoa - metabolism
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Summary:Can mating influence cognitive functions such as learning and memory in a permanent way? We have addressed this question using a combined behavioral and in vivo imaging approach, finding that aversive long-term memory performance strongly increases in females in response to sperm transfer following mating. A peptide in the male sperm, the sex peptide, is known to cause marked changes in female reproductive behavior, as well as other behaviors such as dietary preference. Here, we demonstrate that this sex peptide enhances memory by acting on a single pair of serotonergic brain neurons, in which activation of the sex peptide receptor stimulates the cyclic adenosine monophosphate/protein kinase A pathway. We thus reveal a strong effect of mating on memory via the neuromodulatory action of a sperm peptide on the female brain.
ISSN:2375-2548
2375-2548
DOI:10.1126/sciadv.aax3432