生物谷报道：多数昆虫的雌性在交配后其生殖行为都发生一个深远的变化：它们会变得对求偶的雄性不能接受，并开始产卵。尤其是雌蚊子，它们在交配后开始找血吃。这种变化是由雄性精液中存在的因子诱发的。1988年，科学家发现果蝇身上这种活性因子是一种小的肽分子，称之为“性肽”。现在，科学家长期寻找的这种肽的受体蛋白已经被识别出来。这种性肽受体（原来就是孤儿受体CG16752）在一个与其他性行为也相关的神经元中发挥功能。该受体在不同昆虫物种中都被高度地保留了下来，从而提出这样一个可能性：我们有可能以该受体为目标，来破坏有害昆虫的生殖行为，或干扰能够传播疾病的昆虫寻找宿主的行为。
生物谷推荐英文原文：
Nature 451, 33-37 (3 January 2008) | doi:10.1038/nature06483; Received 21 August 2007; Accepted 19 November 2007; Published online 9 December 2007
A receptor that mediates the post-mating switch in Drosophila reproductive behaviour
Nilay Yapici1,2, Young-Joon Kim1,2, Carlos Ribeiro1 & Barry J. Dickson1
Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 7, A-1030 Vienna, Austria
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Correspondence to: Barry J. Dickson1 Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to B.J.D. (Email: dickson@imp.ac.at).
Abstract
Mating in many species induces a dramatic switch in female reproductive behaviour. In most insects, this switch is triggered by factors present in the male's seminal fluid. How these factors exert such profound effects in females is unknown. Here we identify a receptor for the Drosophila melanogaster sex peptide (SP, also known as Acp70A), the primary trigger of post-mating responses in this species. Females that lack the sex peptide receptor (SPR, also known as CG16752), either entirely or only in the nervous system, fail to respond to SP and continue to show virgin behaviours even after mating. SPR is expressed in the female's reproductive tract and central nervous system. The behavioural functions of SPR map to the subset of neurons that also express the fruitless gene, a key determinant of sex-specific reproductive behaviour. SPR is highly conserved across insects, opening up the prospect of new strategies to control the reproductive and host-seeking behaviours of agricultural pests and human disease vectors.
