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Electrophysiological Recording from Drosophila Trichoid Sensilla in Response to Odorants of Low Volatility
Published on: July 27, 2017
Receptors and neurons for fly odors in Drosophila
Wynand van der Goes van Naters1, John R Carlson
1Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8103, USA.
Current Biology : CB
|March 17, 2007
Summary
Fruit flies use specific olfactory receptor neurons in their antennae to detect fly odors, distinguishing males from females. This research identifies key receptors for pheromones like cis-vaccenyl acetate (cVA), crucial for mate recognition.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Olfaction
- Behavioral Ecology
Background:
- Mate recognition in Drosophila is poorly understood at the molecular and cellular levels.
- Trichoid sensilla on the antenna house olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) involved in detecting airborne cues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically investigate the function of trichoid sensilla in Drosophila mate recognition.
- To identify specific olfactory receptors responsible for detecting fly-derived odors and pheromones.
Main Methods:
- Electrophysiological analysis of trichoid sensilla responses to various odor stimuli.
- In vivo expression system to test olfactory receptor (Or) gene family members found in trichoid sensilla.
Main Results:
- Trichoid sensilla ORNs respond to fly odors, not food odors.
- Two subtypes of trichoid sensilla ORNs detect cis-vaccenyl acetate (cVA), a male-derived anti-aphrodisiac pheromone.
- Four Ors expressed in trichoid sensilla were identified: two responding to general fly extracts and two specifically to cVA.
Conclusions:
- Males can be distinguished from virgin females by the activity pattern in trichoid ORNs.
- A model is proposed where specific olfactory receptors enable males to differentiate mating partners based on olfactory cues.
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