vpoDN [FBbt_00048405]

vpoDN

ID: FBbt_00048405

Doublesex-expressing descending neuron, specific to the adult female, with its cell body in the posterior medial protocerebrum, ventral to the pC1 cluster (Kimura et al., 2015; Sturner et al., 2025). There is one of these cells per hemisphere, it is cholinergic, and its activity stimulates vaginal plate opening (Wang et al., 2021). Its dendrites arborize in the superior lateral protocerebrum and its axons project to multiple regions of the ventral nerve cord, including the abdominal ganglion (Wang et al., 2021). It receives input from the pulse song-responsive (inhibitory) vpoINs and (excitatory) vpoENs (Wang et al., 2021), and it is activated in response to conspecific male pulse song (Deutsch et al., 2019; Wang et al., 2021). It also receives input from the pC1 cells, which convey mating status information and increase the excitability of pMN2 (Wang et al., 2021).

Robinett et al. (2010) - FBrf0210735 state that pMN2 cells are not sexually dimorphic. Kimura et al. (2015) show that these neurons are gender-specific, with males having what they refer to as pMN3 neurons and females having what they refer to as pMN2 in a similar location. These are different cells, as genetic manipulations can result in both cell types being present in one fly (Kimura et al., 2015). These (DNp37) cells are also missing from MANC (Sturner et al., 2025). Thought to be involved in oviposition based on correlation with non-specific activation in Kimura et al. (2015), but shown to be involved in vaginal plate opening by more specific activation in Wang et al. (2021).