Diverse functions of sex determination gene doublesex on sexually dimorphic neuronal development and behaviors.

Sex-specific neurons play pivotal roles in regulating sexually dimorphic behaviors. In insects, the sex determination gene doublesex (dsx) establishes major sexual dimorphism of the nervous system, in which male-specific dsx promotes neuronal development, while female-specific dsx inhibits neuronal development by promoting neuronal apoptosis. In this study, we find that dsx regulates the number of dsx-expressing central neurons in Drosophila in cell-specific manners.

A hormone-to-neuropeptide pathway inhibits sexual receptivity in immature females.

Newborns, typically asexual, undergo a process of sexual transition to reach sexual maturity, but the regulatory mechanism underlying this transition is not clear. Here, we studied how female sexual behavior is modulated during sexual transition by hormones and neuromodulators in . We found that neuropeptide Leucokinin (LK) inhibits female receptivity specifically during a sexual transition period in immature females, but not in younger or mature females.