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A candidate olfactory receptor subtype highly conserved across different insect orders.
1Institute of Physiology (230), University of Hohenheim, Garbenstr. 30, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany. krieger@uni-hohenheim.de
Summary
A unique olfactory receptor (HR2) in moths shows high conservation across insect orders. This suggests a crucial, specialized role in insect chemosensation, unlike other diverse insect olfactory receptors.
Area of Science:
- Insect Olfaction
- Molecular Evolution
- Chemosensory Neuroscience
Background:
- Olfactory receptors (ORs) are crucial for insect chemosensation.
- Insect ORs exhibit significant diversity across species, complicating comparative studies.
- A specific OR, HR2 in Heliothis virescens, shows unusual conservation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize HR2 homologues in other insect species.
- To investigate the evolutionary conservation and expression patterns of HR2-related receptors.
- To understand the potential specialized function of this conserved receptor subtype.
Main Methods:
- Sequence analysis of candidate olfactory receptors.
- RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) to detect gene expression.
- In situ hybridization to determine receptor localization in antennal neurons.
Main Results:
- HR2 homologues were identified in two additional moth species (Antheraea pernyi, Bombyx mori) with high amino acid identity (86-88%).
- HR2-related receptors were detected in diverse insect orders: Hymenoptera (Apis mellifera), Diptera (Calliphora erythrocephala), and Coleoptera (Tenebrio molitor).
- In situ hybridization confirmed widespread expression of HR2-related receptors in numerous antennal neurons across species.
Conclusions:
- The HR2 receptor subtype is highly conserved across a broad range of insect orders.
- Widespread expression in antennal neurons suggests a fundamental role in insect chemosensation.
- This conserved receptor likely fulfills a specialized function in insect sensory perception.