Insect cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) consist of complex mixtures of straight-chain alkanes
and alkenes, and methyl-branched hydrocarbons. In addition to restricting water loss …

This overview describes, compares, and attempts to unify major themes related to the
biosynthetic pathways and endocrine regulation of insect pheromone production. Rather …

Insects use hydrocarbons as cuticular waterproofing agents and as contact pheromones.
Although their biosynthesis from fatty acyl precursors is well established, the last step of …

What causes a child to grow up gay or straight? Neuroscientist Simon LeVay summarizes a
wealth of scientific evidence that points to one inescapable conclusion: Sexual orientation …

The elaborate courtship ritual of Drosophila males is dictated by neural circuitry established
by the transcription factor Fruitless and triggered by sex-specific sensory cues. Deciphering …

▪ Abstract Courtship is a complex behavior in Drosophila that recruits a wide range of genes
for its realization, including those concerning sex determination, ion channels, and circadian …

Over 1 billion people are estimated to be overweight, placing them at risk for diabetes,
cardiovascular disease, and cancer. We performed a systems-level genetic dissection of …

Social interactions depend on individuals recognizing each other, and in this context many
organisms use chemical signals to indicate species and sex. Cuticular hydrocarbon signals …

I review the recent literature on cuticular hydrocarbons (CHs) in Drosophila. First, the major
structural features of CHs are examined in a variety of species with regard to phylogeny. The …

Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) have two fundamental functions in insects. They protect
terrestrial insects against desiccation and serve as signaling molecules in a wide variety of …