# Genes Underlying Reproductive Behavior and Physiology

> **NIH NIH R01** · FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $298,204

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
One of the major challenges in neuroscience research is to understand the function of the brain at the level of
genes, gene regulatory networks, neurons, and circuit structure. This proposal seeks to understand Drosophila
reproductive behaviors, a highly tractable model, given knowledge of the master regulatory transcription factors
and neuroanatomical structures that underlie these behaviors. fruitless (fru) encodes a set of master regulatory
transcription factors, which are necessary and largely sufficient for specifying the potential for innate male
courtship behaviors. This proposal is built on our results that demonstrate that a family of cell adhesion
molecules, called Dprs and DIPs, have important functions in specifying the potential for reproductive behavior
downstream of fru. We will determine the roles for behavior of subsets of fru-expressing neurons that overlap
with Dpr/DIP expression (fru P1∩Dpr/Dip), using genetic intersectional strategies. We will also determine how
anatomical sexual dimorphism in fru P1 neurons arises by functionally examining the roles of Dpr/DIPs. This
study will also elucidate the Dpr/DIP interactome within fru-expressing neurons. Using cell-type specific
genomic tools, we will also molecularly classify fru P1∩Dpr/Dip-expressing subpopulations to elucidate the
molecular underpinnings that give rise to different neuronal functions.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9979923
- **Project number:** 5R01GM073039-14
- **Recipient organization:** FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** MICHELLE N ARBEITMAN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $298,204
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2006-07-01 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9979923

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9979923, Genes Underlying Reproductive Behavior and Physiology (5R01GM073039-14). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9979923. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*