Pinocchio, a novel protein expressed in the antenna, contributes to olfactory behavior in Drosophila melanogaster

Most organisms depend on chemoreception for survival and reproduction. In Drosophila melanogaster multigene families of chemosensory receptors and putative odorant binding proteins have been identified. Here, we introduce an additional distinct protein, encoded by the CG4710 gene, that contributes to olfactory behavior. Previously, we identified through P[lArB]-element mutagenesis a smell impaired (smi) mutant, smi21F, with odorant-specific defects in avoidance responses. Here, we show that the smi21F mutant also exhibits reduced attractant responses to some, but not all, of a select group of odorants. Furthermore, electroantennogram amplitudes are increased in smi21F flies. Characterization of flanking sequences of the P[lArB] insertion site, complementation mapping, phenotypic reversion through P-element excision, and expression analysis implicate a predicted gene, CG4710, as the candidate smi gene. CG4710 produces two transcripts that encode proteins that contain conserved cysteines and which are reduced in the smi21F mutant. Furthermore, in situ hybridization reveals CG4710 expression in the third antennal segment. We have named this gene of previously unknown function and its product "Pinocchio (Pino)".