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Prelic S, Keesey IW, Lavista-Llanos S, Hansson BS, Wicher D. Innexin expression and localization in the Drosophila antenna indicate gap junction or hemichannel involvement in antennal chemosensory sensilla. Cell Tissue Res 2024; 398:35-62. [PMID: 39174822 PMCID: PMC11424723 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-024-03909-3] [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: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
Odor detection in insects is largely mediated by structures on antennae called sensilla, which feature a strongly conserved architecture and repertoire of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) and various support cell types. In Drosophila, OSNs are tightly apposed to supporting cells, whose connection with neurons and functional roles in odor detection remain unclear. Coupling mechanisms between these neuronal and non-neuronal cell types have been suggested based on morphological observations, concomitant physiological activity during odor stimulation, and known interactions that occur in other chemosensory systems. For instance, it is not known whether cell-cell coupling via gap junctions between OSNs and neighboring cells exists, or whether hemichannels interconnect cellular and extracellular sensillum compartments. Here, we show that innexins, which form hemichannels and gap junctions in invertebrates, are abundantly expressed in adult drosophilid antennae. By surveying antennal transcriptomes and performing various immunohistochemical stainings in antennal tissues, we discover innexin-specific patterns of expression and localization, with a majority of innexins strongly localizing to glial and non-neuronal cells, likely support and epithelial cells. Finally, by injecting gap junction-permeable dye into a pre-identified sensillum, we observe no dye coupling between neuronal and non-neuronal cells. Together with evidence of non-neuronal innexin localization, we conclude that innexins likely do not conjoin neurons to support cells, but that junctions and hemichannels may instead couple support cells among each other or to their shared sensillum lymph to achieve synchronous activity. We discuss how coupling of sensillum microenvironments or compartments may potentially contribute to facilitate chemosensory functions of odor sensing and sensillum homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinisa Prelic
- Dept. Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Ian W Keesey
- Dept. Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Sofia Lavista-Llanos
- Dept. Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Bill S Hansson
- Dept. Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Dieter Wicher
- Dept. Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.
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2
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Takagi S, Sancer G, Abuin L, Stupski SD, Roman Arguello J, Prieto-Godino LL, Stern DL, Cruchet S, Álvarez-Ocaña R, Wienecke CFR, van Breugel F, Jeanne JM, Auer TO, Benton R. Olfactory sensory neuron population expansions influence projection neuron adaptation and enhance odour tracking. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7041. [PMID: 39147786 PMCID: PMC11327376 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50808-w] [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: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The evolutionary expansion of sensory neuron populations detecting important environmental cues is widespread, but functionally enigmatic. We investigated this phenomenon through comparison of homologous olfactory pathways of Drosophila melanogaster and its close relative Drosophila sechellia, an extreme specialist for Morinda citrifolia noni fruit. D. sechellia has evolved species-specific expansions in select, noni-detecting olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) populations, through multigenic changes. Activation and inhibition of defined proportions of neurons demonstrate that OSN number increases contribute to stronger, more persistent, noni-odour tracking behaviour. These expansions result in increased synaptic connections of sensory neurons with their projection neuron (PN) partners, which are conserved in number between species. Surprisingly, having more OSNs does not lead to greater odour-evoked PN sensitivity or reliability. Rather, pathways with increased sensory pooling exhibit reduced PN adaptation, likely through weakened lateral inhibition. Our work reveals an unexpected functional impact of sensory neuron population expansions to explain ecologically-relevant, species-specific behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suguru Takagi
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Gizem Sancer
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Liliane Abuin
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - S David Stupski
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | - J Roman Arguello
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Lucia L Prieto-Godino
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - David L Stern
- Janelia Research Campus of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Steeve Cruchet
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Raquel Álvarez-Ocaña
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Carl F R Wienecke
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Floris van Breugel
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | - James M Jeanne
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Thomas O Auer
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.
| | - Richard Benton
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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3
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Ellis KE, Bervoets S, Smihula H, Ganguly I, Vigato E, Auer TO, Benton R, Litwin-Kumar A, Caron SJC. Evolution of connectivity architecture in the Drosophila mushroom body. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4872. [PMID: 38849331 PMCID: PMC11161526 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48839-4] [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: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Brain evolution has primarily been studied at the macroscopic level by comparing the relative size of homologous brain centers between species. How neuronal circuits change at the cellular level over evolutionary time remains largely unanswered. Here, using a phylogenetically informed framework, we compare the olfactory circuits of three closely related Drosophila species that differ in their chemical ecology: the generalists Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila simulans and Drosophila sechellia that specializes on ripe noni fruit. We examine a central part of the olfactory circuit that, to our knowledge, has not been investigated in these species-the connections between projection neurons and the Kenyon cells of the mushroom body-and identify species-specific connectivity patterns. We found that neurons encoding food odors connect more frequently with Kenyon cells, giving rise to species-specific biases in connectivity. These species-specific connectivity differences reflect two distinct neuronal phenotypes: in the number of projection neurons or in the number of presynaptic boutons formed by individual projection neurons. Finally, behavioral analyses suggest that such increased connectivity enhances learning performance in an associative task. Our study shows how fine-grained aspects of connectivity architecture in an associative brain center can change during evolution to reflect the chemical ecology of a species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sven Bervoets
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Hayley Smihula
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Ishani Ganguly
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Eva Vigato
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Thomas O Auer
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Richard Benton
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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4
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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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5
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Talross GJS, Carlson JR. The rich non-coding RNA landscape of the Drosophila antenna. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112482. [PMID: 37167060 PMCID: PMC10431215 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112482] [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: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggests that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play diverse and critical roles in neural development, function, and disease. Here, we examine neuronal lncRNAs in a model system that offers enormous advantages for deciphering their functions: the Drosophila olfactory system. This system is numerically simple, its neurons are exquisitely well defined, and it drives multiple complex behaviors. We undertake a comprehensive survey of linear and circular lncRNAs in the Drosophila antenna and identify a wealth of lncRNAs enriched in it. We generate an unprecedented lncRNA-to-neuron map, which reveals that olfactory receptor neurons are defined not only by their receptors but also by the combination of lncRNAs they express. We identify species-specific lncRNAs, including many that are expressed primarily in pheromone-sensing neurons and that may act in modulation of pheromonal responses or in speciation. This resource opens many new opportunities for investigating the roles of lncRNAs in the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaëlle J S Talross
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - John R Carlson
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
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6
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Prelic S, Getahun MN, Kaltofen S, Hansson BS, Wicher D. Modulation of the NO-cGMP pathway has no effect on olfactory responses in the Drosophila antenna. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1180798. [PMID: 37305438 PMCID: PMC10248080 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1180798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Olfaction is a crucial sensory modality in insects and is underpinned by odor-sensitive sensory neurons expressing odorant receptors that function in the dendrites as odorant-gated ion channels. Along with expression, trafficking, and receptor complexing, the regulation of odorant receptor function is paramount to ensure the extraordinary sensory abilities of insects. However, the full extent of regulation of sensory neuron activity remains to be elucidated. For instance, our understanding of the intracellular effectors that mediate signaling pathways within antennal cells is incomplete within the context of olfaction in vivo. Here, with the use of optical and electrophysiological techniques in live antennal tissue, we investigate whether nitric oxide signaling occurs in the sensory periphery of Drosophila. To answer this, we first query antennal transcriptomic datasets to demonstrate the presence of nitric oxide signaling machinery in antennal tissue. Next, by applying various modulators of the NO-cGMP pathway in open antennal preparations, we show that olfactory responses are unaffected by a wide panel of NO-cGMP pathway inhibitors and activators over short and long timescales. We further examine the action of cAMP and cGMP, cyclic nucleotides previously linked to olfactory processes as intracellular potentiators of receptor functioning, and find that both long-term and short-term applications or microinjections of cGMP have no effect on olfactory responses in vivo as measured by calcium imaging and single sensillum recording. The absence of the effect of cGMP is shown in contrast to cAMP, which elicits increased responses when perfused shortly before olfactory responses in OSNs. Taken together, the apparent absence of nitric oxide signaling in olfactory neurons indicates that this gaseous messenger may play no role as a regulator of olfactory transduction in insects, though may play other physiological roles at the sensory periphery of the antenna.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinisa Prelic
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Merid N. Getahun
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Sabine Kaltofen
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Bill S. Hansson
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Dieter Wicher
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
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7
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Prelic S, Pal Mahadevan V, Venkateswaran V, Lavista-Llanos S, Hansson BS, Wicher D. Functional Interaction Between Drosophila Olfactory Sensory Neurons and Their Support Cells. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 15:789086. [PMID: 35069116 PMCID: PMC8777253 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.789086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Insects detect volatile chemicals using antennae, which house a vast variety of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) that innervate hair-like structures called sensilla where odor detection takes place. In addition to OSNs, the antenna also hosts various support cell types. These include the triad of trichogen, tormogen, and thecogen support cells that lie adjacent to their respective OSNs. The arrangement of OSN supporting cells occurs stereotypically for all sensilla and is widely conserved in evolution. While insect chemosensory neurons have received considerable attention, little is known about the functional significance of the cells that support them. For instance, it remains unknown whether support cells play an active role in odor detection, or only passively contribute to homeostasis, e.g., by maintaining sensillum lymph composition. To investigate the functional interaction between OSNs and support cells, we used optical and electrophysiological approaches in Drosophila. First, we characterized the distribution of various supporting cells using genetic markers. By means of an ex vivo antennal preparation and genetically-encoded Ca2+ and K+ indicators, we then studied the activation of these auxiliary cells during odor presentation in adult flies. We observed acute responses and distinct differences in Ca2+ and K+ fluxes between support cell types. Finally, we observed alterations in OSN responses upon thecogen cell ablation in mature adults. Upon inducible ablation of thecogen cells, we notice a gain in mechanical responsiveness to mechanical stimulations during single-sensillum recording, but a lack of change to the neuronal resting activity. Taken together, these results demonstrate that support cells play a more active and responsive role during odor processing than previously thought. Our observations thus reveal that support cells functionally interact with OSNs and may be important for the extraordinary ability of insect olfactory systems to dynamically and sensitively discriminate between odors in the turbulent sensory landscape of insect flight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinisa Prelic
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Venkatesh Pal Mahadevan
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Vignesh Venkateswaran
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Sofia Lavista-Llanos
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
- CIFASIS-CONICET Franco-Argentine International Center for Information and Systems Sciences—National Council for Scientific and Technical Research, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Bill S. Hansson
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Dieter Wicher
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
- *Correspondence: Dieter Wicher
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8
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Mika K, Benton R. Olfactory Receptor Gene Regulation in Insects: Multiple Mechanisms for Singular Expression. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:738088. [PMID: 34602974 PMCID: PMC8481607 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.738088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The singular expression of insect olfactory receptors in specific populations of olfactory sensory neurons is fundamental to the encoding of odors in patterns of neuronal activity in the brain. How a receptor gene is selected, from among a large repertoire in the genome, to be expressed in a particular neuron is an outstanding question. Focusing on Drosophila melanogaster, where most investigations have been performed, but incorporating recent insights from other insect species, we review the multilevel regulatory mechanisms of olfactory receptor expression. We discuss how cis-regulatory elements, trans-acting factors, chromatin modifications, and feedback pathways collaborate to activate and maintain expression of the chosen receptor (and to suppress others), highlighting similarities and differences with the mechanisms underlying singular receptor expression in mammals. We also consider the plasticity of receptor regulation in response to environmental cues and internal state during the lifetime of an individual, as well as the evolution of novel expression patterns over longer timescales. Finally, we describe the mechanisms and potential significance of examples of receptor co-expression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard Benton
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Mansourian S, Enjin A, Jirle EV, Ramesh V, Rehermann G, Becher PG, Pool JE, Stensmyr MC. Wild African Drosophila melanogaster Are Seasonal Specialists on Marula Fruit. Curr Biol 2018; 28:3960-3968.e3. [PMID: 30528579 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.10.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Revised: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Although the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster is arguably the most studied organism on the planet, fundamental aspects of this species' natural ecology have remained enigmatic [1]. We have here investigated a wild population of D. melanogaster from a mopane forest in Zimbabwe. We find that these flies are closely associated with marula fruit (Sclerocarya birrea) and propose that this seasonally abundant and predominantly Southern African fruit is a key ancestral host of D. melanogaster. Moreover, when fruiting, marula is nearly exclusively used by D. melanogaster, suggesting that these forest-dwelling D. melanogaster are seasonal specialists, in a similar manner to, e.g., Drosophila erecta on screw pine cones [2]. We further demonstrate that the main chemicals released by marula activate odorant receptors that mediate species-specific host choice (Or22a) [3, 4] and oviposition site selection (Or19a) [5]. The Or22a-expressing neurons-ab3A-respond strongly to the marula ester ethyl isovalerate, a volatile rarely encountered in high amounts in other fruit. We also show that Or22a differs among African populations sampled from a wide range of habitats, in line with a function associated with host fruit usage. Flies from Southern Africa, most of which carry a distinct allele at the Or22a/Or22b locus, have ab3A neurons that are more sensitive to ethyl isovalerate than, e.g., European flies. Finally, we discuss the possibility that marula, which is also a culturally and nutritionally important resource to humans, may have helped the transition to commensalism in D. melanogaster.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anders Enjin
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Erling V Jirle
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Vedika Ramesh
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | | | - Paul G Becher
- Chemical Ecology Group, SLU Alnarp, 230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
| | - John E Pool
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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10
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Barish S, Volkan PC. Preparing Developing Peripheral Olfactory Tissue for Molecular and Immunohistochemical Analysis in Drosophila. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 29985372 DOI: 10.3791/57716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The olfactory system of Drosophila is a widely used system in developmental neurobiology, systems neuroscience, as well as neurophysiology, behavior, and behavioral evolution. Drosophila olfactory tissues house the olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) that detect volatile chemical cues in addition to hydro- and thermo-sensory neurons. In this protocol, we describe the dissection of developing peripheral olfactory tissue of the adult Drosophila species. We first describe how to stage and age Drosophila larvae, followed by the dissection of the antennal disc from early pupal stages, followed by the dissection of the antennae from mid-pupal stages and adults. We also show methods where preparations can be utilized in molecular techniques, such as the RNA extraction for qRT-PCR, RNAseq, or immunohistochemistry. These methods can also be applied to other Drosophila species after species-specific pupal development times are determined, and respective stages are calculated for appropriate aging.
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