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Sex differences in allometry for phenotypic traits in mice indicate that females are not scaled males
Research aimed at improving healthcare has largely focused on male animals and cells. Here, the authors use data from the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium to show that body weight does not account for all phenotypic differences between male and female mice, supporting more female-focused research.
- Laura A. B. Wilson
- , Susanne R. K. Zajitschek
- & Shinichi Nakagawa
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WAKE-mediated modulation of cVA perception via a hierarchical neuro-endocrine axis in Drosophila male-male courtship behaviour
The authors show that the Drosophila master regulator WAKE modulates the secretion of insulin-like peptides, triggering a decrease in 20-hydroxyecdysone levels. This lowers the perception of a male-specific sex pheromone and explains why WAKE-deficient Drosophila flies show male-male courtship behaviour.
- Shiu-Ling Chen
- , Bo-Ting Liu
- & Tsai-Feng Fu
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The insect somatostatin pathway gates vitellogenesis progression during reproductive maturation and the post-mating response
In mammals, somatostatin plays a role in preventing the release of sex hormones before puberty begins. A Drosophila study uncovered the process by which insect somatostatin controls ovarian development in response to developmental and mating signals.
- Chen Zhang
- , Anmo J. Kim
- & Young-Joon Kim
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A neural circuit encoding mating states tunes defensive behavior in Drosophila
Wing touching induces a defensive response in D. melanogaster. Here, the authors show that female flies change the defensive response during courtship and after mating. This switch is mediated by functional reconfiguration of a neural circuit in the ventral nerve cord.
- Chenxi Liu
- , Bei Zhang
- & Wei Zhang
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Sex-specific association between gut microbiome and fat distribution
The gut microbiome has been reported to be associated with obesity; here, the authors show that there are sex-specific differences in the relationship between gut microbes and abdominal obesity.
- Yan Min
- , Xiaoguang Ma
- & Shankuan Zhu
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Sex separation induces differences in the olfactory sensory receptor repertoires of male and female mice
Olfactory experience can alter the relative abundance of neurons expressing specific chemoreceptors. Here, the authors demonstrate that the distinct odor experiences of sex-separated male and female mice induce sex-specific differences in the abundance of neurons that detect sexually dimorphic odors.
- Carl van der Linden
- , Susanne Jakob
- & Stephen W. Santoro
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Sexual rejection via a vomeronasal receptor-triggered limbic circuit
Sex pheromones that increase mating have been reported across a number of different species, yet there is little known about pheromones that suppress female mating drive. This study reports that juvenile female mice release a pheromone, ESP22, which suppresses sexual receptivity of adult female mice by evoking a robust rejection behavior upon male mounting.
- Takuya Osakada
- , Kentaro K. Ishii
- & Kazushige Touhara
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Sex and species specific hearing mechanisms in mosquito flagellar ears
Auditory processing is an important component of mosquito behaviour including mating. Here the authors demonstrate substantial sex- and also species-specific variation in mosquito auditory transduction, amplification and gain control.
- Matthew P. Su
- , Marta Andrés
- & Joerg T. Albert
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Article
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Single-dose testosterone administration increases men’s preference for status goods
Testosterone is believed to be involved in social rank-related behavior. Here, the authors show that one dose of testosterone increases men’s preference for “high status” goods and brands, suggesting a role for testosterone in modern consumer behavior in men.
- G. Nave
- , A. Nadler
- & H. Plassmann
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Female sexual behavior in mice is controlled by kisspeptin neurons
Mate preference and copulatory behavior in female rodents are coordinated with the ovulation cycles of the animal. This study shows that hypothalamic kisspeptin neurons control both mate choice and copulation, and therefore, that sexual behavior and ovulation may be synchronized by the same neuropeptide.
- Vincent Hellier
- , Olivier Brock
- & Julie Bakker
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Medial preoptic area in mice is capable of mediating sexually dimorphic behaviors regardless of gender
The medial preoptic area (mPOA) in a mammalian brain is sexually dimorphic, and yet its exact function in mediating gender-specific behavior remains unclear. Here, Xu and colleagues show that optogenetic manipulation of the mPOA in male mice induce female-stereotyped behaviors and vice versa.
- Yi-Chao Wei
- , Shao-Ran Wang
- & Xiao-Hong Xu
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Female-specific myoinhibitory peptide neurons regulate mating receptivity in Drosophila melanogaster
After mating, female flies are not receptive to re-mating with a new male fly, a response triggered by a male seminal protein called sex peptide. Here, the authors work out the downstream circuits and neurons that are important for post-mating receptivity in female flies.
- Yong-Hoon Jang
- , Hyo-Seok Chae
- & Young-Joon Kim
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The core-promoter factor TRF2 mediates a Fruitless action to masculinize neurobehavioral traits in Drosophila
fruitless (fru) is an important sex-determinant gene that controls the expression of neuroanatomical sex differences in Drosophila. Here the authors report that a core-promoter factor, TRF2, suppresses a male-type neurite specification through direct interaction with FruBM isoform at the robo1 target gene promoter.
- Zahid Sadek Chowdhury
- , Kosei Sato
- & Daisuke Yamamoto
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Genetic and neuronal mechanisms governing the sex-specific interaction between sleep and sexual behaviors in Drosophila
Genes and circuits involved in sleep and sexual arousal have been extensively studied in Drosophila. Here the authors identify the sex determination genes fruitless and doublesex, and a sex-specific P1-DN1 neuronal feedback that governs the interaction between these competing behaviors
- Dandan Chen
- , Divya Sitaraman
- & Yufeng Pan
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Asymmetric interactions between doublesex and tissue- and sex-specific target genes mediate sexual dimorphism in beetles
Sexual dimorphism is likely the result of differential gene expression. Here, the authors examine the role of thedsxgene in beetles and find that this gene acts in a sex- and tissue-specific manner, either by regulating sex-specific targets or by acting in opposite directions in males and females.
- C. C. Ledón-Rettig
- , E. E. Zattara
- & A. P. Moczek
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Sex differences in microglial CX3CR1 signalling determine obesity susceptibility in mice
Unlike males, female mice are resistant to hypothalamic inflammation and weight gain when fed a high-fat diet. Here, the authors reveal sex-specific regulation of hypothalamic microglial activation through CX3CR1 signalling, providing a potential mechanism for differential susceptibility to diet-induced obesity.
- Mauricio D. Dorfman
- , Jordan E. Krull
- & Joshua P. Thaler
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Drosophila melanogaster females restore their attractiveness after mating by removing male anti-aphrodisiac pheromones
Male pheromones cis-vaccenyl acetate (cVA) and (Z)-7-Tricosene (7-T) mediate chemical mate-guarding in female D. melanogaster. Here, Laturney and Billeter show that females actively eject cVA from their reproductive tract post-copulation, and that cVA in concert with 7-T can reduce female attractiveness post-mating.
- Meghan Laturney
- & Jean-Christophe Billeter
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CRF-like receptor SEB-3 in sex-common interneurons potentiates stress handling and reproductive drive in C. elegans
Innate animal behaviours can be negatively regulated by environmental stressors. Jee et al. show that suppression of male C. eleganscopulation behaviour by noxious light can be overcome by activation of SEB-3, a homologue of the stress-associated mammalian corticotropin-releasing factor receptor family.
- Changhoon Jee
- , Jimmy F. Goncalves
- & L. Rene Garcia
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The fatty acid elongase Bond is essential for Drosophila sex pheromone synthesis and male fertility
Insect behaviours are often guided by chemical signals, but little is known about how pheromone diversity evolves. Here the authors show that loss of the gene bond in Drosophilaeliminates the sex pheromone CH503, while silencing it reduces the fertility of males and their conspecific rivals.
- Wan Chin Ng
- , Jacqueline S. R. Chin
- & Joanne Y. Yew
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PPL2ab neurons restore sexual responses in aged Drosophila males through dopamine
We currently lack a detailed understanding of the neurobiological basis for the decline of male sexual desire with age. Here the authors demonstrate that restoring impaired dopaminergic signalling in a specific cluster of neurons in the Drosophilabrain increases sexual behaviour in ageing male flies.
- Shu-Yun Kuo
- , Chia-Lin Wu
- & Tsai-Feng Fu
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TMC-1 attenuates C. elegans development and sexual behaviour in a chemically defined food environment
The tmc-1 gene encodes for a sodium channel that has been linked to chemosensation in C. elegans. Here the authors show that in a non-optimal nutrient environment, tmc-1mediates physiological worm responses such as developmental retardation and inhibited sexual behaviour.
- Liusuo Zhang
- , Daisy G. Gualberto
- & L. Rene Garcia
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Information flow through neural circuits for pheromone orientation
In silkmoths, pheromones are used to find food, to evade predators and to locate mating partners. In this study, Namiki et al.use anatomical and electrophysiological approaches to identify four neural circuits that contribute to a neural pathway for pheromone processing in the protocerebrum of silkmoths.
- Shigehiro Namiki
- , Satoshi Iwabuchi
- & Ryohei Kanzaki
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Hypothalamic inhibition of socio-sexual behaviour by increasing neuroestrogen synthesis
The conversion of testosterone into oestrogen in the brain is implicated in male aggressive behaviour. Ubuka et al.show that gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone inhibits male aggression by increasing oestrogen synthesis in the brain beyond its optimum concentration for the expression of aggressive behaviour.
- Takayoshi Ubuka
- , Shogo Haraguchi
- & Kazuyoshi Tsutsui
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Select interneuron clusters determine female sexual receptivity in Drosophila
The protein spinster is implicated in Drosophilacourtship behaviour. Sakurai and colleagues identify two clusters of spinster-expressing interneurons, and show that these cells are required for female receptivity to male advances.
- Akira Sakurai
- , Masayuki Koganezawa
- & Daisuke Yamamoto
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The use of the sex pheromone as an evolutionary solution to food source selection in caterpillars
Sex pheromones are used by adult members of a species to attract a mate. This study proposes that the larvae of the cotton leafwormSpodoptera littoralisare attracted to sex pheromones and prefer a food source containing it, suggesting an alternative use of the sex pheromone to trigger food search in caterpillars.
- Erwan Poivet
- , Kacem Rharrabe
- & Emmanuelle Jacquin-Joly
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Requirement of calcium-activated chloride channels in the activation of mouse vomeronasal neurons
The vomeronasal organ detects pheromones, which are thought to activate TRPC2 channels on the surface of vomeronasal neurons. Using TRPC2 knockout mice, the authors show that urinary pheromones can also activate these neurons via calcium-activated chloride channels, suggesting a TRPC2-independent pathway for sensing pheromones.
- SangSeong Kim
- , Limei Ma
- & C. Ron Yu
Ozone exposure disrupts insect sexual communication