Orthologs, Expressed Specifically in Courting Zebra Finch Males, are Engaged in Courtship

ABSTRACT

The comparison of transcriptomes generated from the brains of courting and caring zebra finch males revealed the excessive expression of seven genes in the courting males. Two of the encoded proteins (APPBP2 and CST3) appear to share function with the Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP), and two (ARL2 and GPM6A) are engaged in neurogenesis. The LOC100228889 gene is expressed in the brain, DLEC1 is a tumor suppressor gene, and UBE2O encodes a ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme. Five out of the seven genes - ARL2, CST3, GPM6A, APPBP2, and UBE2O - have Drosophila orthologs: Arf84F, Cys, M6, Pat1, and CG10254, respectively. We RNAi-silenced the function of Arf84F, Cys, M6, and Pat1- and also that of the APP homolog Dmel\Appl - in the nervous system of elav-Gal4; UAS-RNAi Drosophila males revealed that while their courting activities were severely reduced, the locomotor abilities and functions of the sensory system were not affected. It appears that the genes above represent evolutionally conserved gene functions in courtship.

Keywords:

Transcriptome, courtship genes, RNAi, APP, zebra finch, .