Dimorphic differentiation of female-specific neuronal populations and behavior in Drosophila
department or school: Medicine, Faculty of
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCV
creator: Castellanos Kotkoff, Monica Cecilia
issued: 2018-10-31T00:00:00
issued: 2014
related degree: Doctor of Philosophy - PhD
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: Over the past years, numerous studies have advanced our understanding of the generation and function of the sex-specific neuronal populations that control sex-specific behaviours. Prior to the work presented in this thesis, no female-specific subsets of neurons had been identified in Drosophila; thus, all models and studies of sex-specific neurons have had a male bias. This thesis describes the first identification and characterization of a female-specific neuronal population in the central nervous system of Drosophila, the Ilp7-motoneurons. These neurons innervate the oviduct and are required for egg-laying. We further identified cellular and genetic mechanisms that direct the dimorphic generation of these female-specific neurons. Programmed cell death of post-mitotic nascent Ilp7-motoneurons in males accounts for their female-specific generation in a process regulated by a non-canonical and dosage-sensitive pro-apoptotic role for the male fruitless isoform (fruM). Thus, we find that analysis of female-specific neuron generation unveils novel mechanisms of dimorphic nervous system construction. Our characterization of Ilp7-motoneurons led to a collaboration with Eric Lai (Sloan Kettering, USA), to study the neuronal basis of the female sterility phenotype of the ∆mir mutant, a deficiency in the bidirectional mir-iab-4 and mir-iab-8 miRNA locus of the Bithorax-Complex. We find that female sterility arises from derepression of mir-iab-4/8 targets, Ultrabithorax and homothorax, in fru-expressing neuronal populations of the posterior abdominal segments of the ventral nerve cord. This results in numerous phenotypes that each likely contribute to sterility. ∆mir females have reduced Ilp7-motor innervation of the oviduct. ∆mir virgin females are constitutively unreceptive to males; however, if mated, they fail to increase egg production. Our data suggests a novel mechanism that may explain this phenotype; after mating, sex peptide from the male seminal fluid is retained i…
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/50821
note: DIMORPHIC DIFFERENTIATION OF FEMALE-SPECIFIC NEURONAL POPULATIONS AND BEHAVIOR IN Drosophila by MONICA CECILIA CASTELLANOS KOTKOFF B.Sc., Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, 2004 M.S., Instituto de Biotecnología UNAM, 2008 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULLFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES (Cell and Developmental Biology) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) October 2014 © Monica Cecilia Castellanos Kotkoff, 2014 ii ABSTRACT Over the past years, numerous studies have advanced our understanding of the generation and function of the sex-specific neuronal populations that control sex-specific behaviours. Prior to the work presented in this thesis, no female-specific subsets of neurons had been identified in Drosophila; thus, all models and studies of sex-specific neurons have had a male bias. This thesis describes the first identification and characterization of a female-specific neuronal population in the central nervous system of Drosophila, the Ilp7-motoneurons. These neurons innervate the oviduct and are required for egg-laying. We further identified cellular and genetic mechanisms that direct the dimorphic generation of these female-specific neurons. Programmed cell death of post-mitotic nascent Ilp7-motoneurons in males accounts for their female-specific generation in a process regulated by a non-canonical and dosage-sensitive pro-apoptotic role for the male fruitless isoform (fruM). Thus, we find that analysis of female-specific neuron generation unveils novel mechanisms of dimorphic nervous system construction. Our characterization of Ilp7-motoneurons led to a collaboration with Eric Lai (Sloan Kettering, USA), to study the neuronal basis of the female sterility phenotype of the ∆mir mutant, a deficiency in the bidirectional mir-iab-4 and mir-iab-8 miRNA locus of the Bithorax-Complex. We find that female sterility arises from derepression of mir-iab-4/8 targets,…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
date issued: 2014-11
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0167021
language: eng
degree discipline: Cell and Developmental Biology
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Canada
rights URI: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ca/
scholar level: Graduate
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/50821