Mentors: Chengcheng Du, Shania Appadoo, Pelin Volkan, Ph.D. Department of Biology
The social environment modulates animal behaviors in many aspects. Studies have shown that male Drosophila raised in social isolation perform differently from those presented in groups in the courtship behavior assay. However, the mechanism under this phenomenon is unclear. The olfactory system is integral to the normal courtship behavior of flies. In Drosophila, pheromones are detected by receptors expressed in sensory neurons. Two of these olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs), Or47b ORNs and Or67d ORNs, have been found to be involved in regulating male fly courtship behaviors. Therefore, our hypothesis is that the difference between group-housed and single-housed male flies is due to the difference in detecting odors like pheromones in different environments. To test this, we studied if disturbing the detection of pheromones using genetic mutants of Or47b and Or67d will influence the courtship behaviors of male flies through a series of behavioral experiments this summer including isolating flies, group housing flies, and recording courtship behavior. Our findings suggest the influence of social experience on male flies’ courtship behavior partially relies on the normal detection of odors.
