@article {Xiao072710, author = {Chengfeng Xiao and Shuang Qiu and R Meldrum Robertson}, title = {Mating success associated with the white gene in Drosophila melanogaster}, elocation-id = {072710}, year = {2017}, doi = {10.1101/072710}, publisher = {Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory}, abstract = {Characteristics of mating behavior in Drosophila melanogaster have been well-described, but the genetic basis for male-female mating success is largely unknown. Here we show that the white (w) gene, a classical eye color gene, is associated with mating success. 81.3 \% of wild-type flies copulated within 60 minutes in the 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 mating success. The w+-associated mating success was independent of eye color phenotype. Addition of a mini-white (mw+) gene to the white-eyed mutant background rectified the defect of mating success and rescued courting in a dosage-dependent manner. Lastly, male-female sexual experience mimicked the effects of w+/mw+ in improving successful male-female mating. These data suggest a strong association between the w gene and mating success in Drosophila melanogaster.}, URL = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/03/29/072710}, eprint = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/03/29/072710.full.pdf}, journal = {bioRxiv} }