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Published on: April 29, 2016
Candidate taste receptors in Drosophila
P J Clyne1, C G Warr, J R Carlson
1Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, Post Office Box 208103, New Haven, CT 06520-8103, USA.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|March 10, 2000
Summary
Researchers identified a large family of seven transmembrane domain proteins in Drosophila, with 18 genes expressed in the labellum, suggesting they may function as taste receptors for gustatory perception.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
Background:
- The molecular mechanisms of taste perception and initial taste signaling events in animals remain largely unknown.
- Seven transmembrane domain proteins represent a diverse protein family with known roles in sensory perception.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify potential novel taste receptors in Drosophila.
- To investigate the expression patterns of a newly identified protein family in gustatory organs.
Main Methods:
- Bioinformatic analysis of the Drosophila genome to identify seven transmembrane domain proteins.
- Gene expression analysis using quantitative PCR and in situ hybridization.
- Examination of gene expression in a Drosophila mutant lacking taste neurons (pox-neuro70).
Main Results:
- A large and diverse family of 19 seven transmembrane domain proteins was identified.
- Eighteen of these 19 genes showed specific expression in the Drosophila labellum, a primary gustatory organ.
- Expression of these genes was absent in other tissues and in the labellum of the pox-neuro70 mutant.
Conclusions:
- The identified protein family, based on structural similarity and tissue-specific expression in gustatory organs, likely encodes a divergent family of taste receptors.
- These findings provide a foundation for understanding the molecular basis of taste perception in Drosophila.
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