Overview

• The peer-reviewed study published August 14 in Science documents the first successful transfer of a species-specific courtship behavior via targeted gene expression in another species
• Thermogenetic activation of dTrpA1 in engineered flies confirmed that turning on FruM in 16–18 insulin-producing neurons of the pars intercerebralis spurred new projections toward the brain’s courtship center
• Modified D. melanogaster males began regurgitating food during courtship in patterns mirroring D. subobscura, demonstrating that a single-gene change can repurpose metabolic neurons for social display
• Mate-choice and competitive assays showed that females preferred males exhibiting the induced gift giving, providing clear evidence of a mating advantage from the rewired circuit
• The authors contend that these results illustrate how small-scale genetic rewiring of preexisting neurons can drive the evolution of novel social behaviors without generating new cell types