Campesan S, Dubrova Y, Hall JC, Kyriacou CP. The nonA gene in Drosophila conveys species-specific behavioral characteristics.
Genetics 2001;
158:1535-43. [PMID:
11514445 PMCID:
PMC1461770 DOI:
10.1093/genetics/158.4.1535]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular basis of species-specific differences in courtship behavior, a critical factor in preserving species boundaries, is poorly understood. Genetic analysis of all but the most closely related species is usually impossible, given the inviability of hybrids. We have therefore applied interspecific transformation of a single candidate behavioral locus, no-on-transient A (nonA), between Drosophila virilis and D. melanogaster, to investigate whether nonA, like the period gene, might encode species-specific behavioral information. Mutations in nonA can disrupt both visual behavior and the courtship song in D. melanogaster. The lovesong of nonA(diss) mutant males superficially resembles that of D. virilis, a species that diverged from D. melanogaster 40-60 mya. Transformation of the cloned D. virilis nonA gene into D. melanogaster hosts carrying a synthetic deletion of the nonA locus restored normal visual function (the phenotype most sensitive to nonA mutation). However, the courtship song of transformant males showed several features characteristic of the corresponding D. virilis signal, indicating that nonA can act as a reservoir for species-specific information. This candidate gene approach, together with interspecific transformation, can therefore provide a direct avenue to explore potential speciation genes in genetically and molecularly tractable organisms such as Drosophila.
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