Originally published as Genetics Published Articles Ahead of Print on October 8, 2006.

Genetics, Vol. 174, 1349-1363, November 2006, Copyright © 2006
doi:10.1534/genetics.106.060574

Dynamic Genetic Interactions Determine Odor-Guided Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster

Deepa Sambandan*,{dagger}, Akihiko Yamamoto{dagger},{ddagger}, Juan-José Fanara§, Trudy F. C. Mackay*,{dagger} and Robert R. H. Anholt*,{dagger},{ddagger},1

* Department of Genetics and {ddagger} Department of Zoology and the {dagger} W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 and § Department of Ecology, Genetics and Evolution, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires 1428, Argentina

1 Corresponding author: W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, Campus Box 7617, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7617. 
E-mail: anholt{at}ncsu.edu

Understanding the genetic architecture of complex traits requires identification of the underlying genes and characterization of gene-by-gene and genotype-by-environment interactions. Behaviors that mediate interactions between organisms and their environment are complex traits expected to be especially sensitive to environmental conditions. Previous studies on the olfactory avoidance response of Drosophila melanogaster showed that the genetic architecture of this model behavior depends on epistatic networks of pleiotropic genes. We performed a screen of 1339 co-isogenic p[GT1]-element insertion lines to identify novel genes that contribute to odor-guided behavior and identified 55 candidate genes with known p[GT1]-element insertion sites. Characterization of the expression profiles of 10 p[GT1]-element insertion lines showed that the effects of the transposon insertions are often dependent on developmental stage and that hypomorphic mutations in developmental genes can elicit profound adult behavioral deficits. We assessed epistasis among these genes by constructing all possible double heterozygotes and measuring avoidance responses under two stimulus conditions. We observed enhancer and suppressor effects among subsets of these P-element-tagged genes, and surprisingly, epistatic interactions shifted with changes in the concentration of the olfactory stimulus. Our results show that the manifestation of epistatic networks dynamically changes with alterations in the environment.


Related articles in Genetics:

Issue Highlights

Genetics 2006 174: NP. [Full Text]  



This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 GeneticsHome page
S. M. Rollmann, L. Zwarts, A. C. Edwards, A. Yamamoto, P. Callaerts, K. Norga, T. F. C. Mackay, and R. R. H. Anholt
Pleiotropic Effects of Drosophila neuralized on Complex Behaviors and Brain Structure
Genetics, July 1, 2008; 179(3): 1327 - 1336.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 GeneticsHome page
D. Sambandan, M. A. Carbone, R. R. H. Anholt, and T. F. C. Mackay
Phenotypic Plasticity and Genotype by Environment Interaction for Olfactory Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster
Genetics, June 1, 2008; 179(2): 1079 - 1088.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 GeneticsHome page
S. T. Harbison and A. Sehgal
Quantitative Genetic Analysis of Sleep in Drosophila melanogaster
Genetics, April 1, 2008; 178(4): 2341 - 2360.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 GeneticsHome page
P. Wang, R. F. Lyman, S. A. Shabalina, T. F. C. Mackay, and R. R. H. Anholt
Association of Polymorphisms in Odorant-Binding Protein Genes With Variation in Olfactory Response to Benzaldehyde in Drosophila
Genetics, November 1, 2007; 177(3): 1655 - 1665.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 GeneticsHome page
S. M. Rollmann, A. Yamamoto, T. Goossens, L. Zwarts, Z. Callaerts-Vegh, P. Callaerts, K. Norga, T. F. C. Mackay, and R. R. H. Anholt
The Early Developmental Gene Semaphorin 5c Contributes to Olfactory Behavior in Adult Drosophila
Genetics, June 1, 2007; 176(2): 947 - 956.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]