Figure 2. Morinda l-DOPA is required to stimulate egg production.

(A) Egg production (egg/female/day) (N > 6) (B) quantification of apoptosis (apoptotic cysts/ovary) (N > 6) and (C) rate of vitellogenesis (>S8/<S8) (N > 12) in D. sechellia (14021–0248.25) flies fed a non-supplemented (−) standard diet (sd) or a standard diet supplemented with L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (1 mg/ml, l-DOPA); dopamine (1 mg/ml, DA); tyramine (2 mg/ml, TA) or octopamine (2 mg/ml, OA); or a non- pretreated morinda diet (md) or a morinda diet pre-treated with catechol-O-methyltransferase (2.5 U per gram of fruit, md + COMT). Different letters denote significant differences (p < 0.01) using ANOVA followed by Tukey's test. Error bars represent s.e.m. (D) The total ion chromatogram (top trace) shows all compounds present in morinda extract, and the extracted ion chromatogram (lower trace) corresponds to the exact mass of sum formula of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-DOPA) present in the fruit; as analysed by UHPLC-MS. (E) Egg production (eggs/female/day) (N > 3) in D. sechellia (14021–0248.25) flies fed a morinda diet (md) non-pre-treated (−), pre-treated with catechol-O-methyltransferase (2.5 U per gram of fruit, COMT) or α-methyl-DOPA (0.4 mM, mDp). Different letters denote significant differences (p < 0.01) using ANOVA followed by Tukey's test. Error bars represent s.e.m.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03785.007

Figure 2—figure supplement 1. D. sechellia female fertility is modulated by morinda.

(A) Rate of vitellogenesis (>S8/<S8) (N > 6) in D. sechellia (14021–0248.25) flies fed a morinda diet (md) non-pre-treated (−) or pre-treated with catechol-O-methyltransferase (2.5 U per gram of fruit, COMT). **p < 0.002 using Student's t test. Error bars represent s.e.m. (B) Confocal image shows D. sechellia (14021–0248.25, sec) egg retention in the ovary of a fly fed a morinda diet (md) supplemented with α-methyl-DOPA (0.4 mM, mDp). Dissected ovaries were stained with nucleic-acid-specific dyes (sytox orange (SO) and TOTO). The oviduct (ov) is indicated. Scale bar, 100 μm. (C) Bar graph shows ovipositon (egg/female/day) (N = 3) stimulated in D. sechellia (14021–0248.25) flies offered fresh morinda (md) as oviposition substrate compared to flies offered a standard oviposition substrate (sd). *p < 0.02 using Student's t test. Error bars represent s.e.m.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03785.008