Characterization of courtship behavior and copulation rate in adp60 mutant Drosophila melanogaster (Insecta: Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Abstract

Many metabolic consequences of the excess lipid storage observed in obesity have been documented in humans and mammals, but the effects of an obese phenotype on reproductive behavior are less understood. Drosophila melanogaster (Meigan, 1830) is well suited to study the ramifications of excess energy storage as they are commonly used to explore the genes important for energy utilization. However, little is known about the reproductive behavior of mutants in these metabolic genes. Therefore, we tested, for the first time, courtship of the naturally occurring adipose (adp60) mutation which accumulates excess triglycerides and glycogen. Adipose mutants showed decreased courtship behaviors as well as copulation rate. The decrease in copulation rate could in part be explained by the decrease in courtship behaviors such as wing scissoring and wing vibration. Taken together, the data presented here suggest that the adp60 mutants may negatively affect male fly reproductive behavior and provide a system to further our understanding of the genetic and metabolic control of reproductive behaviors and reproductive potential.