World-wide variation inDrosophila melanogastersex pheromone: behavioural effects, genetic bases and potential evolutionary consequences
✍ Scribed by Jean-François Ferveur; Matthew Cobb; Hocine Boukella; Jean-Marc Jallon
- Book ID
- 104634649
- Publisher
- Springer Netherlands
- Year
- 1996
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 823 KB
- Volume
- 97
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0016-6707
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✦ Synopsis
In Drosophila mekanogaster, male wing vibration, a key element of courtship behaviour, is most efficiently induced by a female-specific contact pheromone cis, cis 7,11 heptacosadiene (7,11 HD), which is the main mature female cuticular hydrocarbon in the CS laboratory strain. A study of 63 strains from around the world revealed that flies from Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean are unique in showing low levels 7,11 I-ID and high levels of the position isomer $9 HD. This difference maps to chromosome III, perhaps indicating a simple genetic control of the 7,11 HD : 5,9 I-ID ratio. Females from strains with high levels of 7,ll I-ID showed higher levels of mating and mated more rapidly than females with low levels of 7.11 I-ID. The results are discussed in light of recent discoveries of genetic differences between D. melanogaster strains from Africa and those from elsewhere around the world.