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.