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A Drosophila Deg/Enac Subunit Functions Specifically In Gustatory Neurons Required For Male Courtship Behavior, E. Starostina, T. Liu, V. Vijayan, Zheng Zheng , '11, Kathleen King Siwicki, C. W. Pikielny
A Drosophila Deg/Enac Subunit Functions Specifically In Gustatory Neurons Required For Male Courtship Behavior, E. Starostina, T. Liu, V. Vijayan, Zheng Zheng , '11, Kathleen King Siwicki, C. W. Pikielny
Biology Faculty Works
Detection of specific female pheromones stimulates courtship behavior in Drosophila melanogaster males, but the chemosensory molecules, cells, and mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. Here we show that ppk25, a DEG/ENaC ion channel subunit required for normal male response to females, is expressed at highest levels in a single sexually dimorphic gustatory neuron of most taste hairs on legs and wings, but not in neurons that detect courtship-inhibiting pheromones or food. Synaptic inactivation of ppk25-expressing neurons, or knockdown of ppk25 expression in all gustatory neurons, significantly impairs male response to females, whereas gustatory expression of ppk25 rescues the courtship behavior of …