Scientists discover single gene controlling sex drive in male fruit fly

From: The Boston Globe (Boston, MA) | Date: December 13, 1996| Author: | Copyright information

Scientists have discovered a master gene that orchestrates male sexual performance in the fruit fly, marking the first time researchers have pinpointed a gene in any species that regulates a complex suite of behaviors.

Even though the gene operates in the lowly drosophila, the lab rat of the insect world, the researchers said the fruit fly discovery should lead to profound insights into the role of genes in brain cells and behavior -- sexual and otherwise -- in mammals and perhaps even humans.

"Showing that a behavior as complex as sexual behavior is controlled by a single gene, at least in ...

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