Sengupta Saheli, Kravitz Edward A
Department of Biology, College of the Holy Cross, 1 College St, Worcester, MA 01610, USA.
Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Curr Opin Insect Sci. 2025 Feb;67:101293. doi: 10.1016/j.cois.2024.101293. Epub 2024 Oct 28.
Sexually dimorphic behaviors are fundamental to the biology of many species, including fruit flies and humans. These behaviors are regulated primarily by sex-specific neural circuits or sex-specific modulation of shared neuronal substrates. In fruit flies, GABAergic neurotransmission plays a critical role in governing sexually dimorphic behaviors, such as courtship, copulation, and aggression. This review explores the intricate roles of GABAergic neurons in these behaviors and focuses on how sex-specific differences in GABAergic circuits contribute to their modulation and execution. By examining these mechanisms in Drosophila, we reveal broader implications for understanding sexual dimorphism in more complex organisms.
两性异形行为是包括果蝇和人类在内的许多物种生物学的基本特征。这些行为主要由性别特异性神经回路或共享神经元底物的性别特异性调节来调控。在果蝇中，γ-氨基丁酸（GABA）能神经传递在控制两性异形行为，如求偶、交配和攻击行为中起着关键作用。这篇综述探讨了GABA能神经元在这些行为中的复杂作用，并着重于GABA能神经回路中的性别特异性差异如何促进其调节和执行。通过研究果蝇中的这些机制，我们揭示了对于理解更复杂生物体中两性异形的更广泛意义。
