ppk23-Dependent Chemosensory Functions Contribute to Courtship Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster

Insects utilize diverse families of ion channels to respond to environmental cues and control mating, feeding, and the response to threats. Although degenerin/epithelial sodium channels (DEG/ENaC) represent one of the largest families of ion channels in Drosophila melanogaster, the physiological functions of these proteins are still poorly understood. We found that the DEG/ENaC channel ppk23 is expressed in a subpopulation of sexually dimorphic gustatory-like chemosensory bristles that are distinct from those expressing feeding-related gustatory receptors. Disrupting ppk23 or inhibiting activity of ppk23-expressing neurons did not alter gustatory responses. Instead, blocking ppk23-positive neurons or mutating the ppk23 gene delayed the initiation and reduced the intensity of male courtship. Furthermore, mutations in ppk23 altered the behavioral response of males to the female-specific aphrodisiac pheromone 7(Z), 11(Z)-Heptacosadiene. Together, these data indicate that ppk23 and the cells expressing it play an important role in the peripheral sensory system that determines sexual behavior in Drosophila.

• Publication year

  2012

• Venue

  PLoS Genetics

• Publication date

  2012-03-01

• Fields of study

  Biology, Medicine

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1371/journal.pgen.1002587PMID 22438833PMCID 3305452
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• DEG/ENaC but not TRP channels are the major mechanoelectrical transduction channels in a C. elegans nociceptor.

  2011cited by this paper
• Gr39a, a Highly Diversified Gustatory Receptor in Drosophila, has a Role in Sexual Behavior

  2011cited by this paper
• Neuronal synaptic outputs determine the sexual fate of postsynaptic targets.

  2010cited by this paper
• The Drosophila Gene CheB42a Is a Novel Modifier of Deg/ENaC Channel Function

  2010influential reference
• Cellular organization of the neural circuit that drives Drosophila courtship behavior.

  2010cited by this paper
• Avoiding DEET through insect gustatory receptors.

  2010cited by this paper
• The molecular basis for water taste in Drosophila

  2010cited by this paper
• Pickpocket is a DEG/ENaC protein required for mechanical nociception in Drosophila larvae.

  2010cited by this paper
• The cells and peripheral representation of sodium taste in mice

  2010cited by this paper
• The Amiloride-Sensitive Epithelial Na+ Channel PPK28 Is Essential for Drosophila Gustatory Water Reception

  2010influential reference
• Midline crossing by gustatory receptor neuron axons is regulated by fruitless, doublesex and the Roundabout receptors

  2010cited by this paper
• A Drosophila gustatory receptor essential for aversive taste and inhibiting male-to-male courtship.

  2009cited by this paper
• Variant ionotropic glutamate receptors as chemosensory receptors in Drosophila.

  2009cited by this paper
• Fruitless, doublesex and the genetics of social behavior in Drosophila melanogaster.

  2009cited by this paper
• TRPA channels distinguish gravity sensing from hearing in Johnston's organ

  2009cited by this paper
• Mutations in many genes affect aggressive behavior in Drosophila melanogaster

  2009cited by this paper
• Insect olfactory receptors are heteromeric ligand-gated ion channels

  2008cited by this paper
• The white Gene of Drosophila melanogaster Encodes a Protein with a Role in Courtship Behavior

  2008cited by this paper
• Suppression of male courtship by a Drosophila pheromone receptor

  2008cited by this paper
• Drosophila odorant receptors are both ligand-gated and cyclic-nucleotide-activated cation channels

  2008cited by this paper
• Measurement of Courtship Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster.

  2007cited by this paper
• The detection of carbonation by the Drosophila gustatory system

  2007influential reference
• Eukaryotic operon-like transcription of functionally related genes in Drosophila

  2007cited by this paper
• Molecular architecture of smell and taste in Drosophila.

  2007influential reference
• Acid-sensing ion channels: advances, questions and therapeutic opportunities.

  2006cited by this paper
• Pheromonal communication in vertebrates

  2006cited by this paper
• Insights into social insects from the genome of the honeybee Apis mellifera

  2006cited by this paper
• Imaging taste responses in the fly brain reveals a functional map of taste category and behavior.

  2006cited by this paper
• Insights into social insects from the genome of the honeybee Apis mellifera

  2006cited by this paper
• Erratum: Insights into social insects from the genome of the honeybee Apis mellifera

  2006cited by this paper
• A Drosophila DEG/ENaC channel subunit is required for male response to female pheromones.

  2005cited by this paper
• fruitless splicing specifies male courtship behavior in Drosophila.

  2005cited by this paper
• Sensing with TRP channels

  2005cited by this paper
• Neural circuitry that governs Drosophila male courtship behavior.

  2005cited by this paper
• Male-specific fruitless specifies the neural substrates of Drosophila courtship behaviour

  2005cited by this paper
• The MEC-4 DEG/ENaC channel of Caenorhabditis elegans touch receptor neurons transduces mechanical signals

  2005cited by this paper
• Pheromone perception and behavior in Drosophila.

  2004cited by this paper
• A complementary transposon tool kit for Drosophila melanogaster using P and piggyBac

  2004cited by this paper
• Drosophila DEG/ENaC pickpocket genes are expressed in the tracheal system, where they may be involved in liquid clearance

  2003cited by this paper
• Contribution of Drosophila DEG/ENaC genes to salt taste.

  2003cited by this paper
• Novel genes expressed in subsets of chemosensory sensilla on the front legs of male Drosophila melanogaster

  2002cited by this paper
• The Drosophila Pox neuro gene: control of male courtship behavior and fertility as revealed by a complete dissection of all enhancers

  2002cited by this paper
• Influence of Gene Action Across Different Time Scales on Behavior

  2002cited by this paper
• PPTGAL, a convenient Gal4 P‐element vector for testing expression of enhancer fragments in drosophila

  2002cited by this paper
• Heteromultimers of DEG/ENaC subunits form H+-gated channels in mouse sensory neurons

  2002cited by this paper
• The DRASIC cation channel contributes to the detection of cutaneous touch and acid stimuli in mice.

  2001cited by this paper
• Number of Subunits Comprising the Epithelial Sodium Channel*

  1999cited by this paper
• Ectopic gene expression in Drosophila using GAL4 system.

  1998cited by this paper
• pox-neuro is required for development of chemosensory bristles in Drosophila.

  1997cited by this paper
• Extended reproductive roles of the fruitless gene in Drosophila melanogaster revealed by behavioral analysis of new fru mutants.

  1997cited by this paper
• Male-male courtship behavior induced by ectopic expression of the Drosophila white gene: role of sensory function and age.

  1996cited by this paper
• Cloning of the amiloride-sensitive FMRFamide peptide-gated sodium channel

  1995cited by this paper
• Genetic determinants of sense organ identity in Drosophila: regulatory interactions between cut and poxn.

  1995cited by this paper
• The gene poxn controls different steps of the formation of chemosensory organs in Drosophila.

  1994cited by this paper
• Targeted gene expression as a means of altering cell fates and generating dominant phenotypes.

  1993cited by this paper
• The paired box gene pox neuro: a determinant of poly-innervated sense organs in Drosophila.

  1992cited by this paper
• Compared behavioral responses of maleDrosophila melanogaster (Canton S) to natural and synthetic aphrodisiacs

  1985cited by this paper
• ip Posture by Lateralized Gustatory Inputs to Male-Specific Interneurons

  year unknowncited by this paper

• A multi-input optic glomerulus mediates opposing behavioral responses to visual objects

  2026cites this paper
• Multimodal social context modulates larval behavior in Drosophila

  2026cites this paper
• Peripheral anatomy and central connectivity of proprioceptive sensory neurons in the Drosophila wing

  2025cites this paper
• RNAi-mediated knockdown of fruitless in Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) disrupts female sex pheromone biosynthesis and male courtship behavior.

  2025cites this paper
• Investigation of the molecular-genetic basis for courtship differences between Drosophila melanogaster, Drosophila simulans and their hybrids

  2025cites this paper
• Evolutionary Genomics of Gene Families: A Case Study of Insect Gustatory Receptors.

  2025cites this paper
• Strain variation identifies a neural substrate for behavioral evolution in Drosophila

  2025cites this paper
• From Sensory Detection to Motor Action: The Comprehensive Drosophila Taste-Feeding Connectome

  2025cites this paper
• A single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas of the adult Aedes aegypti mosquito

  2025cites this paper
• Ionotropic receptors mediate arachidic acid perception and food avoidance behavior in Drosophila melanogaster

  2025cites this paper
• A single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas of the adult Aedes aegypti mosquito

  2025cites this paper
• Structures and Molecular Mechanisms of Insect Odorant and Gustatory Receptors.

  2025cites this paper
• Harnessing Insect Chemosensory and Mechanosensory Receptors Involved in Feeding for Precision Pest Management

  2025cites this paper
• Larval microbiota primes the Drosophila adult gustatory response

  2024cites this paper
• Male cuticular pheromones stimulate removal of the mating plug and promote re-mating through pC1 neurons in Drosophila females

  2024cites this paper
• Effect of peppermint leaf extract and peppermint oil on the flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

  2024cites this paper
• Function and evolution of Ir52 receptors in mate detection in Drosophila.

  2024cites this paper
• A modular circuit coordinates the diversification of courtship strategies

  2024cites this paper
• Development of a piggyBac transgenic system in Bactrocera dorsalis and its potential for research on olfactory molecular targets

  2024cites this paper
• A neural pathway for social modulation of spontaneous locomotor activity (SoMo-SLA) in Drosophila

  2024cites this paper
• Identification of candidate genes associated with host-seeking behavior in the parasitoid wasp Diachasmimorpha longicaudata

  2024cites this paper
• A modular circuit architecture coordinates the diversification of courtship strategies in Drosophila

  2023cites this paper
• Intense light unleashes male–male courtship behaviour in wild-type Drosophila

  2023cites this paper
• Taste and pheromonal inputs govern the regulation of time investment for mating by sexual experience in male Drosophila melanogaster

  2023cites this paper
• A single-cell atlas of the sexually dimorphic Drosophila foreleg and its sensory organs during development

  2023cites this paper
• A pleiotropic chemoreceptor facilitates the production and perception of mating pheromones

  2022cites this paper
• Chemosensory Coding in Drosophila Single Sensilla.

  2022cites this paper
• Genetic mechanisms modulating behaviour through plastic chemosensory responses in insects

  2022cites this paper
• Charting the development of Drosophila leg sensory organs at single-cell resolution

  2022cites this paper
• Multisensory inputs control the regulation of time investment for mating by sexual experience in male Drosophila melanogaster

  2022cites this paper
• Interspecific variation in sex‐specific gustatory organs in Drosophila

  2022cites this paper
• Regulation of Aging and Longevity by Ion Channels and Transporters

  2022cites this paper
• Genomics and genome editing techniques of crickets, an emerging model insect for biology and food science.

  2022cites this paper
• A pleiotropic chemoreceptor facilitates the functional coupling of pheromone production and perception

  2022influential citation
• Drosophila sensory receptors-a set of molecular Swiss Army Knives.

  2021cites this paper
• The development of sex differences in the nervous system and behavior of flies, worms, and rodents.

  2021cites this paper
• Insights into the genomic evolution of insects from cricket genomes

  2021cites this paper
• Sound production in Drosophila melanogaster: Behaviour and neurobiology

  2021cites this paper
• Spatial and temporal control of expression with light-gated LOV-LexA

  2021cites this paper
• Social modulation of oogenesis and egg-laying in Drosophila melanogaster

  2021cites this paper
• Drosophila sechellia: A Genetic Model for Behavioral Evolution and Neuroecology.

  2021cites this paper
• Post‐mating gene expression of Mexican fruit fly females: disentangling the effects of the male accessory glands

  2021cites this paper
• Molecular mechanisms of pheromone detection

  2021cites this paper
• Histamine gustatory aversion in Drosophila melanogaster.

  2021cites this paper
• Identifying higher-order neurons involved in the taste circuitry in Drosophila melanogaster via an optogenetics screen

  2020cites this paper
• Sex-determining genes distinctly regulate courtship capability and target preference via sexually dimorphic neurons

  2020cites this paper
• Comparison of transcriptomes from two chemosensory organs in four decapod crustaceans reveals hundreds of candidate chemoreceptor proteins

  2020cites this paper
• Contact-Chemosensory Evolution Underlying Reproductive Isolation in Drosophila Species

  2020cites this paper
• Emergence of social cluster by collective pairwise encounters in Drosophila

  2020cites this paper
• Social perception of young adults prolongs the lifespan of aged Drosophila

  2020cites this paper
• Evolutionary history of major chemosensory gene families across Panarthropoda.

  2020cites this paper
• The Gustatory System in Insects

  2020cites this paper
• Cricket genomes: the genomes of future food

  2020cites this paper
• Social Behavioral Deficits with Loss of Neurofibromin Emerge from Peripheral Chemosensory Neuron Dysfunction.

  2020influential citation
• Neuronal Compartmentalization: A Means to Integrate Sensory Input at the Earliest Stage of Information Processing?

  2020cites this paper
• fruitless tunes functional flexibility of courtship circuitry during development

  2020cites this paper
• The neurogenetics of sexually dimorphic behaviors from a postdevelopmental perspective

  2020cites this paper
• Natural variation in the regulation of neurodevelopmental genes modifies flight performance in Drosophila

  2020cites this paper
• The Genetic Architecture of Larval Aggregation Behavior in Drosophila

  2020cites this paper
• Molecular mechanisms of olfactory detection in insects: beyond receptors

  2020cites this paper
• Single cell transcriptomes reveal expression patterns of chemoreceptor genes in olfactory sensory neurons of the Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus

  2020cites this paper
• Social behavioral deficits in NF1 emerge from peripheral chemosensory neuron dysfunction

  2019cites this paper
• The genetics of male pheromone preference difference between Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans

  2019cites this paper
• The Genetics of Male Pheromone Preference Difference Between Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila simulans

  2019cites this paper
• Sex and age modulate antennal chemosensory-related genes linked to the onset of host seeking in the yellow-fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti

  2019cites this paper
• Amplification of Drosophila Olfactory Responses by a DEG/ENaC Channel.

  2019cites this paper
• Recent advances in the genetic basis of taste detection in Drosophila

  2019cites this paper
• The Evolutionary and Functional Roles of Synonymous Codon Usage in Eukaryotes

  2019cites this paper
• Chemosensation and Evolution of Drosophila Host Plant Selection

  2019cites this paper
• Chemosensory sensilla of the Drosophila wing express a candidate ionotropic pheromone receptor

  2019cites this paper
• Ion Channel Contributions to Wing Development in Drosophila melanogaster

  2019cites this paper
• Courtship activity, copulation & insemination success in a mosquito vector fed a herbal aphrodisiac: Implications for sterile insect technology

  2018cites this paper
• Chemical Cues that Guide Female Reproduction in Drosophila melanogaster

  2018cites this paper
• Gustatory Processing in Drosophila melanogaster.

  2018cites this paper
• The multidimensional ionotropic receptors of Drosophila melanogaster

  2018cites this paper
• Evolution of a central neural circuit underlies Drosophila mate preferences

  2018cites this paper
• Visual Projection Neurons Mediating Directed Courtship in Drosophila.

  2018cites this paper
• Using Pox-Neuro (Poxn) Mutants in Drosophila Gustation Research: A Double-Edged Sword

  2018cites this paper
• The receptor channel formed by ppk25, ppk29 and ppk23 can sense the Drosophila female pheromone 7,11‐heptacosadiene

  2018cites this paper
• Sex differences in Drosophila behavior: Qualitative and Quantitative Dimorphism.

  2018cites this paper
• A novel sex difference in Drosophila contact chemosensory neurons unveiled using single cell labeling

  2018cites this paper
• Natural selection on gene-specific codon usage bias is common across eukaryotes

  2018cites this paper
• Sexual Deprivation, Emotion, and Longevity: Neuropeptidergic Regulation of Aging in Drosophila

  2018cites this paper
• Calcium Taste Avoidance in Drosophila.

  2018cites this paper
• Regulation of sleep homeostasis by sexual arousal

  2017cites this paper
• The Drosophila Postsynaptic DEG/ENaC Channel ppk29 Contributes to Excitatory Neurotransmission

  2017cites this paper
• Perceptive Costs of Reproduction Drive Aging and Physiology in Male Drosophila

  2017cites this paper
• Drosophila divalent metal ion transporter Malvolio is required in dopaminergic neurons for feeding decisions

  2017cites this paper
• Multisensory neural integration of chemical and mechanical signals

  2017cites this paper
• Neuromodulation and Strategic Action Choice in Drosophila Aggression.

  2017cites this paper
• Drosophila as a holistic model for insect pheromone signaling and processing.

  2017cites this paper
• Pleiotropic chemoreceptors facilitate the maintenance of signal-receptor coupling in pheromonal communication

  2017cites this paper
• Long-range projection neurons in the taste circuit of Drosophila

  2017cites this paper
• Complex Evolutionary Dynamics of Massively Expanded Chemosensory Receptor Families in an Extreme Generalist Chelicerate Herbivore

  2016cites this paper
• Neural control of aggression in Drosophila.

  2016cites this paper
• Genetic Mechanisms for the Maintenance of Behavioral Mating Barriers in Drosophila

  2016influential citation
• Measuring Physiological Responses of Drosophila Sensory Neurons to Lipid Pheromones Using Live Calcium Imaging.

  2016cites this paper
• Neural Circuits Underlying Mating Behavior in Drosophila

  2016influential citation
• Molecular Basis of Pheromone Detection in Insects

  2016cites this paper
• Male Fruit Fly’s Courtship and Its Double Control by the Fruitless and Doublesex Genes

  2016cites this paper