@article {Xiao072710, author = {Chengfeng Xiao and Shuang Qiu and R Meldrum Robertson}, title = {The white gene controls copulation success in Drosophila melanogaster}, elocation-id = {072710}, year = {2017}, doi = {10.1101/072710}, publisher = {Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory}, abstract = {Characteristics of male courtship behavior in Drosophila melanogaster have been well-described, but the genetic basis of male-female copulation is largely unknown. Here we show that the white (w) gene, a classical gene for eye color, is associated with copulation success. 82.5\% of wild-type Canton-S flies copulated within 60 minutes in circular arenas, whereas few white-eyed mutants mated successfully. The w+ allele exchanged to the X chromosome or duplicated to the Y chromosome in the white-eyed genetic background rescued the defect of copulation success. The w+-associated copulation success was independent of eye color phenotype. Addition of the mini-white (mw+) gene to the white-eyed mutant rescued the defect of copulation success in a manner that was mw+ copy number-dependent. Lastly, male-female sexual experience mimicked the effects of w+/mw+ in improving successful copulation. These data suggest that the w+ gene controls copulation success in Drosophila melanogaster.}, URL = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/07/29/072710}, eprint = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/07/29/072710.full.pdf}, journal = {bioRxiv} }