Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Temporal mating isolation driven by a behavioral gene in Drosophila.

Eran Tauber1, Helen Roe, Rodolfo Costa

  • 1Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, LE1 7RH, Leicester, United Kingdom.

Current Biology : CB
|January 28, 2003
PubMed
Summary

The circadian clock gene period (per) influences mating behavior timing in Drosophila, potentially driving speciation by affecting mate choice. This gene provides conditions for reproductive isolation and new species formation.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A Journey Through Chronotype Changes in University Students.

Journal of biological rhythms·2026
Same author

The Evolutionary Flexibility of the Drosophila Circadian Clock: Network Constraints or Adaptive Freedom?

Genome biology and evolution·2026
Same author

Reply to Maleszka et al.: DNA methylation signals persist across insect metamorphosis.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025
Same author

Multi-photon fluorescence-lifetime imaging of a genetically-encoded heme sensor.

Journal of inorganic biochemistry·2025
Same author

VacQuant: a tool to quantify neurodegeneration and associated vacuolation in brain tissue.

Fly·2025
Same author

Synchronization of women's menstruation with the Moon has decreased but remains detectable when gravitational pull is strong.

Science advances·2025

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Genetics
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Speciation involves developing barriers to gene exchange, including temporal isolation like allochronic speciation.
  • Circadian clock genes, such as period (per), regulate temporal patterns in behaviors like mating.
  • The role of specific genes in mate choice mechanisms underlying speciation remains largely unelucidated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of the circadian clock gene period (per) in the speciation process.
  • To determine if the per gene influences mate choice through species-specific mating timing.
  • To provide evidence for the involvement of individual genes in behavioral isolation.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized transgenic Drosophila melanogaster and D. pseudoobscura flies.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Introduced natural per genes from each species into transgenic fly lines.
  • Assessed the impact of per genes on circadian locomotor activity and mating behavior timing.

    • Main Results:

    • The per gene was found to influence the timing of circadian locomotor activity, a key component of mating behavior.
    • Transgenic flies carrying species-specific per genes exhibited altered mating timing patterns.
    • The per gene demonstrated the potential to create permissive conditions for speciation by affecting mate choice.

    Conclusions:

    • The circadian clock gene period (per) plays a significant role in establishing species-specific mating timing.
    • Per-mediated temporal isolation in mating behavior is a viable mechanism contributing to speciation.
    • Individual genes like per can directly influence mate choice and drive the evolutionary process of speciation.