Shared neural circuitry for female and male sexual behaviours in Drosophila

摘要

Sexual reproduction in most species involves innate behaviours that are dramatically distinct in males and females. The different behaviours of males and females are generally thought to reflect the activation of sex-specific neural circuits; however,sex differences could also arise through the sex-specific modulation of circuits that are common to both sexes. Here, we present evidence that the sex-specific reproductive behaviours of females and males of the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster indeed involve shared neural circuits.