Sexual behaviour: do a few dead neurons make the difference?

Curr Biol. 2006 Jan 10;16(1):R23-5. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2005.12.009.

Abstract

Why do males and females behave so differently? Sexually dimorphic neural circuitry has just been found in parts of the fly's brain thought to control mating behaviour. Might this explain why males and females have such distinct sexual behaviours?

MeSH terms

  • Alternative Splicing
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / genetics
  • Brain / cytology
  • Brain / physiology
  • Drosophila / cytology
  • Drosophila / genetics
  • Drosophila / physiology*
  • Drosophila Proteins / genetics
  • Drosophila Proteins / metabolism
  • Drosophila Proteins / physiology*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Male
  • Models, Biological
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / physiology*
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Neurons / physiology*
  • Sex Characteristics*
  • Sexual Behavior, Animal*
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Transcription Factors / physiology*

Substances

  • Drosophila Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Transcription Factors
  • fru protein, Drosophila