Well, now. This leads to some very interesting possibilities.
Researchers have discovered a gene involved in homosexual behavior in the tiny flies. They also found a way to turn homosexuality on and off with drugs.
sorta like a light switch?
UIC researchers were using fruit flies to study muscular dystrophy when they discovered a gene they call "gender blind," or GB.
Flies with a mutated form of the GB gene are bisexual. It appears they're unable to distinguish chemical smells, called pheromones, that tell whether other flies are male or female.
"The GB mutant males treated other males exactly the same way normal male flies would treat a female," Featherstone said. "They even attempted copulation."
copulation? how clinical...
It seems that it all boils down to the size of the males' synapses and the way they smell. [doesn't it always boil down to size?]
Researchers tested this idea by adding a drug to the flies' apple juice. The drug weakened the synapses. So within a few hours, flies with the GB mutation stopped engaging in homosexual behavior.
Conversely, researchers gave heterosexual male flies a drug that strengthened their synapses. Sure enough, these male flies soon were courting males as well as females.
I thought that we already had this drug? Isn't it called vodka or gin?
I was soooooo drunk last night...
Seriously, though. It raises a number of questions. The researchers were really surprised.
"It was amazing," Featherstone said. "I never thought we'd be able to do that sort of thing, because sexual orientation is supposed to be hard-wired. This fundamentally changes how we think about this behavior."
What was that old advertising line from Dupont? oh, yeah...
Better living through chemistry...
Actually, though tongue in cheek on my part, this is important research. It can potentially put holes into all the wingnut arguments attacking gays. Namely, that it's a lifestyle choice rather than something that is based on nature.
You can hear an interesting interview with Dr. David Featherstone
about his research
by clicking here.
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