Neuronal nitric oxide synthase in the lower reproductive tract of female Drosophila

MARIANA F. WOLFNER Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 USA E-mail:[email protected] Nitric oxide (NO) plays important roles in numerous physiological processes in many animals. In mammals, NO regulates muscle contractions in the female reproductive tract [e.g. Ekerhovd et al. (1997) Hum. Repro. 12: 301-305; Yampalli et al. (1993) Endocrinol. 133: 1899–1902]. Since reproductive tracts of Drosophila females also undergo muscle contractions after mating, we wondered if NO might regulate reproductive tract physiology in this organism as well. As a fi rst step, we stained Drosophila reproductive tracts for the neural enzyme that synthesizes NO (n-NOS). Shown here is n-NOS staining of the lower reproductive tract of an unmated female fl y. Staining is seen at termini of neurons that innervate the uterus (false-colored blue) and in the seminal receptacle (false-colored orange), which is one of the sperm-storage organs in the female fl y. Levels and distribution of n-NOS staining change in the reproductive tract regions shown, after mating [Heifetz & Wolfner (2014) Curr. Biol. 24: 731–737].