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Prof. Young-Joon Kim’s Team Identifies Neurotransmitter Regulating Fruit Fly Reproduction
A Korean research team has revealed that a neurotransmitter similar to the human stress hormone controls the fertilization process of the fruit fly, proposing an experimental base for studying how stress affects human pregnancy.
The research was led by corresponding
author Prof. Young-Joon Kim of GIST School of Life Sciences, conducted by first
author Mr. Kang-Min Lee of GIST, and supported by a grant from the National
Research Foundation of Korea and the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future
Planning.
The research results were online
published on February 19, 2015 in Current
Biology issued by Cell Press (Title: A neuronal pathway that controls sperm
ejection and storage in female Drosophila).
The research team discovered that reproduction
of the fruit fly is regulated by Dh44 (Diuretic hormone 44), a neurotransmitter
of the fruit fly and the orthologue of CRH (Corticotropin-releasing hormone, or
the human stress hormone). To identify the neuronal signaling pathway that
modulates sperm ejection of mated females, they suppressed the expression of
the 45 neurotransmitters including Dh44 and measured the timing of sperm
ejection in post-mated females.
Female flies lacking Dh44 ejected sperm
within 10 minutes after mating, whereas wild-type flies and those lacking the other
44 neurotransmitters ejected sperm one to six hours later. In addition, the average
number of eggs laid by the Dh44 lacking flies fell to less than 30% of that of
the wild-type.
Professor Kim said, “Our study shows
that the Dh44 neurotransmitter, which is similar to the human stress hormone,
regulates fruit fly reproduction. It is expected to help identify the connection
between human neuronal response to stress and reproduction related diseases.”
For further information or inquiries, please contact isso@gist.ac.kr.