美国康奈尔大学研究人员利用果蝇研究得出结论，一见钟情可能真实存在并且由基因决定。这一结论可能同样适用于包括人类在内的哺乳动物。
研究人员用一组雌性果蝇分别与一组同种类雄性果蝇和一组不同种类雄性果蝇交配。结果发现，当雌性果蝇与不同种类雄性果蝇交配时，它们似乎可以识别，后者与同类雄性果蝇相比，在基因上与它们更加契合。原因可能是雌性果蝇与不同种类雄性果蝇交配产生的后代更不易因近亲繁殖出现基因缺陷，产卵数量更多，成活率更高。
这项研究表明，雌性果蝇在一定程度上与雄性果蝇见第一面时，就能确定对方是否为“好伴侣”。如果答案为“是”，雌性果蝇随后会发生生理反应，以提高繁殖成功率。
研究发起人之一安德鲁·克拉克说：“你可以称这种现象为‘一见钟情’，这样描述更准确，因为我们眼下尚不清楚是哪方面特征让雌性果蝇作出判断。”他解释说，这可能是视觉、嗅觉、听觉或其他感觉。
研究人员说，研究结果可能同样适用于包括人类在内的哺乳动物。女性有可能分辨出哪些男性与她在基因上更适合，从而身体作出反应，提高繁殖成功率。但由于果蝇与人类繁殖方式差别较大，尚无法直接把实验结论应用于人类。
这一研究论文发表在《遗传学》（Genetics）杂志2009年4月刊上。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推荐原始出处：
Genetics, Vol. 181, 1273-1280, April 2009, doi:10.1534/genetics.108.099622
Strain-Dependent Differences in Several Reproductive Traits Are Not Accompanied by Early Postmating Transcriptome Changes in Female Drosophila melanogaster
Lisa A. McGraw*,1, Greg Gibson, Andrew G. Clark* and Mariana F. Wolfner*,2
* Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 and School of Integrative Biology, University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia
2 Corresponding author: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, 423 Biotechnology Bldg., Ithaca, NY 14853.
Upon mating, Drosophila melanogaster females undergo numerous alterations in their behavior and reproductive physiology that are accompanied by small-magnitude transcript-level changes in up to 1700 genes. Many of these postmating transcriptome changes are the direct result of the sperm and seminal fluid proteins (Acps) that females receive from their mates. To begin to determine if the genetic background of the female's mate contributes to the previously described gene expression changes, we assessed whether interactions between the genotypes of two commonly used laboratory strains of D. melanogaster (Canton-S and Oregon R) influence the female's postmating transcriptome as well as several pre- and postcopulatory phenotypes. We find negligible differences in the female's transcriptome at 1–3 hr postmating regardless of the strain of the male with whom she mated. However, a male x female genotype interaction significantly influenced mate selection, and, in some cases, fecundity, fertility, and hatchability. Our data support previous work suggesting that many of the early postmating changes observed in D. melanogaster females are not caused by large modifications of transcript levels. Instead, early postmating phenotypes result from preexisting receptors or pathways that are already in place upon sexual maturity.
