1
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Jiang Q, Zou W, Li S, Qiu X, Zhu L, Kang L, Müller U. Sequence variations and accessory proteins adapt TMC functions to distinct sensory modalities. Neuron 2024:S0896-6273(24)00448-3. [PMID: 38986620 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Transmembrane channel-like (TMC) proteins are expressed throughout the animal kingdom and are thought to encode components of ion channels. Mammals express eight TMCs (mTMC1-8), two of which (mTMC1 and mTMC2) are subunits of mechanotransduction channels. C. elegans expresses two TMCs (TMC-1 and TMC-2), which mediate mechanosensation, egg laying, and alkaline sensing. The mechanisms by which nematode TMCs contribute to such diverse physiological processes and their functional relationship to mammalian mTMCs is unclear. Here, we show that association with accessory proteins tunes nematode TMC-1 to divergent sensory functions. In addition, distinct TMC-1 domains enable touch and alkaline sensing. Strikingly, these domains are segregated in mammals between mTMC1 and mTMC3. Consistent with these findings, mammalian mTMC1 can mediate mechanosensation in nematodes, while mTMC3 can mediate alkaline sensation. We conclude that sequence diversification and association with accessory proteins has led to the emergence of TMC protein complexes with diverse properties and physiological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Jiang
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Wenjuan Zou
- Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shitian Li
- Department of Neurology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China
| | - Xufeng Qiu
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Linhui Zhu
- Department of Neurology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China
| | - Lijun Kang
- Department of Neurology of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China.
| | - Ulrich Müller
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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2
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Wu Y, Wang Q, Yang W, Zhang S, Mao CX, He N, Zhou S, Zhou C, Liu W. The cluster digging behavior of larvae confers trophic benefits to fitness in insects. INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 31:870-884. [PMID: 38161191 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Collective behaviors efficiently impart benefits to a diversity of species ranging from bacteria to humans. Fly larvae tend to cluster and form coordinated digging groups under crowded conditions, yet understanding the rules governing this behavior is in its infancy. We primarily took advantage of the Drosophila model to investigate cooperative foraging behavior. Here, we report that Drosophila-related species and the black soldier fly have evolved a conserved strategy of cluster digging in food foraging. Subsequently, we investigated relative factors, including larval stage, population density, and food stiffness and quality, that affect the cluster digging behavior. Remarkably, oxygen supply through the posterior breathing spiracles is necessary for the organization of digging clusters. More importantly, we theoretically devise a mathematical model to accurately calculate how the cluster digging behavior expands food resources by diving depth, cross-section area, and food volume. We found that cluster digging behavior approximately increases 2.2 fold depth, 1.7-fold cross-section area, and 1.9 fold volume than control groups, respectively. Amplification of food sources significantly facilitates survival, larval development, and reproductive success of Drosophila challenged with competition for limited food resources, thereby conferring trophic benefits to fitness in insects. Overall, our findings highlight that the cluster digging behavior is a pivotal behavior for their adaptation to food scarcity, advancing a better understanding of how this cooperative behavior confers fitness benefits in the animal kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Wu
- School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management, Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Green Pesticide Development and Application, Hefei, China
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- School of Teacher Education, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University, Nanjing, China
| | - Weikang Yang
- School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management, Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Green Pesticide Development and Application, Hefei, China
| | - Sheng Zhang
- School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management, Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Green Pesticide Development and Application, Hefei, China
| | - Chuan-Xi Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Chinese Traditional Medicine, National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of High-throughput Drug Screening Technology, School of Life Science, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Nana He
- School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management, Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Green Pesticide Development and Application, Hefei, China
| | - Shaojie Zhou
- School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management, Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Green Pesticide Development and Application, Hefei, China
| | - Chuanming Zhou
- School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management, Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Green Pesticide Development and Application, Hefei, China
| | - Wei Liu
- School of Plant Protection, Anhui Agricultural University; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Crop Integrated Pest Management, Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Green Pesticide Development and Application, Hefei, China
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3
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Eichler K, Hampel S, Alejandro-García A, Calle-Schuler SA, Santana-Cruz A, Kmecova L, Blagburn JM, Hoopfer ED, Seeds AM. Somatotopic organization among parallel sensory pathways that promote a grooming sequence in Drosophila. eLife 2024; 12:RP87602. [PMID: 38634460 PMCID: PMC11026096 DOI: 10.7554/elife.87602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Mechanosensory neurons located across the body surface respond to tactile stimuli and elicit diverse behavioral responses, from relatively simple stimulus location-aimed movements to complex movement sequences. How mechanosensory neurons and their postsynaptic circuits influence such diverse behaviors remains unclear. We previously discovered that Drosophila perform a body location-prioritized grooming sequence when mechanosensory neurons at different locations on the head and body are simultaneously stimulated by dust (Hampel et al., 2017; Seeds et al., 2014). Here, we identify nearly all mechanosensory neurons on the Drosophila head that individually elicit aimed grooming of specific head locations, while collectively eliciting a whole head grooming sequence. Different tracing methods were used to reconstruct the projections of these neurons from different locations on the head to their distinct arborizations in the brain. This provides the first synaptic resolution somatotopic map of a head, and defines the parallel-projecting mechanosensory pathways that elicit head grooming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Eichler
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences CampusSan JuanPuerto Rico
| | - Stefanie Hampel
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences CampusSan JuanPuerto Rico
| | - Adrián Alejandro-García
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences CampusSan JuanPuerto Rico
| | - Steven A Calle-Schuler
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences CampusSan JuanPuerto Rico
| | - Alexis Santana-Cruz
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences CampusSan JuanPuerto Rico
| | - Lucia Kmecova
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences CampusSan JuanPuerto Rico
| | - Jonathan M Blagburn
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences CampusSan JuanPuerto Rico
| | - Eric D Hoopfer
- Neuroscience Program, Carleton CollegeNorthfieldUnited States
| | - Andrew M Seeds
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences CampusSan JuanPuerto Rico
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4
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Mete M, Jeong H, Wang WD, Paik J. SORI: A softness-rendering interface to unravel the nature of softness perception. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2314901121. [PMID: 38466880 PMCID: PMC10990105 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2314901121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Tactile perception of softness serves a critical role in the survival, well-being, and social interaction among various species, including humans. This perception informs activities from food selection in animals to medical palpation for disease detection in humans. Despite its fundamental importance, a comprehensive understanding of how softness is neurologically and cognitively processed remains elusive. Previous research has demonstrated that the somatosensory system leverages both cutaneous and kinesthetic cues for the sensation of softness. Factors such as contact area, depth, and force play a particularly critical role in sensations experienced at the fingertips. Yet, existing haptic technologies designed to explore this phenomenon are limited, as they often couple force and contact area, failing to provide a real-world experience of softness perception. Our research introduces the softness-rendering interface (SORI), a haptic softness display designed to bridge this knowledge gap. Unlike its predecessors, SORI has the unique ability to decouple contact area and force, thereby allowing for a quantitative representation of softness sensations at the fingertips. Furthermore, SORI incorporates individual physical fingertip properties and model-based softness cue estimation and mapping to provide a highly personalized experience. Utilizing this method, SORI quantitatively replicates the sensation of softness on stationary, dynamic, homogeneous, and heterogeneous surfaces. We demonstrate that SORI accurately renders the surfaces of both virtual and daily objects, thereby presenting opportunities across a range of fields, from teleoperation to medical technology. Finally, our proposed method and SORI will expedite psychological and neuroscience research to unlock the nature of softness perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Mete
- Reconfigurable Robotics Laboratory, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, LausanneCH 1005, Switzerland
| | - Haewon Jeong
- Soft Robotics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Wei Dawid Wang
- Soft Robotics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Jamie Paik
- Reconfigurable Robotics Laboratory, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, LausanneCH 1005, Switzerland
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5
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Doherty JF, Ames T, Brewster LI, Chiang J, Cyr E, Kelsey CR, Lee JP, Liu B, Lo IHY, Nirwal GK, Mohammed YG, Phelan O, Seyfourian P, Shannon DM, Tochor NK, Matthews BJ. An update and review of arthropod vector sensory systems: Potential targets for behavioural manipulation by parasites and other disease agents. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2024; 124:57-89. [PMID: 38754927 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2024.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
For over a century, vector ecology has been a mainstay of vector-borne disease control. Much of this research has focused on the sensory ecology of blood-feeding arthropods (black flies, mosquitoes, ticks, etc.) with terrestrial vertebrate hosts. Of particular interest are the cues and sensory systems that drive host seeking and host feeding behaviours as they are critical for a vector to locate and feed from a host. An important yet overlooked component of arthropod vector ecology are the phenotypic changes observed in infected vectors that increase disease transmission. While our fundamental understanding of sensory mechanisms in disease vectors has drastically increased due to recent advances in genome engineering, for example, the advent of CRISPR-Cas9, and high-throughput "big data" approaches (genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, etc.), we still do not know if and how parasites manipulate vector behaviour. Here, we review the latest research on arthropod vector sensory systems and propose key mechanisms that disease agents may alter to increase transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tahnee Ames
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Jonathan Chiang
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Elsa Cyr
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Cameron R Kelsey
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jeehan Phillip Lee
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Bingzong Liu
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Ivan Hok Yin Lo
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Gurleen K Nirwal
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Orna Phelan
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Parsa Seyfourian
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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6
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Clark S, Jeong H, Posert R, Goehring A, Gouaux E. The structure of the Caenorhabditis elegans TMC-2 complex suggests roles of lipid-mediated subunit contacts in mechanosensory transduction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2314096121. [PMID: 38354260 PMCID: PMC10895266 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2314096121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Mechanotransduction is the process by which a mechanical force, such as touch, is converted into an electrical signal. Transmembrane channel-like (TMC) proteins are an evolutionarily conserved family of membrane proteins whose function has been linked to a variety of mechanosensory processes, including hearing and balance sensation in vertebrates and locomotion in Drosophila. TMC1 and TMC2 are components of ion channel complexes, but the molecular features that tune these complexes to diverse mechanical stimuli are unknown. Caenorhabditis elegans express two TMC homologs, TMC-1 and TMC-2, both of which are the likely pore-forming subunits of mechanosensitive ion channels but differ in their expression pattern and functional role in the worm. Here, we present the single-particle cryo-electron microscopy structure of the native TMC-2 complex isolated from C. elegans. The complex is composed of two copies of the pore-forming TMC-2 subunit, the calcium and integrin binding protein CALM-1 and the transmembrane inner ear protein TMIE. Comparison of the TMC-2 complex to the recently published cryo-EM structure of the C. elegans TMC-1 complex highlights conserved protein-lipid interactions, as well as a π-helical structural motif in the pore-forming helices, that together suggest a mechanism for TMC-mediated mechanosensory transduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Clark
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR97239
| | - Hanbin Jeong
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR97239
| | - Rich Posert
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR97239
| | - April Goehring
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR97239
- HHMI, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR97239
| | - Eric Gouaux
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR97239
- HHMI, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR97239
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7
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Bontonou G, Saint-Leandre B, Kafle T, Baticle T, Hassan A, Sánchez-Alcañiz JA, Arguello JR. Evolution of chemosensory tissues and cells across ecologically diverse Drosophilids. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1047. [PMID: 38316749 PMCID: PMC10844241 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44558-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Chemosensory tissues exhibit significant between-species variability, yet the evolution of gene expression and cell types underlying this diversity remain poorly understood. To address these questions, we conducted transcriptomic analyses of five chemosensory tissues from six Drosophila species and integrated the findings with single-cell datasets. While stabilizing selection predominantly shapes chemosensory transcriptomes, thousands of genes in each tissue have evolved expression differences. Genes that have changed expression in one tissue have often changed in multiple other tissues but at different past epochs and are more likely to be cell type-specific than unchanged genes. Notably, chemosensory-related genes have undergone widespread expression changes, with numerous species-specific gains/losses including novel chemoreceptors expression patterns. Sex differences are also pervasive, including a D. melanogaster-specific excess of male-biased expression in sensory and muscle cells in its forelegs. Together, our analyses provide new insights for understanding evolutionary changes in chemosensory tissues at both global and individual gene levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwénaëlle Bontonou
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Bastien Saint-Leandre
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Tane Kafle
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tess Baticle
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Afrah Hassan
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - J Roman Arguello
- Department of Ecology & Evolution, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
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8
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Lee JH, Perez-Flores MC, Park S, Kim HJ, Chen Y, Kang M, Kersigo J, Choi J, Thai PN, Woltz RL, Perez-Flores DC, Perkins G, Sihn CR, Trinh P, Zhang XD, Sirish P, Dong Y, Feng WW, Pessah IN, Dixon RE, Sokolowski B, Fritzsch B, Chiamvimonvat N, Yamoah EN. The Piezo channel is a mechano-sensitive complex component in the mammalian inner ear hair cell. Nat Commun 2024; 15:526. [PMID: 38228630 PMCID: PMC10791687 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44230-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The inner ear is the hub where hair cells (HCs) transduce sound, gravity, and head acceleration stimuli to the brain. Hearing and balance rely on mechanosensation, the fastest sensory signals transmitted to the brain. The mechanoelectrical transducer (MET) channel is the entryway for the sound-balance-brain interface, but the channel-complex composition is not entirely known. Here, we report that the mouse utilizes Piezo1 (Pz1) and Piezo2 (Pz2) isoforms as MET-complex components. The Pz channels, expressed in HC stereocilia, and cell lines are co-localized and co-assembled with MET complex partners. Mice expressing non-functional Pz1 and Pz2 at the ROSA26 locus have impaired auditory and vestibular traits that can only be explained if the Pzs are integral to the MET complex. We suggest that Pz subunits constitute part of the MET complex and that interactions with other MET complex components yield functional MET units to generate HC MET currents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeong Han Lee
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
| | - Maria C Perez-Flores
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
| | - Seojin Park
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
- Prestige Biopharma, 11-12F, 44, Myongjigukje7-ro, Gangseo-gu, Busan, 67264, South Korea
| | - Hyo Jeong Kim
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
| | - Yingying Chen
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
| | - Mincheol Kang
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
- Prestige Biopharma, 11-12F, 44, Myongjigukje7-ro, Gangseo-gu, Busan, 67264, South Korea
| | | | - Jinsil Choi
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
| | - Phung N Thai
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Ryan L Woltz
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | | | - Guy Perkins
- National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Choong-Ryoul Sihn
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
| | - Pauline Trinh
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Xiao-Dong Zhang
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Padmini Sirish
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Yao Dong
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, 1089 VM3B, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Wayne Wei Feng
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, 1089 VM3B, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Isaac N Pessah
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, 1089 VM3B, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Rose E Dixon
- Department of Physiology & Membrane Biology, Tupper Hall, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Bernd Sokolowski
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Bernd Fritzsch
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Nipavan Chiamvimonvat
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- VA Northern California Healthcare System, Sacramento, USA
| | - Ebenezer N Yamoah
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 89557, USA.
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9
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Tong C, Moayedi Y, Lumpkin EA. Merkel cells and keratinocytes in oral mucosa are activated by mechanical stimulation. Physiol Rep 2024; 12:e15826. [PMID: 38246872 PMCID: PMC10800296 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.15826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The detection of mechanical qualities of foodstuffs is essential for nutrient acquisition, evaluation of food freshness, and bolus formation during mastication. However, the mechanisms through which mechanosensitive cells in the oral cavity transmit mechanical information from the periphery to the brain are not well defined. We hypothesized Merkel cells, which are epithelial mechanoreceptors and important for pressure and texture sensing in the skin, can be mechanically activated in the oral cavity. Using live-cell calcium imaging, we recorded Merkel cell activity in ex vivo gingival and palatal preparations from mice in response to mechanical stimulation. Merkel cells responded with distinct temporal patterns and activation thresholds in a region-specific manner, with Merkel cells in the hard palate having a higher mean activation threshold than those in the gingiva. Unexpectedly, we found that oral keratinocytes were also activated by mechanical stimulation, even in the absence of Merkel cells. This indicates that mechanical stimulation of oral mucosa independently activates at least two subpopulations of epithelial cells. Finally, we found that oral Merkel cells contribute to preference for consuming oily emulsion. To our knowledge, these data represent the first functional study of Merkel-cell physiology and its role in flavor detection in the oral cavity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi‐Kun Tong
- Department of Physiology and Cellular BiophysicsColumbia University Medical CenterNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Yalda Moayedi
- Department of Physiology and Cellular BiophysicsColumbia University Medical CenterNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Present address:
Departments of Neurology and Otolaryngology‐Head and Neck SurgeryColumbia UniversityNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Ellen A. Lumpkin
- Department of Physiology and Cellular BiophysicsColumbia University Medical CenterNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Department of DermatologyColumbia University Medical CenterNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Present address:
Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyHelen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyCAUSA
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10
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Eichler K, Hampel S, Alejandro-García A, Calle-Schuler SA, Santana-Cruz A, Kmecova L, Blagburn JM, Hoopfer ED, Seeds AM. Somatotopic organization among parallel sensory pathways that promote a grooming sequence in Drosophila. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.11.528119. [PMID: 36798384 PMCID: PMC9934617 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.11.528119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/14/2023]
Abstract
Mechanosensory neurons located across the body surface respond to tactile stimuli and elicit diverse behavioral responses, from relatively simple stimulus location-aimed movements to complex movement sequences. How mechanosensory neurons and their postsynaptic circuits influence such diverse behaviors remains unclear. We previously discovered that Drosophila perform a body location-prioritized grooming sequence when mechanosensory neurons at different locations on the head and body are simultaneously stimulated by dust (Hampel et al., 2017; Seeds et al., 2014). Here, we identify nearly all mechanosensory neurons on the Drosophila head that individually elicit aimed grooming of specific head locations, while collectively eliciting a whole head grooming sequence. Different tracing methods were used to reconstruct the projections of these neurons from different locations on the head to their distinct arborizations in the brain. This provides the first synaptic resolution somatotopic map of a head, and defines the parallel-projecting mechanosensory pathways that elicit head grooming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Eichler
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Contributed equally
| | - Stefanie Hampel
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Contributed equally
| | - Adrián Alejandro-García
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Contributed equally
| | - Steven A Calle-Schuler
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Alexis Santana-Cruz
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Lucia Kmecova
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Neuroscience Program, Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota
- Contributed equally
| | - Jonathan M Blagburn
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Eric D Hoopfer
- Neuroscience Program, Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota
| | - Andrew M Seeds
- Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
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11
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Wang ZH, Zhao W, Combs CA, Zhang F, Knutson JR, Lilly MA, Xu H. Mechanical stimulation from the surrounding tissue activates mitochondrial energy metabolism in Drosophila differentiating germ cells. Dev Cell 2023; 58:2249-2260.e9. [PMID: 37647895 PMCID: PMC10843713 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
In multicellular lives, the differentiation of stem cells and progenitor cells is often accompanied by a transition from glycolysis to mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). However, the underlying mechanism of this metabolic transition remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigate the role of mechanical stress in activating OXPHOS during differentiation of the female germline cyst in Drosophila. We demonstrate that the surrounding somatic cells flatten the 16-cell differentiating cyst, resulting in an increase of the membrane tension of germ cells inside the cyst. This mechanical stress is necessary to maintain cytosolic Ca2+ concentration in germ cells through a mechanically activated channel, transmembrane channel-like. The sustained cytosolic Ca2+ triggers a CaMKI-Fray-JNK signaling relay, leading to the transcriptional activation of OXPHOS in differentiating cysts. Our findings demonstrate a molecular link between cell mechanics and mitochondrial energy metabolism, with implications for other developmentally orchestrated metabolic transitions in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zong-Heng Wang
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Wenjing Zhao
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Christian A Combs
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Fan Zhang
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jay R Knutson
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Mary A Lilly
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Hong Xu
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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12
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Ruedenauer FA, Parreño MA, Grunwald Kadow IC, Spaethe J, Leonhardt SD. The ecology of nutrient sensation and perception in insects. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:994-1004. [PMID: 37328389 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Insects are equipped with neurological, physiological, and behavioral tools to locate potential food sources and assess their nutritional quality based on volatile and chemotactile cues. We summarize current knowledge on insect taste perception and the different modalities of reception and perception. We suggest that the neurophysiological mechanisms of reception and perception are closely linked to the species-specific ecology of different insects. Understanding these links consequently requires a multidisciplinary approach. We also highlight existing knowledge gaps, especially in terms of the exact ligands of receptors, and provide evidence for a perceptional hierarchy suggesting that insects have adapted their reception and perception to preferentially perceive nutrient stimuli that are important for their fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian A Ruedenauer
- Plant-Insect Interactions, Research Department Life Science Systems, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Freising, Germany.
| | - Maria Alejandra Parreño
- Plant-Insect Interactions, Research Department Life Science Systems, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Freising, Germany
| | - Ilona C Grunwald Kadow
- Institute of Physiology II, University of Bonn, University Clinic Bonn (UKB), Bonn, Germany
| | - Johannes Spaethe
- Department of Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sara D Leonhardt
- Plant-Insect Interactions, Research Department Life Science Systems, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Freising, Germany
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13
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Qush A, Al Khatib HA, Rachid H, Al-Tamimi H, Al-Eshaq A, Al-Adwi S, Yassine HM, Kamareddine L. Intake of caffeine containing sugar diet remodels gut microbiota and perturbs Drosophila melanogaster immunity and lifespan. Microbes Infect 2023; 25:105149. [PMID: 37169244 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2023.105149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The diet-microbiome-immunity axis is one among the many arms that draw up the "we are what we intake" proclamation. As such, studies on the effect of food and beverage intake on the gut environment and microbiome and on modulating immunological responses and the host's susceptibility to pathogens are on the rise. A typical accompaniment in different sustenance we consume on daily basis is the trimethylxanthine alkaloid caffeine. Being a chief component in our regular aliment, a better understanding of the effect of caffeine containing food and beverages on our gut-microbiome-immunity axis and henceforth on our health is much needed. In this study, we shed more light on the effect of oral consumption of caffeine supplemented sugar diet on the gut environment, specifically on the gut microbiota, innate immunity and host susceptibility to pathogens using the Drosophila melanogaster model organism. Our findings reveal that the oral intake of a dose-specific caffeine containing sucrose/agarose sugar diet causes a significant alteration within the fly gut milieu demarcated by microbial dysbiosis and an elevation in the production of reactive oxygen species and expression of immune-deficiency (Imd) pathway-dependent antimicrobial peptide genes. The oral intake of caffeine containing sucrose/agarose sugar diet also renders the flies more susceptible to bacterial infection and shortens their lifespan in both infection and non-infection settings. Our findings set forth additional insight into the potentiality of diet to alter the gut milieu and highlight the importance of dietary control on health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abeer Qush
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Hebah A Al Khatib
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar; Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Hajar Rachid
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Hend Al-Tamimi
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Alyaa Al-Eshaq
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Shaima Al-Adwi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Hadi M Yassine
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar; Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Layla Kamareddine
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar; Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
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14
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Clark S, Jeong H, Posert R, Goehring A, Gouaux E. Structure of C. elegans TMC-2 complex suggests roles of lipid-mediated subunit contacts in mechanosensory transduction. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.16.553618. [PMID: 37645790 PMCID: PMC10462014 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.16.553618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Mechanotransduction is the process by which a mechanical force, such as touch, is converted into an electrical signal. Transmembrane channel-like (TMC) proteins are an evolutionarily-conserved family of ion channels whose function has been linked to a variety of mechanosensory processes, including hearing and balance sensation in vertebrates and locomotion in Drosophila. The molecular features that tune homologous TMC ion channel complexes to diverse mechanical stimuli are unknown. Caenorhabditis elegans express two TMC homologs, TMC-1 and TMC-2, both of which are the likely pore-forming subunits of mechanosensitive ion channels but differ in their expression pattern and functional role in the worm. Here we present the single particle cryo-electron microscopy structure of the native TMC-2 complex isolated from C. elegans. The complex is composed of two copies each of the pore-forming TMC-2 subunit, the calcium and integrin binding protein CALM-1 and the transmembrane inner ear protein TMIE. Comparison of the TMC-2 complex to the recently published cryo-EM structure of the C. elegans TMC-1 complex reveals differences in subunit composition and highlights conserved protein-lipid interactions, as well as other structural features, that together suggest a mechanism for TMC-mediated mechanosensory transduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Clark
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
| | - Hanbin Jeong
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
| | - Rich Posert
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
| | - April Goehring
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
| | - Eric Gouaux
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
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15
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Song T, Qin W, Lai Z, Li H, Li D, Wang B, Deng W, Wang T, Wang L, Huang R. Dietary cysteine drives body fat loss via FMRFamide signaling in Drosophila and mouse. Cell Res 2023:10.1038/s41422-023-00800-8. [PMID: 37055592 DOI: 10.1038/s41422-023-00800-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Obesity imposes a global health threat and calls for safe and effective therapeutic options. Here, we found that protein-rich diet significantly reduced body fat storage in fruit flies, which was largely attributed to dietary cysteine intake. Mechanistically, dietary cysteine increased the production of a neuropeptide FMRFamide (FMRFa). Enhanced FMRFa activity simultaneously promoted energy expenditure and suppressed food intake through its cognate receptor (FMRFaR), both contributing to the fat loss effect. In the fat body, FMRFa signaling promoted lipolysis by increasing PKA and lipase activity. In sweet-sensing gustatory neurons, FMRFa signaling suppressed appetitive perception and hence food intake. We also demonstrated that dietary cysteine worked in a similar way in mice via neuropeptide FF (NPFF) signaling, a mammalian RFamide peptide. In addition, dietary cysteine or FMRFa/NPFF administration provided protective effect against metabolic stress in flies and mice without behavioral abnormalities. Therefore, our study reveals a novel target for the development of safe and effective therapies against obesity and related metabolic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Song
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Wusa Qin
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Zeliang Lai
- Center for Neurointelligence, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Haoyu Li
- Center for Neurointelligence, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Daihan Li
- Center for Neurointelligence, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Baojia Wang
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Wuquan Deng
- Department of Endocrinology and Nephrology, Chongqing University Central Hospital, Chongqing Emergency Medical Center, Chongqing, China
| | - Tingzhang Wang
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Liming Wang
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Rui Huang
- Center for Neurointelligence, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China.
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16
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Benton R, Dahanukar A. Chemosensory Coding in Drosophila Single Sensilla. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2023; 2023:107803-pdb.top. [PMID: 36446528 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.top107803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The chemical senses-smell and taste-detect and discriminate an enormous diversity of environmental stimuli and provide fascinating but challenging models to investigate how sensory cues are represented in the brain. Important stimulus-coding events occur in peripheral sensory neurons, which express specific combinations of chemosensory receptors with defined ligand-response profiles. These receptors convert ligand recognition into spatial and temporal patterns of neural activity that are transmitted to, and interpreted in, central brain regions. Drosophila melanogaster provides an attractive model to study chemosensory coding because it possesses relatively simple peripheral olfactory and gustatory systems that display many organizational parallels to those of vertebrates. Moreover, nearly all peripheral chemosensory neurons have been molecularly characterized and are accessible for physiological analysis, as they are exposed on the surface of sensory organs housed in specialized hairs called sensilla. Here, we briefly review anatomical, molecular, and physiological properties of adult Drosophila olfactory and gustatory systems and provide background to methods for electrophysiological recordings of ligand-evoked activity from different types of chemosensory sensilla.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Benton
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anupama Dahanukar
- Department of Molecular, Cell & Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA
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17
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Goodman MB, Haswell ES, Vásquez V. Mechanosensitive membrane proteins: Usual and unusual suspects in mediating mechanotransduction. J Gen Physiol 2023; 155:e202213248. [PMID: 36696153 PMCID: PMC9930137 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202213248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
This Viewpoint, which accompanies a Special Issue focusing on membrane mechanosensors, discusses unifying and unique features of both established and emerging mechanosensitive (MS) membrane proteins, their distribution across protein families and phyla, and current and future challenges in the study of these important proteins and their partners. MS membrane proteins are essential for tissue development, cellular motion, osmotic homeostasis, and sensing external and self-generated mechanical cues like those responsible for touch and proprioception. Though researchers' attention and this Viewpoint focus on a few famous ion channels that are considered the usual suspects as MS mechanosensors, we also discuss some of the more unusual suspects, such as G-protein coupled receptors. As the field continues to grow, so too will the list of proteins suspected to function as mechanosensors and the diversity of known MS membrane proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam B. Goodman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth S. Haswell
- Department of Biology, Center for Engineering Mechanobiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Valeria Vásquez
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
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18
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Mi T, Mack JO, Koolmees W, Lyon Q, Yochimowitz L, Teng ZQ, Jiang P, Montell C, Zhang YV. Alkaline taste sensation through the alkaliphile chloride channel in Drosophila. Nat Metab 2023; 5:466-480. [PMID: 36941450 PMCID: PMC10665042 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-023-00765-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
The sense of taste is an important sentinel governing what should or should not be ingested by an animal, with high pH sensation playing a critical role in food selection. Here we explore the molecular identities of taste receptors detecting the basic pH of food using Drosophila melanogaster as a model. We identify a chloride channel named alkaliphile (Alka), which is both necessary and sufficient for aversive taste responses to basic food. Alka forms a high-pH-gated chloride channel and is specifically expressed in a subset of gustatory receptor neurons (GRNs). Optogenetic activation of alka-expressing GRNs is sufficient to suppress attractive feeding responses to sucrose. Conversely, inactivation of these GRNs causes severe impairments in the aversion to high pH. Altogether, our discovery of Alka as an alkaline taste receptor lays the groundwork for future research on alkaline taste sensation in other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingwei Mi
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - John O Mack
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Quinn Lyon
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Zhao-Qian Teng
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Peihua Jiang
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Craig Montell
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Yali V Zhang
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Physiology, The Diabetes Research Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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19
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Molecular sensors in the taste system of Drosophila. Genes Genomics 2023; 45:693-707. [PMID: 36828965 DOI: 10.1007/s13258-023-01370-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most animals, including humans and insects, consume foods based on their senses. Feeding is mostly regulated by taste and smell. Recent insect studies shed insight into the cross-talk between taste and smell, sweetness and temperature, sweetness and texture, and other sensory modality pairings. Five canonical tastes include sweet, umami, bitter, salty, and sour. Furthermore, other receptors that mediate the detection of noncanonical sensory attributes encoded by taste stimuli, such as Ca2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, lipid, and carbonation, have been characterized. Deorphanizing receptors and interactions among different modalities are expanding the taste field. METHODS Our study explores the taste system of Drosophila melanogaster and perception processing in insects to broaden the neuroscience of taste. Attractive and aversive taste cues and their chemoreceptors are categorized as tables. In addition, we summarize the recent progress in animal behavior as affected by the integration of multisensory information in relation to different gustatory receptor neuronal activations, olfaction, texture, and temperature. We mainly focus on peripheral responses and insect decision-making. CONCLUSION Drosophila is an excellent model animal to study the cellular and molecular mechanism of the taste system. Despite the divergence in the receptors to detect chemicals, taste research in the fruit fly can offer new insights into the many different taste sensors of animals and how to test the interaction among different sensory modalities.
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20
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Yu J, Guo X, Zheng S, Zhang W. A dedicate sensorimotor circuit enables fine texture discrimination by active touch. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010562. [PMID: 36649336 PMCID: PMC9882754 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Active touch facilitates environments exploration by voluntary, self-generated movements. However, the neural mechanisms underlying sensorimotor control for active touch are poorly understood. During foraging and feeding, Drosophila gather information on the properties of food (texture, hardness, taste) by constant probing with their proboscis. Here we identify a group of neurons (sd-L neurons) on the fly labellum that are mechanosensitive to labellum displacement and synapse onto the sugar-sensing neurons via axo-axonal synapses to induce preference to harder food. These neurons also feed onto the motor circuits that control proboscis extension and labellum spreading to provide on-line sensory feedback critical for controlling the probing processes, thus facilitating ingestion of less liquified food. Intriguingly, this preference was eliminated in mated female flies, reflecting an elevated need for softer food. Our results propose a sensorimotor circuit composed of mechanosensory, gustatory and motor neurons that enables the flies to select ripe yet not over-rotten food by active touch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Yu
- School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xuan Guo
- School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shen Zheng
- School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
- * E-mail:
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21
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Liao C, Amador GJ, Liu X, Wu Z, Wu J. Trichoid sensilla on honey bee proboscises as inspiration for micro-viscometers. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2022; 18:016012. [PMID: 36541491 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/aca577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Sensing physical properties of liquids, such as viscosity, is of great significance for both biological organisms and industrial applications. For terrestrial organisms feeding on liquids, such as honey bees that forage nectar, sensing viscosity may help to determine the quality of food sources. Previous experiments showed that honey bees exhibit strong preferences for less viscous nectar; however, the physical mechanism underlying how they perceive viscosity remains unexplored. In this study, we propose that the western honey bee (Apis melliferaL.) is capable of distinguishing viscosity using the slender trichoid sensilla emerging from a ball and socket-like joint on the proboscis. Observations of the trichoid sensilla using transmission electron microscopy reveal physical characteristics that are typical of mechanosensory structures. Additionally, we found that bees actively alter the rate at which they feed based on the liquid's viscosity and not its sugar content, hinting at their sensing of viscosity. Through mathematical modeling, we found that the sensitivity of the biological viscometer was determined by its length, and the optimal sensitivity for a western honey bee occurs when the tongue interacts with nectar with a viscosity of 4.2 mPa·s, coinciding with the viscosities typically found in the wild. Our findings broaden insights into how honey bees adapt to varying-viscosity nectar from the perspective of mechanical sensing, and how the bee-flower partnership may be based around the optimal nectar viscosity for feeding. By understanding how bees may sense viscosity at the micrometer scale, we may motivate new technologies for micro-viscometers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caiying Liao
- School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, People's Republic of China
| | - Guillermo J Amador
- Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, 6708 WD, The Netherlands
| | - Xuhan Liu
- School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhigang Wu
- School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianing Wu
- School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, People's Republic of China
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22
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Li Q, Yang L, Montell C. Drosophila proboscis extension response and GCaMP imaging for assaying food appeal based on grittiness. STAR Protoc 2022; 3:101806. [PMID: 36386873 PMCID: PMC9647644 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Fruit flies sense the features of food that are driven by particle size, including smoothness versus grittiness, by deflection of sensilla decorating the labellum, and md-L neurons. We describe adaptation of the Drosophila proboscis extension response assay, including steps to perform the taste tests and score behavioral responses, to determine preferences to foods with different sized particles. We also describe calcium imaging in GCaMP-expressing flies to assess the responses of md-L neurons to different levels of taste sensilla deflection. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Li and Montell. (2021). Behavioral assay to score a fly’s preference for smooth versus gritty food Precise indentation of the fly labellum to mimic taste hair deflection by gritty food Ca2+ imaging to assess responses of md-L neurons to deflection of taste hairs
Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics.
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23
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Wang W, Dweck HKM, Talross GJS, Zaidi A, Gendron JM, Carlson JR. Sugar sensation and mechanosensation in the egg-laying preference shift of Drosophila suzukii. eLife 2022; 11:e81703. [PMID: 36398882 PMCID: PMC9674340 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The agricultural pest Drosophila suzukii differs from most other Drosophila species in that it lays eggs in ripe, rather than overripe, fruit. Previously, we showed that changes in bitter taste sensation accompanied this adaptation (Dweck et al., 2021). Here, we show that D. suzukii has also undergone a variety of changes in sweet taste sensation. D. suzukii has a weaker preference than Drosophila melanogaster for laying eggs on substrates containing all three primary fruit sugars: sucrose, fructose, and glucose. Major subsets of D. suzukii taste sensilla have lost electrophysiological responses to sugars. Expression of several key sugar receptor genes is reduced in the taste organs of D. suzukii. By contrast, certain mechanosensory channel genes, including no mechanoreceptor potential C, are expressed at higher levels in the taste organs of D. suzukii, which has a higher preference for stiff substrates. Finally, we find that D. suzukii responds differently from D. melanogaster to combinations of sweet and mechanosensory cues. Thus, the two species differ in sweet sensation, mechanosensation, and their integration, which are all likely to contribute to the differences in their egg-laying preferences in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanyue Wang
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
| | - Hany KM Dweck
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
| | - Gaëlle JS Talross
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
| | - Ali Zaidi
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
| | - Joshua M Gendron
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
| | - John R Carlson
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
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24
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Vijayan V, Wang Z, Chandra V, Chakravorty A, Li R, Sarbanes SL, Akhlaghpour H, Maimon G. An internal expectation guides Drosophila egg-laying decisions. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn3852. [PMID: 36306348 PMCID: PMC9616500 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn3852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
To better understand how animals make ethologically relevant decisions, we studied egg-laying substrate choice in Drosophila. We found that flies dynamically increase or decrease their egg-laying rates while exploring substrates so as to target eggs to the best, recently visited option. Visiting the best option typically yielded inhibition of egg laying on other substrates for many minutes. Our data support a model in which flies compare the current substrate's value with an internally constructed expectation on the value of available options to regulate the likelihood of laying an egg. We show that dopamine neuron activity is critical for learning and/or expressing this expectation, similar to its role in certain tasks in vertebrates. Integrating sensory experiences over minutes to generate an estimate of the quality of available options allows flies to use a dynamic reference point for judging the current substrate and might be a general way in which decisions are made.
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25
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Liu C, Zhang W. Molecular basis of somatosensation in insects. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 76:102592. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.102592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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26
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Delmas P, Parpaite T, Coste B. PIEZO channels and newcomers in the mammalian mechanosensitive ion channel family. Neuron 2022; 110:2713-2727. [PMID: 35907398 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Many ion channels have been described as mechanosensitive according to various criteria. Most broadly defined, an ion channel is called mechanosensitive if its activity is controlled by application of a physical force. The last decade has witnessed a revolution in mechanosensory physiology at the molecular, cellular, and system levels, both in health and in diseases. Since the discovery of the PIEZO proteins as prototypical mechanosensitive channel, many proteins have been proposed to transduce mechanosensory information in mammals. However, few of these newly identified candidates have all the attributes of bona fide, pore-forming mechanosensitive ion channels. In this perspective, we will cover and discuss new data that have advanced our understanding of mechanosensation at the molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Delmas
- SomatoSens, Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience, Aix-Marseille University, CNRS UMR 7291, Marseilles, France.
| | - Thibaud Parpaite
- SomatoSens, Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience, Aix-Marseille University, CNRS UMR 7291, Marseilles, France
| | - Bertrand Coste
- SomatoSens, Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience, Aix-Marseille University, CNRS UMR 7291, Marseilles, France
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27
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Aktar T, Karci B, Citir Yucel H, Ergin F. Determining the relationship between food texture and dental condition: First bite and chewing aspects. Arch Oral Biol 2022; 141:105483. [PMID: 35759825 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2022.105483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Among the sensory properties of foods, texture perception is a complex modality due to catastrophic changes during eating. Relating dental conditions and capacity of texture sensation are still paucities in the literature. Different dental areas emphasize the difference in texture sensation. Anterior teeth are responsible for biting, ripping or tearing; while posterior teeth are chewing and grinding. Hence, the absence of any is expected to cause disruptions in mastication functions. The hypothesis of the present study was dental loss or missing is a burden for hardness perception for first-bite and twice chewed for anterior and posterior teeth, respectively. Patient groups were divided according to anterior-posterior tooth deficiencies and hardness sensation was assessed at first bite and twice chewed modal food (white cheese) with various hardness levels obtained with different fat content. The modal food was tested for its physicochemical, textural and sensory properties with dental assessment. Findings suggest that first-bite hardness judgements were not affected by the loss of the anterior. Oppositely, twice chewed hardness has a significant effect on the loss of a posterior tooth. These findings can indicate to future researchers to be tested according to their dental status especially if chewing is necessary for their sensory tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tugba Aktar
- Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Antalya, Turkey.
| | - Bilge Karci
- Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Antalya, Turkey
| | - Hande Citir Yucel
- Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Antalya, Turkey
| | - Firuze Ergin
- Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey
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28
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Neural signalling of gut mechanosensation in ingestive and digestive processes. Nat Rev Neurosci 2022; 23:135-156. [PMID: 34983992 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-021-00544-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Eating and drinking generate sequential mechanosensory signals along the digestive tract. These signals are communicated to the brain for the timely initiation and regulation of diverse ingestive and digestive processes - ranging from appetite control and tactile perception to gut motility, digestive fluid secretion and defecation - that are vital for the proper intake, breakdown and absorption of nutrients and water. Gut mechanosensation has been investigated for over a century as a common pillar of energy, fluid and gastrointestinal homeostasis, and recent discoveries of specific mechanoreceptors, contributing ion channels and the well-defined circuits underlying gut mechanosensation signalling and function have further expanded our understanding of ingestive and digestive processes at the molecular and cellular levels. In this Review, we discuss our current understanding of the generation of mechanosensory signals from the digestive periphery, the neural afferent pathways that relay these signals to the brain and the neural circuit mechanisms that control ingestive and digestive processes, focusing on the four major digestive tract parts: the oral and pharyngeal cavities, oesophagus, stomach and intestines. We also discuss the clinical implications of gut mechanosensation in ingestive and digestive disorders.
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29
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Yang T, Yuan Z, Liu C, Liu T, Zhang W. A neural circuit integrates pharyngeal sensation to control feeding. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109983. [PMID: 34758309 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Swallowing is an essential step of eating and drinking. However, how the quality of a food bolus is sensed by pharyngeal neurons is largely unknown. Here we find that mechanical receptors along the Drosophila pharynx are required for control of meal size, especially for food of high viscosity. The mechanical force exerted by the bolus passing across the pharynx is detected by neurons expressing the mechanotransduction channel NOMPC (no mechanoreceptor potential C) and is relayed, together with gustatory information, to IN1 neurons in the subesophageal zone (SEZ) of the brain. IN1 (ingestion neurons) neurons act directly upstream of a group of peptidergic neurons that encode satiety. Prolonged activation of IN1 neurons suppresses feeding. IN1 neurons receive inhibition from DSOG1 (descending subesophageal neurons) neurons, a group of GABAergic neurons that non-selectively suppress feeding. Our results reveal the function of pharyngeal mechanoreceptors and their downstream neural circuits in the control of food ingestion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Zixuan Yuan
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Chenxi Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ting Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China.
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30
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Chen Z, Zhu S, Kindig K, Wang S, Chou SW, Davis RW, Dercoli MR, Weaver H, Stepanyan R, McDermott BM. Tmc proteins are essential for zebrafish hearing where Tmc1 is not obligatory. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 29:2004-2021. [PMID: 32167554 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Perception of sound is initiated by mechanically gated ion channels at the tips of stereocilia. Mature mammalian auditory hair cells require transmembrane channel-like 1 (TMC1) for mechanotransduction, and mutations of the cognate genetic sequences result in dominant or recessive heritable deafness forms in humans and mice. In contrast, zebrafish lateral line hair cells, which detect water motion, require Tmc2a and Tmc2b. Here, we use standard and multiplex genome editing in conjunction with functional and behavioral assays to determine the reliance of zebrafish hearing and vestibular organs on Tmc proteins. Surprisingly, our approach using multiple mutant alleles demonstrates that hearing in zebrafish is not dependent on Tmc1, nor is it fully dependent on Tmc2a and Tmc2b. Hearing however is absent in triple-mutant zebrafish that lack Tmc1, Tmc2a and Tmc2b. These outcomes reveal a striking resemblance of Tmc protein reliance in the vestibular sensory epithelia of mammals to the maculae of zebrafish. Moreover, our findings disclose a logic of Tmc use where hearing depends on a complement of Tmc proteins beyond those employed to sense water motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongwei Chen
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Shaoyuan Zhu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Kayla Kindig
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Shengxuan Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Shih-Wei Chou
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Robin Woods Davis
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Michael R Dercoli
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Hannah Weaver
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Ruben Stepanyan
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Brian M McDermott
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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31
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Montell C. Drosophila sensory receptors-a set of molecular Swiss Army Knives. Genetics 2021; 217:1-34. [PMID: 33683373 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyaa011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic approaches in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, have led to a major triumph in the field of sensory biology-the discovery of multiple large families of sensory receptors and channels. Some of these families, such as transient receptor potential channels, are conserved from animals ranging from worms to humans, while others, such as "gustatory receptors," "olfactory receptors," and "ionotropic receptors," are restricted to invertebrates. Prior to the identification of sensory receptors in flies, it was widely assumed that these proteins function in just one modality such as vision, smell, taste, hearing, and somatosensation, which includes thermosensation, light, and noxious mechanical touch. By employing a vast combination of genetic, behavioral, electrophysiological, and other approaches in flies, a major concept to emerge is that many sensory receptors are multitaskers. The earliest example of this idea was the discovery that individual transient receptor potential channels function in multiple senses. It is now clear that multitasking is exhibited by other large receptor families including gustatory receptors, ionotropic receptors, epithelial Na+ channels (also referred to as Pickpockets), and even opsins, which were formerly thought to function exclusively as light sensors. Genetic characterizations of these Drosophila receptors and the neurons that express them also reveal the mechanisms through which flies can accurately differentiate between different stimuli even when they activate the same receptor, as well as mechanisms of adaptation, amplification, and sensory integration. The insights gleaned from studies in flies have been highly influential in directing investigations in many other animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig Montell
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, The Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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32
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Mi T, Mack JO, Lee CM, Zhang YV. Molecular and cellular basis of acid taste sensation in Drosophila. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3730. [PMID: 34140480 PMCID: PMC8211824 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23490-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Acid taste, evoked mainly by protons (H+), is a core taste modality for many organisms. The hedonic valence of acid taste is bidirectional: animals prefer slightly but avoid highly acidic foods. However, how animals discriminate low from high acidity remains poorly understood. To explore the taste perception of acid, we use the fruit fly as a model organism. We find that flies employ two competing taste sensory pathways to detect low and high acidity, and the relative degree of activation of each determines either attractive or aversive responses. Moreover, we establish one member of the fly Otopetrin family, Otopetrin-like a (OtopLa), as a proton channel dedicated to the gustatory detection of acid. OtopLa defines a unique subset of gustatory receptor neurons and is selectively required for attractive rather than aversive taste responses. Loss of otopla causes flies to reject normally attractive low-acid foods. Therefore, the identification of OtopLa as a low-acid sensor firmly supports our competition model of acid taste sensation. Altogether, we have discovered a binary acid-sensing mechanism that may be evolutionarily conserved between insects and mammals. Many animals, including mammals and insects, like slightly acidic yet dislike highly acidic foods, but how animals discriminate low from high acidity is unclear. Here the authors demonstrate that the fruit fly uses an evolutionarily conserved taste receptor to distinguish low from high concentrations of acid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingwei Mi
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - John O Mack
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Christopher M Lee
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yali V Zhang
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA. .,Department of Physiology, The Diabetes Research Center, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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33
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Liu S, Wang S, Zou L, Xiong W. Mechanisms in cochlear hair cell mechano-electrical transduction for acquisition of sound frequency and intensity. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:5083-5094. [PMID: 33871677 PMCID: PMC11072359 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03840-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Sound signals are acquired and digitized in the cochlea by the hair cells that further transmit the coded information to the central auditory pathways. Any defect in hair cell function may induce problems in the auditory system and hearing-based brain function. In the past 2 decades, our understanding of auditory transduction has been substantially deepened because of advances in molecular, structural, and functional studies. Results from these experiments can be perfectly embedded in the previously established profile from anatomical, histological, genetic, and biophysical research. This review aims to summarize the progress on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of the mechano-electrical transduction (MET) channel in the cochlear hair cells, which is involved in the acquisition of sound frequency and intensity-the two major parameters of an acoustic cue. We also discuss recent studies on TMC1, the molecule likely to form the MET channel pore.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 1 Qinghuayuan, Beijing, 100084, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua University, Tsinghua University, 1 Qinghuayuan, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Shufeng Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 1 Qinghuayuan, Beijing, 100084, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua University, Tsinghua University, 1 Qinghuayuan, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Linzhi Zou
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 1 Qinghuayuan, Beijing, 100084, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua University, Tsinghua University, 1 Qinghuayuan, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Wei Xiong
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 1 Qinghuayuan, Beijing, 100084, China.
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua University, Tsinghua University, 1 Qinghuayuan, Beijing, 100084, China.
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34
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Durkin SM, Chakraborty M, Abrieux A, Lewald KM, Gadau A, Svetec N, Peng J, Kopyto M, Langer CB, Chiu JC, Emerson JJ, Zhao L. Behavioral and Genomic Sensory Adaptations Underlying the Pest Activity of Drosophila suzukii. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:2532-2546. [PMID: 33586767 PMCID: PMC8136512 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying how novel phenotypes originate and evolve is fundamental to the field of evolutionary biology as it allows us to understand how organismal diversity is generated and maintained. However, determining the basis of novel phenotypes is challenging as it involves orchestrated changes at multiple biological levels. Here, we aim to overcome this challenge by using a comparative species framework combining behavioral, gene expression, and genomic analyses to understand the evolutionary novel egg-laying substrate-choice behavior of the invasive pest species Drosophila suzukii. First, we used egg-laying behavioral assays to understand the evolution of ripe fruit oviposition preference in D. suzukii compared with closely related species D. subpulchrella and D. biarmipes as well as D. melanogaster. We show that D. subpulchrella and D. biarmipes lay eggs on both ripe and rotten fruits, suggesting that the transition to ripe fruit preference was gradual. Second, using two-choice oviposition assays, we studied how D. suzukii, D. subpulchrella, D. biarmipes, and D. melanogaster differentially process key sensory cues distinguishing ripe from rotten fruit during egg-laying. We found that D. suzukii's preference for ripe fruit is in part mediated through a species-specific preference for stiff substrates. Last, we sequenced and annotated a high-quality genome for D. subpulchrella. Using comparative genomic approaches, we identified candidate genes involved in D. suzukii's ability to seek out and target ripe fruits. Our results provide detail to the stepwise evolution of pest activity in D. suzukii, indicating important cues used by this species when finding a host, and the molecular mechanisms potentially underlying their adaptation to a new ecological niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia M Durkin
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology and Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Mahul Chakraborty
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Antoine Abrieux
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Kyle M Lewald
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Alice Gadau
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nicolas Svetec
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Junhui Peng
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Miriam Kopyto
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christopher B Langer
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joanna C Chiu
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - J J Emerson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Li Zhao
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
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35
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Yapici N. Mechanosensation: Too Hard or Too Soft? Curr Biol 2021; 30:R936-R939. [PMID: 32810453 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.06.082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Maternal decisions, such as where to build a nest or where to lay your eggs, are critical for the offspring's fitness and survival in any species. A new study in Drosophila now reveals that distinct classes of mechanosensory receptors and neurons fine tune the physical assessment of an oviposition site and determine where the female fly lays her eggs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilay Yapici
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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36
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Stensmyr MC. Neuroscience: Flies and grits. Curr Biol 2021; 31:R442-R443. [PMID: 33974871 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Food texture affects palatability. A new study finds that the common dew fly Drosophila melanogaster is also choosy when it comes to food texture. Flies evaluate size and presence of food particles through neurons in the tongue that express the mechanically activated channel protein TMEM63.
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37
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Li Q, Montell C. Mechanism for food texture preference based on grittiness. Curr Biol 2021; 31:1850-1861.e6. [PMID: 33657409 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
An animal's decision to accept or reject a prospective food is based only, in part, on its chemical composition. Palatability is also greatly influenced by textural features including smoothness versus grittiness, which is influenced by particle sizes. Here, we demonstrate that Drosophila melanogaster is endowed with the ability to discriminate particle sizes in food and uses this information to decide whether a food is appealing. The decision depends on a mechanically activated channel, OSCA/TMEM63, which is conserved from plants to humans. We found that tmem63 is expressed in a multidendritic neuron (md-L) in the fly tongue. Loss of tmem63 impairs the activation of md-L by mechanical stimuli and the ability to choose food based on particle size. These findings reveal the first role for this evolutionarily conserved, mechanically activated TMEM63 channel in an animal and provide an explanation of how flies can sense and behaviorally respond to the texture of food provided by particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaoran Li
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Craig Montell
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.
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38
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Abstract
Sound-induced mechanical stimuli are detected by elaborate mechanosensory transduction (MT) machinery in highly specialized hair cells of the inner ear. Genetic studies of inherited deafness in the past decades have uncovered several molecular constituents of the MT complex, and intense debate has surrounded the molecular identity of the pore-forming subunits. How the MT components function in concert in response to physical stimulation is not fully understood. In this review, we summarize and discuss multiple lines of evidence supporting the hypothesis that transmembrane channel-like 1 is a long-sought MT channel subunit. We also review specific roles of other components of the MT complex, including protocadherin 15, cadherin 23, lipoma HMGIC fusion partner-like 5, transmembrane inner ear, calcium and integrin-binding family member 2, and ankyrins. Based on these recent advances, we propose a unifying theory of hair cell MT that may reconcile most of the functional discoveries obtained to date. Finally, we discuss key questions that need to be addressed for a comprehensive understanding of hair cell MT at molecular and atomic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang Zheng
- Departments of Otolaryngology and Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA;
| | - Jeffrey R Holt
- Departments of Otolaryngology and Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA;
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39
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Derby CD. The Crustacean Antennule: A Complex Organ Adapted for Lifelong Function in Diverse Environments and Lifestyles. THE BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2021; 240:67-81. [PMID: 33939945 DOI: 10.1086/713537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
AbstractThe crustacean first antenna, or antennule, has been an experimental model for studying sensory biology for over 150 years. Investigations have led to a clearer understanding of the functional organization of the antennule as an olfactory organ but also to a realization that the antennule is much more than that. Across the Crustacea, the antennules take on many forms and functions. As an example, the antennule of reptantian decapods has many types of sensilla, each with distinct structure and function and with hundreds of thousands of chemosensory neurons expressing hundreds of genes that code for diverse classes of receptor proteins. Together, these antennular sensilla represent multiple chemosensory pathways, each with its own central connections and functions. The antennule also has a diversity of sensors of mechanical stimuli, including vibrations, touch, water flow, and the animal's own movements. The antennule likely also detects other environmental cues, such as temperature, oxygen, pH, salinity, and noxious stimuli. Furthermore, the antennule is a motor organ-it is flicked to temporally and spatially sample the animal's chemo-mechanical surroundings-and this information is used in resolving the structure of chemical plumes and locating the odor source. The antennule is also adapted to maintain lifelong function in a changing environment. For example, it has specific secretory glands, grooming structures, and behaviors to stay clean and functional. Antennular sensilla and the annuli on which they reside are also added and replaced, leading to a complete turnover of the antennule over several molts. Thus, the antennule is a complex and dynamic sensory-motor integrator that is intricately engaged in most aspects of the lives of crustaceans.
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40
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Min S, Oh Y, Verma P, Whitehead SC, Yapici N, Van Vactor D, Suh GS, Liberles S. Control of feeding by Piezo-mediated gut mechanosensation in Drosophila. eLife 2021; 10:63049. [PMID: 33599608 PMCID: PMC7920550 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Across animal species, meals are terminated after ingestion of large food volumes, yet underlying mechanosensory receptors have so far remained elusive. Here, we identify an essential role for Drosophila Piezo in volume-based control of meal size. We discover a rare population of fly neurons that express Piezo, innervate the anterior gut and crop (a food reservoir organ), and respond to tissue distension in a Piezo-dependent manner. Activating Piezo neurons decreases appetite, while Piezo knockout and Piezo neuron silencing cause gut bloating and increase both food consumption and body weight. These studies reveal that disrupting gut distension receptors changes feeding patterns and identify a key role for Drosophila Piezo in internal organ mechanosensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soohong Min
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Department of Cell Biology, Boston, United States
| | - Yangkyun Oh
- Skirball Institute, NYU School of Medicine, New York, United States
| | - Pushpa Verma
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Cell Biology, Boston, United States
| | | | - Nilay Yapici
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, United States
| | - David Van Vactor
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Cell Biology, Boston, United States
| | - Greg Sb Suh
- Skirball Institute, NYU School of Medicine, New York, United States.,KAIST, Department of Biological Sciences, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Stephen Liberles
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Department of Cell Biology, Boston, United States
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Abstract
The integration of two or more distinct sensory cues can help animals make more informed decisions about potential food sources, but little is known about how feeding-related multimodal sensory integration happens at the cellular and molecular levels. Here, we show that multimodal sensory integration contributes to a stereotyped feeding behavior in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster Simultaneous olfactory and mechanosensory inputs significantly influence a taste-evoked feeding behavior called the proboscis extension reflex (PER). Olfactory and mechanical information are mediated by antennal Or35a neurons and leg hair plate mechanosensory neurons, respectively. We show that the controlled delivery of three different sensory cues can produce a supra-additive PER via the concurrent stimulation of olfactory, taste, and mechanosensory inputs. We suggest that the fruit fly is a versatile model system to study multisensory integration related to feeding, which also likely exists in vertebrates.
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Mack JO, Zhang YV. A Rapid Food-Preference Assay in Drosophila. JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS : JOVE 2021:10.3791/62051. [PMID: 33645577 PMCID: PMC9908510 DOI: 10.3791/62051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
To select food with nutritional value while avoiding the consumption of harmful agents, animals need a sophisticated and robust taste system to evaluate their food environment. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is a genetically tractable model organism that is widely used to decipher the molecular, cellular, and neural underpinnings of food preference. To analyze fly food preference, a robust feeding method is needed. Described here is a two-choice feeding assay, which is rigorous, cost-saving, and fast. The assay is Petri-dish-based and involves the addition of two different foods supplemented with blue or red dye to the two halves of the dish. Then, ~70 prestarved, 2-4-day-old flies are placed in the dish and allowed to choose between blue and red foods in the dark for about 90 min. Examination of the abdomen of each fly is followed by the calculation of the preference index. In contrast to multiwell plates, each Petri dish takes only ~20 s to fill and saves time and effort. This feeding assay can be employed to quickly determine whether flies like or dislike a particular food.
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Affiliation(s)
- John O. Mack
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
| | - Yali V. Zhang
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine,Department of Physiology, The Diabetes Research Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
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Abstract
Mechanosensing is a key feature through which organisms can receive inputs from the environment and convert them into specific functional and behavioral outputs. Mechanosensation occurs in many cells and tissues, regulating a plethora of molecular processes based on the distribution of forces and stresses both at the cell membrane and at the intracellular organelles levels, through complex interactions between cells’ microstructures, cytoskeleton, and extracellular matrix. Although several primary and secondary mechanisms have been shown to contribute to mechanosensation, a fundamental pathway in simple organisms and mammals involves the presence of specialized sensory neurons and the presence of different types of mechanosensitive ion channels on the neuronal cell membrane. In this contribution, we present a review of the main ion channels which have been proven to be significantly involved in mechanotransduction in neurons. Further, we discuss recent studies focused on the biological mechanisms and modeling of mechanosensitive ion channels’ gating, and on mechanotransduction modeling at different scales and levels of details.
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Li S, Yan Z. Mechanotransduction Ion Channels in Hearing and Touch. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1349:371-385. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-16-4254-8_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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45
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Hehlert P, Zhang W, Göpfert MC. Drosophila Mechanosensory Transduction. Trends Neurosci 2020; 44:323-335. [PMID: 33257000 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2020.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Mechanosensation in Drosophila relies on sensory neurons transducing mechanical stimuli into ionic currents. The molecular mechanisms of this transduction are in the process of being revealed. Transduction relies on mechanogated ion channels that are activated by membrane stretch or the tension of force-conveying tethers. NOMPC (no-mechanoreceptor potential C) and DmPiezo were put forward as bona fide mechanoelectrical transduction (MET) channels, providing insights into MET channel architecture and the structural basis of mechanogating. Various additional channels were implicated in Drosophila mechanosensory neuron functions, and parallels between fly and vertebrate mechanotransduction were delineated. Collectively, these advances put forward Drosophila mechanosensory neurons as cellular paradigms for mechanotransduction and mechanogated ion channel function in the context of proprio- and nociception as well as the detection of substrate vibrations, touch, gravity, and sound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Hehlert
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, University of Göttingen, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China; Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, 100084, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Martin C Göpfert
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, University of Göttingen, Julia-Lermontowa-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Collaborative Research Center 889, University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany; Multiscale Bioimaging Cluster of Excellence (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
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46
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Andablo-Reyes E, Bryant M, Neville A, Hyde P, Sarkar R, Francis M, Sarkar A. 3D Biomimetic Tongue-Emulating Surfaces for Tribological Applications. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:49371-49385. [PMID: 33105986 PMCID: PMC7645869 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c12925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Oral friction on the tongue surface plays a pivotal role in mechanics of food transport, speech, sensing, and hedonic responses. The highly specialized biophysical features of the human tongue such as micropapillae-dense topology, optimum wettability, and deformability present architectural challenges in designing artificial tongue surfaces, and the absence of such a biomimetic surface impedes the fundamental understanding of tongue-food/fluid interaction. Herein, we fabricate for the first time, a 3D soft biomimetic surface that replicates the topography and wettability of a real human tongue. The 3D-printed fabrication contains a Poisson point process-based (random) papillae distribution and is employed to micromold soft silicone surfaces with wettability modifications. We demonstrate the unprecedented capability of these surfaces to replicate the theoretically defined and simulated collision probability of papillae and to closely resemble the tribological performances of human tongue masks. These de novo biomimetic surfaces pave the way for accurate quantification of mechanical interactions in the soft oral mucosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Efren Andablo-Reyes
- Food
Colloids and Bioprocessing Group, School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Bryant
- Institute
of Functional Surfaces, School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Anne Neville
- Institute
of Functional Surfaces, School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Hyde
- School
of Dentistry, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Rik Sarkar
- School
of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AB, United Kingdom
| | - Mathew Francis
- Food
Colloids and Bioprocessing Group, School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Anwesha Sarkar
- Food
Colloids and Bioprocessing Group, School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
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Jia YL, Zhang YJ, Guo D, Li CY, Ma JY, Gao CF, Wu SF. A Mechanosensory Receptor TMC Regulates Ovary Development in the Brown Planthopper Nilaparvata lugens. Front Genet 2020; 11:573603. [PMID: 33193678 PMCID: PMC7649262 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.573603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmembrane channel-like (TMC) genes encode a family of evolutionarily conserved membrane proteins. Mutations in the TMC1 and TMC2 cause deafness in humans and mice. However, their functions in insects are is still not well known. Here we cloned three tmc genes, Nltmc3, Nltmc5, and Nltmc7 from brown planthoppers. The predicted amino acid sequences showed high identity with other species homologs and have the characteristic eight or nine transmembrane domains and TMC domain architecture. We detected these three genes in all developmental stages and examined tissues. Interestingly, we found Nltmc3 was highly expressed in the female reproductive organ especially in the oviduct. RNAi-mediated silencing of Nltmc3 substantially decreased the egg-laying number and impaired ovary development. Our results indicate that Nltmc3 has an essential role in the ovary development of brown planthoppers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Long Jia
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, State and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Green Pesticide Invention and Application, Nanjing, China
| | - Yi-Jie Zhang
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, State and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Green Pesticide Invention and Application, Nanjing, China
| | - Di Guo
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, State and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Green Pesticide Invention and Application, Nanjing, China
| | - Chen-Yu Li
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, State and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Green Pesticide Invention and Application, Nanjing, China
| | - Jun-Yu Ma
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, State and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Green Pesticide Invention and Application, Nanjing, China
| | - Cong-Fen Gao
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, State and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Green Pesticide Invention and Application, Nanjing, China
| | - Shun-Fan Wu
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, State and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Green Pesticide Invention and Application, Nanjing, China
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Wang P, Jia Y, Liu T, Jan YN, Zhang W. Visceral Mechano-sensing Neurons Control Drosophila Feeding by Using Piezo as a Sensor. Neuron 2020; 108:640-650.e4. [PMID: 32910893 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Animal feeding is controlled by external sensory cues and internal metabolic states. Does it also depend on enteric neurons that sense mechanical cues to signal fullness of the digestive tract? Here, we identify a group of piezo-expressing neurons innervating the Drosophila crop (the fly equivalent of the stomach) that monitor crop volume to avoid food overconsumption. These neurons reside in the pars intercerebralis (PI), a neuro-secretory center in the brain involved in homeostatic control, and express insulin-like peptides with well-established roles in regulating food intake and metabolism. Piezo knockdown in these neurons of wild-type flies phenocopies the food overconsumption phenotype of piezo-null mutant flies. Conversely, expression of either fly Piezo or mammalian Piezo1 in these neurons of piezo-null mutants suppresses the overconsumption phenotype. Importantly, Piezo+ neurons at the PI are activated directly by crop distension, thus conveying a rapid satiety signal along the "brain-gut axis" to control feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pingping Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yinjun Jia
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Ting Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yuh-Nung Jan
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Departments of Physiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
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49
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Ng R, Wu ST, Su CY. Neuronal Compartmentalization: A Means to Integrate Sensory Input at the Earliest Stage of Information Processing? Bioessays 2020; 42:e2000026. [PMID: 32613656 PMCID: PMC7864560 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
In numerous peripheral sense organs, external stimuli are detected by primary sensory neurons compartmentalized within specialized structures composed of cuticular or epithelial tissue. Beyond reflecting developmental constraints, such compartmentalization also provides opportunities for grouped neurons to functionally interact. Here, the authors review and illustrate the prevalence of these structural units, describe characteristics of compartmentalized neurons, and consider possible interactions between these cells. This article discusses instances of neuronal crosstalk, examples of which are observed in the vertebrate tastebuds and multiple types of arthropod chemosensory hairs. Particular attention is paid to insect olfaction, which presents especially well-characterized mechanisms of functional, cross-neuronal interactions. These examples highlight the potential impact of peripheral processing, which likely contributes more to signal integration than previously considered. In surveying a wide variety of structural units, it is hoped that this article will stimulate future research that determines whether grouped neurons in other sensory systems can also communicate to impact information processing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Chih-Ying Su
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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50
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Zhang L, Yu J, Guo X, Wei J, Liu T, Zhang W. Parallel Mechanosensory Pathways Direct Oviposition Decision-Making in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2020; 30:3075-3088.e4. [PMID: 32649914 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.05.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Female Drosophila choose their sites for oviposition with deliberation. Female flies employ sensitive chemosensory systems to evaluate chemical cues for egg-laying substrates, but how they determine the physical quality of an oviposition patch remains largely unexplored. Here we report that flies evaluate the stiffness of the substrate surface using sensory structures on their appendages. The TRPV family channel Nanchung is required for the detection of all stiffness ranges tested, whereas two other proteins, Inactive and DmPiezo, interact with Nanchung to sense certain spectral ranges of substrate stiffness differences. Furthermore, Tmc is critical for sensing subtle differences in substrate stiffness. The Tmc channel is expressed in distinct patterns on the labellum and legs and the mechanosensory inputs coordinate to direct the final decision making for egg laying. Our study thus reveals the machinery for deliberate egg-laying decision making in fruit flies to ensure optimal survival for their offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Jie Yu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xuan Guo
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jianhuan Wei
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ting Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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