Learning and memory mutations impair acoustic priming of mating behaviour in Drosophila

The courtship song in Drosophila melanogaster has two components, a low-frequency hum and a train of pulses with a species-specific interpulse interval (IPI) of 30-40 ms(1,2). The IPIs oscillate rhythmically, with periods between 50 and 60 s in wild-type males(3). When females are stimulated with artificial songs in the presence of courting but silent (wingless) males, the 'pulse song' and its oscillation can enhance mating success(4−6). If separated males and females are first simultaneously primed with invariant 34-ms IPIs, their subsequent mating success is improved(7). However, exclusive prestimulation of females leads to faster mating only when the hum component of the song is applied, not constant 34-ms IPIs(5). We have re-examined these findings by testing whether prior exposure of females to a rhythmic pulse song speeds up subsequent mating performance. We report here that it does. Furthermore, learning and memory mutations(8), expressed in the females to whom songs are being played, either 'block' or attenuate the effectiveness of acoustical priming.