The fruitless gene (fru) is a Drosophila melanogastergene that encodes several variants of a putative transcription factorprotein. Normal fruitless function is required for proper development of several anatomical structures necessary for courtship, including motor neurons which innervate muscles needed for fly sexual behaviors.[1] The gene does not have an obvious mammalian homolog, but appears to function in sex determination in species as distant as the mosquito Anopheles gambiae.[2]
fruitless serves as an example of how a gene or a group of genes may regulate the development and/or function of neurons involved in innate behavior. Research on fruitless has received attention in the popular press, since it provokes discussion on genetics of human sexual orientation,[3][4] and behaviors such as gender-specific aggression.[5]
Male flies with mutations in the fruitless gene display altered sexual behavior. Fruitfly courtship, which involves a complex male-initiated ritual, may be disrupted in many ways by mutated frualleles; fru is necessary for every step in the ritual. Some alleles prevent courting entirely, while others disrupt individual components. Notably, some loss-of-function alleles change or remove sexual preference.[1]
Although many genes are known to be involved in male courtship behavior, the fruitless gene has been considered noteworthy because it exhibits sex-specific alternative splicing. When females produce the male-spliced gene product, they behave as males. Males that do not produce the male-specific product do not court females and are infertile.[1] In the brain, a subset (ca. 2,000) of neurons express fruitless[6] and fruitless expression is sufficient to instruct sexually dimorphic connectivity. [7][8]
fruitless has at least four promoters, each encoding proteins containing both a BTB (Broad complex/tramtrack/bric-a-brac) domain and a zinc fingermotif. Alternative splicing occurs at both the 5' and 3' ends, and there are several variants (other than the male- and female-specific splicing patterns).[1] The fruitless gene locus also controls the expression of hundreds of other genes,[9] any subset of which may actually regulate behavior.
Nameedit
Early work refers to the gene as fruity, an apparent pun on both the common name of D. melanogaster, the fruit fly, as well as a slang word for homosexual. As social attitudes towards homosexuality changed, fruity came to be regarded as offensive, or at best, not politically correct. Thus, the gene was re-dubbed fruitless, alluding to the lack of offspring produced by flies with the mutation.[10] However, despite the original name and a continuing history of misleading inferences by the popular media, fruitless mutants primarily show defects in male-female courtship, though certain mutants cause male-male or female-female courtship.[11]
Referencesedit
^ abcdDemir E, Dickson BJ (June 2005). "fruitless splicing specifies male courtship behavior in Drosophila". Cell. 121 (5): 785–94. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2005.04.027. PMID 15935764. S2CID 14663286.
^Gailey DA, Billeter JC, Liu JH, Bauzon F, Allendorfer JB, Goodwin SF (March 2006). "Functional conservation of the fruitless male sex-determination gene across 250 Myr of insect evolution". Molecular Biology and Evolution. 23 (3): 633–43. doi:10.1093/molbev/msj070. PMID 16319090.
^Burr C (June 1997). "Homosexuality and Biology, The Genetic Quest". The Atlantic.
^Wade N (December 13, 1996). "Mating Game of Fruit Fly Is Traced to a Single Gene". The New York Times.
^Sample, Ian (November 20, 2006). "Flies reveal gene that makes girls fight like boys". The Guardian.
^Cachero S, Ostrovsky AD, Yu JY, Dickson BJ, Jefferis GS (September 2010). "Sexual dimorphism in the fly brain". Current Biology. 20 (18): 1589–601. Bibcode:2010CBio...20.1589C. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2010.07.045. PMC2957842. PMID 20832311.
^Kohl J, Ostrovsky AD, Frechter S, Jefferis GS (December 2013). "A bidirectional circuit switch reroutes pheromone signals in male and female brains". Cell. 155 (7): 1610–23. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2013.11.025. PMC3898676. PMID 24360281.
^Ruta V, Datta SR, Vasconcelos ML, Freeland J, Looger LL, Axel R (December 2010). "A dimorphic pheromone circuit in Drosophila from sensory input to descending output". Nature. 468 (7324): 686–90. Bibcode:2010Natur.468..686R. doi:10.1038/nature09554. PMID 21124455. S2CID 4412743.
^Goldman TD, Arbeitman MN (November 2007). "Genomic and functional studies of Drosophila sex hierarchy regulated gene expression in adult head and nervous system tissues". PLOS Genetics. 3 (11): e216. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.0030216. PMC2082469. PMID 18039034.
^Gailey DA, Hall JC (April 1989). "Behavior and cytogenetics of fruitless in Drosophila melanogaster: different courtship defects caused by separate, closely linked lesions". Genetics. 121 (4): 773–85. doi:10.1093/genetics/121.4.773. PMC1203660. PMID 2542123.
^"GeneBrief - fruitless". InteractiveFly. Society for Developmental Biology.
External linksedit
Entrez Gene summary for fruitless
Article on fruitless in The Interactive Fly
January 01, 1970
fruitless, gene, fruitless, gene, drosophila, melanogaster, gene, that, encodes, several, variants, putative, transcription, factor, protein, normal, fruitless, function, required, proper, development, several, anatomical, structures, necessary, courtship, inc. The fruitless gene fru is a Drosophila melanogaster gene that encodes several variants of a putative transcription factor protein Normal fruitless function is required for proper development of several anatomical structures necessary for courtship including motor neurons which innervate muscles needed for fly sexual behaviors 1 The gene does not have an obvious mammalian homolog but appears to function in sex determination in species as distant as the mosquito Anopheles gambiae 2 fruitlessIdentifiersOrganismDrosophila melanogasterSymbolfruEntrez42226RefSeq mRNA NM 169821 1RefSeq Prot NP 732349 1UniProtQ8IN81Other dataChromosome3R 14 22 14 39 MbSearch forStructuresSwiss modelDomainsInterPro fruitless serves as an example of how a gene or a group of genes may regulate the development and or function of neurons involved in innate behavior Research on fruitless has received attention in the popular press since it provokes discussion on genetics of human sexual orientation 3 4 and behaviors such as gender specific aggression 5 Contents 1 Function 2 Name 3 References 4 External linksFunction editMale flies with mutations in the fruitless gene display altered sexual behavior Fruitfly courtship which involves a complex male initiated ritual may be disrupted in many ways by mutated fru alleles fru is necessary for every step in the ritual Some alleles prevent courting entirely while others disrupt individual components Notably some loss of function alleles change or remove sexual preference 1 Although many genes are known to be involved in male courtship behavior the fruitless gene has been considered noteworthy because it exhibits sex specific alternative splicing When females produce the male spliced gene product they behave as males Males that do not produce the male specific product do not court females and are infertile 1 In the brain a subset ca 2 000 of neurons express fruitless 6 and fruitless expression is sufficient to instruct sexually dimorphic connectivity 7 8 fruitless has at least four promoters each encoding proteins containing both a BTB Broad complex tramtrack bric a brac domain and a zinc finger motif Alternative splicing occurs at both the 5 and 3 ends and there are several variants other than the male and female specific splicing patterns 1 The fruitless gene locus also controls the expression of hundreds of other genes 9 any subset of which may actually regulate behavior Name editEarly work refers to the gene as fruity an apparent pun on both the common name of D melanogaster the fruit fly as well as a slang word for homosexual As social attitudes towards homosexuality changed fruity came to be regarded as offensive or at best not politically correct Thus the gene was re dubbed fruitless alluding to the lack of offspring produced by flies with the mutation 10 However despite the original name and a continuing history of misleading inferences by the popular media fruitless mutants primarily show defects in male female courtship though certain mutants cause male male or female female courtship 11 References edit a b c d Demir E Dickson BJ June 2005 fruitless splicing specifies male courtship behavior in Drosophila Cell 121 5 785 94 doi 10 1016 j cell 2005 04 027 PMID 15935764 S2CID 14663286 Gailey DA Billeter JC Liu JH Bauzon F Allendorfer JB Goodwin SF March 2006 Functional conservation of the fruitless male sex determination gene across 250 Myr of insect evolution Molecular Biology and Evolution 23 3 633 43 doi 10 1093 molbev msj070 PMID 16319090 Burr C June 1997 Homosexuality and Biology The Genetic Quest The Atlantic Wade N December 13 1996 Mating Game of Fruit Fly Is Traced to a Single Gene The New York Times Sample Ian November 20 2006 Flies reveal gene that makes girls fight like boys The Guardian Cachero S Ostrovsky AD Yu JY Dickson BJ Jefferis GS September 2010 Sexual dimorphism in the fly brain Current Biology 20 18 1589 601 Bibcode 2010CBio 20 1589C doi 10 1016 j cub 2010 07 045 PMC 2957842 PMID 20832311 Kohl J Ostrovsky AD Frechter S Jefferis GS December 2013 A bidirectional circuit switch reroutes pheromone signals in male and female brains Cell 155 7 1610 23 doi 10 1016 j cell 2013 11 025 PMC 3898676 PMID 24360281 Ruta V Datta SR Vasconcelos ML Freeland J Looger LL Axel R December 2010 A dimorphic pheromone circuit in Drosophila from sensory input to descending output Nature 468 7324 686 90 Bibcode 2010Natur 468 686R doi 10 1038 nature09554 PMID 21124455 S2CID 4412743 Goldman TD Arbeitman MN November 2007 Genomic and functional studies of Drosophila sex hierarchy regulated gene expression in adult head and nervous system tissues PLOS Genetics 3 11 e216 doi 10 1371 journal pgen 0030216 PMC 2082469 PMID 18039034 Gailey DA Hall JC April 1989 Behavior and cytogenetics of fruitless in Drosophila melanogaster different courtship defects caused by separate closely linked lesions Genetics 121 4 773 85 doi 10 1093 genetics 121 4 773 PMC 1203660 PMID 2542123 GeneBrief fruitless InteractiveFly Society for Developmental Biology External links editEntrez Gene summary for fruitless Article on fruitless in The Interactive Fly Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Fruitless gene amp oldid 1212837576, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
