1
|
Chu LA, Tai CY, Chiang AS. Thirst-driven hygrosensory suppression promotes water seeking in Drosophila. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2404454121. [PMID: 39145936 PMCID: PMC11348324 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2404454121] [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: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Survival in animals relies on navigating environments aligned with physiological needs. In Drosophila melanogaster, antennal ionotropic receptors (IRs) sensing humidity changes govern hygrotaxis behavior. This study sheds light on the crucial role of IR8a neurons in the transition from high humidity avoidance to water-seeking behavior when the flies become thirsty. These neurons demonstrate a heightened calcium response toward high humidity stimuli in satiated flies and a reduced response in thirsty flies, modulated by fluctuating levels of the neuropeptide leucokinin, which monitors the internal water balance. Optogenetic activation of IR8a neurons in thirsty flies triggers an avoidance response similar to the moisture aversion in adequately hydrated flies. Furthermore, our study identifies IR40a neurons as associated with dry avoidance, while IR68a neurons are linked to moist attraction. The dynamic interplay among these neurons, each with opposing valences, establishes a preference for approximately 30% relative humidity in well-hydrated flies and facilitates water-seeking behavior in thirsty individuals. This research unveils the intricate interplay between sensory perception, neuronal plasticity, and internal states, providing valuable insights into the adaptive mechanisms governing hygrotaxis in Drosophila.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li-An Chu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinch30013, Taiwan
- Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu30013, Taiwan
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu30013, Taiwan
| | - Chu-Yi Tai
- Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu30013, Taiwan
| | - Ann-Shyn Chiang
- Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu30013, Taiwan
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu30013, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung40402, Taiwan
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung80780, Taiwan
- Institute of Molecular and Genomic Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli County35053, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Jiang X, Dimitriou E, Grabe V, Sun R, Chang H, Zhang Y, Gershenzon J, Rybak J, Hansson BS, Sachse S. Ring-shaped odor coding in the antennal lobe of migratory locusts. Cell 2024; 187:3973-3991.e24. [PMID: 38897195 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.05.036] [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: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
The representation of odors in the locust antennal lobe with its >2,000 glomeruli has long remained a perplexing puzzle. We employed the CRISPR-Cas9 system to generate transgenic locusts expressing the genetically encoded calcium indicator GCaMP in olfactory sensory neurons. Using two-photon functional imaging, we mapped the spatial activation patterns representing a wide range of ecologically relevant odors across all six developmental stages. Our findings reveal a functionally ring-shaped organization of the antennal lobe composed of specific glomerular clusters. This configuration establishes an odor-specific chemotopic representation by encoding different chemical classes and ecologically distinct odors in the form of glomerular rings. The ring-shaped glomerular arrangement, which we confirm by selective targeting of OR70a-expressing sensory neurons, occurs throughout development, and the odor-coding pattern within the glomerular population is consistent across developmental stages. Mechanistically, this unconventional spatial olfactory code reflects the locust-specific and multiplexed glomerular innervation pattern of the antennal lobe.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xingcong Jiang
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany; Research Group Olfactory Coding, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Eleftherios Dimitriou
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Veit Grabe
- Microscopic Service Group, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Ruo Sun
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Hetan Chang
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Yifu Zhang
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Jonathan Gershenzon
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Jürgen Rybak
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Bill S Hansson
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany.
| | - Silke Sachse
- Research Group Olfactory Coding, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hart T, Lopes LE, Frank DD, Kronauer DJC. Pheromone representation in the ant antennal lobe changes with age. Curr Biol 2024; 34:3233-3240.e4. [PMID: 38876103 PMCID: PMC11265976 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.05.031] [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: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
While the neural basis of age-related decline has been extensively studied,1,2,3 less is known about changes in neural function during the pre-senescent stages of adulthood. Adult neural plasticity is likely a key factor in social insect age polyethism, where individuals perform different tasks as they age and divide labor in an age-dependent manner.4,5,6,7,8,9 Primarily, workers transition from nursing to foraging tasks,5,10 become more aggressive, and more readily display alarm behavior11,12,13,14,15,16 as they get older. While it is unknown how these behavioral dynamics are neurally regulated, they could partially be generated by altered salience of behaviorally relevant stimuli.4,6,7 Here, we investigated how odor coding in the antennal lobe (AL) changes with age in the context of alarm pheromone communication in the clonal raider ant (Ooceraea biroi).17 Similar to other social insects,11,12,16 older ants responded more rapidly to alarm pheromones, the chemical signals for danger. Using whole-AL calcium imaging,18 we then mapped odor representations for five general odorants and two alarm pheromones in young and old ants. Alarm pheromones were represented sparsely at all ages. However, alarm pheromone responses within individual glomeruli changed with age, either increasing or decreasing. Only two glomeruli became sensitized to alarm pheromones with age, while at the same time becoming desensitized to general odorants. Our results suggest that the heightened response to alarm pheromones in older ants occurs via increased sensitivity in these two core glomeruli, illustrating the importance of sensory modulation in social insect division of labor and age-associated behavioral plasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Hart
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Lindsey E Lopes
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Dominic D Frank
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Daniel J C Kronauer
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Vien KM, Duan Q, Yeung C, Barish S, Volkan PC. Atypical cadherin, Fat2, regulates axon terminal organization in the developing Drosophila olfactory receptor neurons. iScience 2024; 27:110340. [PMID: 39055932 PMCID: PMC11269957 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110340] [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: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The process of how neuronal identity confers circuit organization is intricately related to the mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration and neuropathologies. Modeling this process, the olfactory circuit builds a functionally organized topographic map, which requires widely dispersed neurons with the same identity to converge their axons into one a class-specific neuropil, a glomerulus. In this article, we identified Fat2 (also known as Kugelei) as a regulator of class-specific axon organization. In fat2 mutants, axons belonging to the highest fat2-expressing classes present with a more severe phenotype compared to axons belonging to low fat2-expressing classes. In extreme cases, mutations lead to neural degeneration. Lastly, we found that Fat2 intracellular domain interactors, APC1/2 (Adenomatous polyposis coli) and dop (Drop out), likely orchestrate the cytoskeletal remodeling required for axon condensation. Altogether, we provide a potential mechanism for how cell surface proteins' regulation of cytoskeletal remodeling necessitates identity specific circuit organization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Khanh M. Vien
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Qichen Duan
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Chun Yeung
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Scott Barish
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Pelin Cayirlioglu Volkan
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Fulton KA, Zimmerman D, Samuel A, Vogt K, Datta SR. Common principles for odour coding across vertebrates and invertebrates. Nat Rev Neurosci 2024; 25:453-472. [PMID: 38806946 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-024-00822-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
The olfactory system is an ideal and tractable system for exploring how the brain transforms sensory inputs into behaviour. The basic tasks of any olfactory system include odour detection, discrimination and categorization. The challenge for the olfactory system is to transform the high-dimensional space of olfactory stimuli into the much smaller space of perceived objects and valence that endows odours with meaning. Our current understanding of how neural circuits address this challenge has come primarily from observations of the mechanisms of the brain for processing other sensory modalities, such as vision and hearing, in which optimized deep hierarchical circuits are used to extract sensory features that vary along continuous physical dimensions. The olfactory system, by contrast, contends with an ill-defined, high-dimensional stimulus space and discrete stimuli using a circuit architecture that is shallow and parallelized. Here, we present recent observations in vertebrate and invertebrate systems that relate the statistical structure and state-dependent modulation of olfactory codes to mechanisms of perception and odour-guided behaviour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kara A Fulton
- Department of Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David Zimmerman
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Aravi Samuel
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Katrin Vogt
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Sieriebriennikov B, Sieber KR, Kolumba O, Mlejnek J, Jafari S, Yan H. Orco-dependent survival of odorant receptor neurons in ants. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk9000. [PMID: 38848359 PMCID: PMC11160473 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk9000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Olfaction is essential for complex social behavior in insects. To discriminate complex social cues, ants evolved an expanded number of odorant receptor (Or) genes. Mutations in the obligate odorant co-receptor gene orco lead to the loss of ~80% of the antennal lobe glomeruli in the jumping ant Harpegnathos saltator. However, the cellular mechanism remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate massive apoptosis of odorant receptor neurons (ORNs) in the mid to late stages of pupal development, possibly due to ER stress in the absence of Orco. Further bulk and single-nucleus transcriptome analysis shows that, although most orco-expressing ORNs die in orco mutants, a small proportion of them survive: They express ionotropic receptor (Ir) genes that form IR complexes. In addition, we found that some Or genes are expressed in mechanosensory neurons and nonneuronal cells, possibly due to leaky regulation from nearby non-Or genes. Our findings provide a comprehensive overview of ORN development and Or expression in H. saltator.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bogdan Sieriebriennikov
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Kayli R. Sieber
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Center for Smell and Taste, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Olena Kolumba
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
- New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Jakub Mlejnek
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Shadi Jafari
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Hua Yan
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Center for Smell and Taste, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Zhou Z, Luo Y, Wang X, He J, Zhou Q. Identification and sex expression profiles of candidate chemosensory genes from Atherigona orientalis via the antennae and leg transcriptome analysis. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY. PART D, GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2024; 50:101222. [PMID: 38430710 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2024.101222] [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: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Atherigona orientalis Schiner (1868) is an acknowledged agricultural pest owing to its feeding habits and breeding locations. This insect is a tropical and subtropical pest in fruits and vegetables, in which >50 varieties of fruits and vegetables in 26 families, such as Capsicum annuum, Lycopersicon esculentum, and Cucumis melo have been attacked. Moreover, A. orientalis may also develop in rotten crops and feces or insect carcasses, which are also considered one kind of sanitary pest and medical insect. At present, the invasion ranges of A. orientalis are still increasing and more preventive and management measures are to be processed. To gain a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in olfactory reception in A. orientalis, the transcriptome of male and female antennae and legs was systematically analyzed. In total, 131 chemosensory-related genes, including 63 odorant receptors (ORs), 20 gustatory receptors (GRs), 18 ionotropic receptors (IRs), 27 odorant binding proteins (OBPs), 1 chemosensory protein (CSP), and 2 sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs), were identified. The analysis focused on obtaining expression information of candidate olfactory genes at the transcriptomic level by examining the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in all samples. Totally, 41 DEGs were identified between male antennae (MA) and female antennae (FA), including 32 ORs, 5 OBPs, 1 IR, 2 GRs and 1 SNMP. In MA versus male legs (ML), 78 DEGs were identified (45 ORs, 18 OBPs, 6 GRs, 6 IRs, 1 CSP and 2 SNMPs). In FA and female legs (FL), 96 DEGs were identified (51 ORs, 21 OBPs, 9 GRs, 12 IRs, 1 CSP and 2 SNMPs). For ML and FL, 3 DEGs were identified, including 2 ORs and 1 SNMP. Our results supplement valuable insights for future research on the chemoreception mechanisms in A. orientalis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zihao Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410006, China
| | - Yujie Luo
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410006, China
| | - Xintong Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410006, China
| | - Jing He
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410006, China
| | - Qiong Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410006, China.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Philbrook A, O'Donnell MP, Grunenkovaite L, Sengupta P. Differential modulation of sensory response dynamics by cilia structure and intraflagellar transport within and across chemosensory neurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.16.594529. [PMID: 38798636 PMCID: PMC11118401 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.16.594529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Sensory neurons contain morphologically diverse primary cilia that are built by intraflagellar transport (IFT) and house sensory signaling molecules. Since both ciliary structural and signaling proteins are trafficked via IFT, it has been challenging to decouple the contributions of IFT and cilia structure to neuronal responses. By acutely inhibiting IFT without altering cilia structure and vice versa , here we describe the differential roles of ciliary trafficking and sensory ending morphology in shaping chemosensory responses in C. elegans. We show that a minimum cilium length but not continuous IFT is necessary for a subset of responses in the ASH nociceptive neurons. In contrast, neither cilia nor continuous IFT are necessary for odorant responses in the AWA olfactory neurons. Instead, continuous IFT differentially modulates response dynamics in AWA. Upon acute inhibition of IFT, cilia-destined odorant receptors are shunted to ectopic branches emanating from the cilia base. Spatial segregation of receptors in these branches from a cilia-restricted regulatory kinase results in odorant desensitization defects, highlighting the importance of precise organization of signaling molecules at sensory endings in regulating response dynamics. We also find that adaptation of AWA responses upon repeated exposure to an odorant is mediated by IFT-driven removal of its cognate receptor, whereas adaptation to a second odorant is regulated via IFT-independent mechanisms. Our results reveal unexpected complexity in the contribution of IFT and cilia organization to the regulation of responses even within a single chemosensory neuron type, and establish a critical role for these processes in the precise modulation of olfactory behaviors.
Collapse
|
9
|
Luo Z, Zhang Y, Zhang P, Liu L, Yuan J, Yan S, Liu W, Wang G. Benzaldehyde acts as a behaviorally active component in brewer's yeast protein powder which attracts B. dorsalis through olfaction. J Chem Ecol 2024:10.1007/s10886-024-01500-2. [PMID: 38740727 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-024-01500-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
The Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis, is a significant pest that damages a variety of fruit crops. The effectiveness of chemical pesticides against such pests is limited, raising concerns about pesticide residues and resistance. Proteins naturally attract B. dorsalis and have led to the development of a management strategy known as protein bait attractant technology (BAT). Although the attraction of protein sources to B. dorsalis is well-documented, the biologically active components within these sources are not fully understood. This study employed analytical chemistry, behavioral tests, and electrophysiological techniques to investigate the behaviorally active components of beer yeast protein powder (BYPD), aiming to provide a basis for improving and developing protein baits. An olfactory trap assay confirmed the attractiveness of BYPD, and five components with high abundance were identified from its headspace volatiles using GC-MS. These components included ethanol, isoamyl alcohol, ethyl decanoate, benzaldehyde, and phenylethyl alcohol. Mixtures of these five components demonstrated significant attraction to B. dorsalis adults, with benzaldehyde identified as a potential key component. The attractiveness of benzaldehyde required a relatively large dose, and it was most attractive to adults that had been starved from dusk until the following morning. Attraction of adult flies to benzaldehyde appeared mainly mediated by inputs from olfactory receptors. While EAG data supports that ionotropic receptors could influence the detection of benzaldehyde in female adults, they did not affect female behavior towards benzaldehyde. These findings indicate that benzaldehyde is an important behaviorally active component in BYPD and offer insights for developing novel protein lures to control B. dorsalis in an environmentally friendly manner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhicai Luo
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystem, Northeast Forestry University, Ministry of Education, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystem, Northeast Forestry University, Ministry of Education, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Panpan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystem, Northeast Forestry University, Ministry of Education, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Leyuan Liu
- College of Plant Health & Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266071, China
| | - Jinxi Yuan
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Shanchun Yan
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystem, Northeast Forestry University, Ministry of Education, Harbin, 150040, China.
| | - Wei Liu
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518120, China.
| | - Guirong Wang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Zhang MG, Seyedolmohadesin M, Hawk S, Park H, Finnen N, Schroeder F, Venkatachalam V, Sternberg PW. Sensory integration of food availability and population density during the diapause exit decision involves insulin-like signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.20.586022. [PMID: 38586049 PMCID: PMC10996498 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.20.586022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Decisions made over long time scales, such as life cycle decisions, require coordinated interplay between sensory perception and sustained gene expression. The Caenorhabditis elegans dauer (or diapause) exit developmental decision requires sensory integration of population density and food availability to induce an all-or-nothing organismal-wide response, but the mechanism by which this occurs remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate how the ASJ chemosensory neurons, known to be critical for dauer exit, perform sensory integration at both the levels of gene expression and calcium activity. In response to favorable conditions, dauers rapidly produce and secrete the dauer exit-promoting insulin-like peptide INS-6. Expression of ins-6 in the ASJ neurons integrate population density and food level and can reflect decision commitment since dauers committed to exiting have higher ins-6 expression levels than those of non-committed dauers. Calcium imaging in dauers reveals that the ASJ neurons are activated by food, and this activity is suppressed by pheromone, indicating that sensory integration also occurs at the level of calcium transients. We find that ins-6 expression in the ASJ neurons depends on neuronal activity in the ASJs, cGMP signaling, a CaM-kinase pathway, and the pheromone components ascr#8 and ascr#2. We propose a model in which decision commitment to exit the dauer state involves an autoregulatory feedback loop in the ASJ neurons that promotes high INS-6 production and secretion. These results collectively demonstrate how insulin-like peptide signaling helps animals compute long-term decisions by bridging sensory perception to decision execution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark G Zhang
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | | | - Soraya Hawk
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Heenam Park
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Nerissa Finnen
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Frank Schroeder
- Boyce Thompson Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | | | - Paul W Sternberg
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Giraldo D, Hammond AM, Wu J, Feole B, Al-Saloum N, McMeniman CJ. An expanded neurogenetic toolkit to decode olfaction in the African malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2024; 4:100714. [PMID: 38412833 PMCID: PMC10921037 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2024.100714] [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: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Anopheles gambiae uses its sense of smell to hunt humans. We report a two-step method yielding cell-type-specific driver lines for enhanced neuroanatomical and functional studies of its olfactory system. We first integrated a driver-responder-marker (DRM) system cassette consisting of a linked T2A-QF2 driver, QUAS-GFP responder, and a gut-specific transgenesis marker into four chemoreceptor genes (Ir25a, Ir76b, Gr22, and orco) using CRISPR-Cas9-mediated homology-directed repair. The DRM system facilitated rapid selection of in-frame integrations via screening for GFP+ olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) in G1 larval progeny, even at genomic loci such as orco where we found the transgenesis marker was not visible. Next, we converted these DRM integrations into T2A-QF2 driver-marker lines by Cre-loxP excision of the GFP responder, making them suitable for binary use in transcuticular calcium imaging. These cell-type-specific driver lines tiling key OSN subsets will support systematic efforts to decode olfaction in this prolific malaria vector.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diego Giraldo
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Andrew M Hammond
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Jinling Wu
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Brandon Feole
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Noor Al-Saloum
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Conor J McMeniman
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Wang JJ, Ma C, Yue Y, Yang J, Chen LX, Wang YT, Zhao CC, Gao X, Chen HS, Ma WH, Zhou Z. Identification of candidate chemosensory genes in Bactrocera cucurbitae based on antennal transcriptome analysis. Front Physiol 2024; 15:1354530. [PMID: 38440345 PMCID: PMC10910661 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1354530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett) (Tephritidae: Diptera), is an invasive pest that poses a significant threat to agriculture in Africa and other regions. Flies are known to use their olfactory systems to recognise environmental chemical cues. However, the molecular components of the chemosensory system of B. cucurbitae are poorly characterised. To address this knowledge gap, we have used next-generation sequencing to analyse the antenna transcriptomes of sexually immature B. cucurbitae adults. The results have identified 160 potential chemosensory genes, including 35 odourant-binding proteins (OBPs), one chemosensory protein (CSP), three sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs), 70 odourant receptors (ORs), 30 ionotropic receptors (IRs), and 21 gustatory receptors (GRs). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to validate the results by assessing the expression profiles of 25 ORs and 15 OBPs. Notably, high expression levels for BcucOBP5/9/10/18/21/23/26 were observed in both the female and male antennae. Furthermore, BcucOROrco/6/7/9/13/15/25/27/28/42/62 exhibited biased expression in the male antennae, whereas BcucOR55 showed biased expression in the female antennae. This comprehensive investigation provides valuable insights into insect olfaction at the molecular level and will, thus, help to facilitate the development of enhanced pest management strategies in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Jing Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- National Nanfan Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - Chao Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- National Nanfan Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - Yang Yue
- National Nanfan Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - Jingfang Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- National Nanfan Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - Li Xiang Chen
- National Nanfan Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - Yi Ting Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- National Nanfan Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sanya, China
| | | | - Xuyuan Gao
- National Nanfan Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sanya, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory for Biology of Crop Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, China
| | - Hong Song Chen
- National Nanfan Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sanya, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory for Biology of Crop Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, China
| | - Wei Hua Ma
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhongshi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- National Nanfan Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sanya, China
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Hart T, Lopes LE, Frank DD, Kronauer DJ. Pheromone representation in the ant antennal lobe changes with age. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.13.580193. [PMID: 38405746 PMCID: PMC10888935 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.13.580193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
While the neural basis of age-related decline has been extensively studied (1-3), less is known about changes in neural function during the pre-senescent stages of adulthood. Adult neural plasticity is likely a key factor in social insect age polyethism, where individuals perform different tasks as they age and divide labor in an age-dependent manner (4-9). Primarily, workers transition from nursing to foraging tasks (5, 10), become more aggressive, and more readily display alarm behavior (11-16) as they get older. While it is unknown how these behavioral dynamics are neurally regulated, they could partially be generated by altered salience of behaviorally relevant stimuli (4, 6, 7). Here, we investigated how odor coding in the antennal lobe (AL) changes with age in the context of alarm pheromone communication in the clonal raider ant (Ooceraea biroi) (17). Similar to other social insects (11, 12, 16), older ants responded more rapidly to alarm pheromones, the chemical signals for danger. Using whole-AL calcium imaging (18), we then mapped odor representations for five general odorants and two alarm pheromones in young and old ants. Alarm pheromones were represented sparsely at all ages. However, alarm pheromone responses within individual glomeruli changed with age, either increasing or decreasing. Only two glomeruli became sensitized to alarm pheromones with age, while at the same time becoming desensitized to general odorants. Our results suggest that the heightened response to alarm pheromones in older ants occurs via increased sensitivity in these two core glomeruli, illustrating the importance of sensory modulation in social insect division of labor and age-associated behavioral plasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Hart
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Lindsey E. Lopes
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Dominic D. Frank
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Daniel J.C. Kronauer
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Wulff JP, Traverso LM, Latorre-Estivalis JM, Segura DF, Lanzavecchia SB. Identification of candidate genes associated with host-seeking behavior in the parasitoid wasp Diachasmimorpha longicaudata. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:147. [PMID: 38321385 PMCID: PMC10848486 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10034-6] [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: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diachasmimorpha longicaudata is a hymenopteran fruit fly endoparasitoid. Females of this species find their hosts for oviposition by using complex sensorial mechanisms in response to physical and chemical stimuli associated with the host and host habitat. Ecological and behavioral aspects related to host-seeking behavior for oviposition have been extensively studied in D. longicaudata, including the identification of volatile organic compounds acting as attractants to females. In this sense, molecular mechanisms of chemoreception have been explored in this species, including a preliminary characterization of odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), chemosensory proteins (CSPs) and odorant receptors (ORs), among other proteins. Functional assays on OBP and CSP have been conducted as a first approach to identify molecular mechanisms associated with the female host-seeking behavior for oviposition. The aims of the present study were to identify the D. longicaudata sensory gene repertoire expressed in the antenna of sexually mature and mated individuals of both sexes, and subsequently, characterize transcripts differentially expressed in the antennae of females to identify candidate genes associated with the female host-seeking behavior for oviposition. RESULTS A total of 33,745 predicted protein-coding sequences were obtained from a de novo antennal transcriptome assembly. Ten sensory-related gene families were annotated as follows: 222 ORs, 44 ionotropic receptors (IRs), 25 gustatory receptors (GRs), 9 CSPs, 13 OBPs, 2 ammonium transporters (AMTs), 8 pickpocket (PPKs) receptors, 16 transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, 12 CD36/SNMPs and 3 Niemann-Pick type C2 like proteins (NPC2-like). The differential expression analysis revealed 237 and 151 transcripts up- and downregulated, respectively, between the female and male antennae. Ninety-seven differentially expressed transcripts corresponded to sensory-related genes including 88 transcripts being upregulated (87 ORs and one TRP) and nine downregulated (six ORs, two CSPs and one OBP) in females compared to males. CONCLUSIONS The sensory gene repertoire of D. longicaudata was similar to that of other taxonomically related parasitoid wasps. We identified a high number of ORs upregulated in the female antenna. These results may indicate that this gene family has a central role in the chemoreception of sexually mature females during the search for hosts and host habitats for reproductive purposes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan P Wulff
- Entomology and Plant Pathology, NCSU, Raleigh, NC, USA.
| | - Lucila M Traverso
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología de Insectos (LNI), Centro Regional de Estudios Genómicos, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, CENEXA, CONICET, La Plata, Bs As, Argentina
| | - Jose M Latorre-Estivalis
- Laboratorio de Insectos Sociales, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Instituto de Fisiología, Universidad de Buenos Aires - CONICET, Bs As, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Diego F Segura
- Laboratorio de Insectos de Importancia Agronómica, Instituto de Genética Ewald A. Favret (INTA) gv-IABIMO (CONICET), Hurlingham, Bs As, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Veterinarias, Universidad del Salvador, Bs As, Argentina
| | - Silvia B Lanzavecchia
- Laboratorio de Insectos de Importancia Agronómica, Instituto de Genética Ewald A. Favret (INTA) gv-IABIMO (CONICET), Hurlingham, Bs As, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Mallick A, Dacks AM, Gaudry Q. Olfactory Critical Periods: How Odor Exposure Shapes the Developing Brain in Mice and Flies. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:94. [PMID: 38392312 PMCID: PMC10886215 DOI: 10.3390/biology13020094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Neural networks have an extensive ability to change in response to environmental stimuli. This flexibility peaks during restricted windows of time early in life called critical periods. The ubiquitous occurrence of this form of plasticity across sensory modalities and phyla speaks to the importance of critical periods for proper neural development and function. Extensive investigation into visual critical periods has advanced our knowledge of the molecular events and key processes that underlie the impact of early-life experience on neuronal plasticity. However, despite the importance of olfaction for the overall survival of an organism, the cellular and molecular basis of olfactory critical periods have not garnered extensive study compared to visual critical periods. Recent work providing a comprehensive mapping of the highly organized olfactory neuropil and its development has in turn attracted a growing interest in how these circuits undergo plasticity during critical periods. Here, we perform a comparative review of olfactory critical periods in fruit flies and mice to provide novel insight into the importance of early odor exposure in shaping neural circuits and highlighting mechanisms found across sensory modalities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ahana Mallick
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Andrew M Dacks
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
| | - Quentin Gaudry
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Schuh E, Cassau S, Ismaieel AR, Stieber R, Krieger J, Hansson BS, Sachse S, Bisch-Knaden S. Females smell differently: characteristics and significance of the most common olfactory sensilla of female silkmoths. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232578. [PMID: 38228178 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2578] [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: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
In the silkmoth Bombyx mori, the role of male sensilla trichodea in pheromone detection is well established. Here we study the corresponding female sensilla, which contain two olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) and come in two lengths, each representing a single physiological type. Only OSNs in medium trichoids respond to the scent of mulberry, the silkworm's exclusive host plant, and are more sensitive in mated females, suggesting a role in oviposition. In long trichoids, one OSN is tuned to (+)-linalool and the other to benzaldehyde and isovaleric acid, both odours emitted by silkworm faeces. While the significance of (+)-linalool detection remains unclear, isovaleric acid repels mated females and may therefore play a role in avoiding crowded oviposition sites. When we examined the underlying molecular components of neurons in female trichoids, we found non-canonical co-expression of Ir8a, the co-receptor for acid responses, and ORco, the co-receptor of odorant receptors, in long trichoids, and the unexpected expression of a specific odorant receptor in both trichoid sensillum types. In addition to elucidating the function of female trichoids, our results suggest that some accepted organizational principles of the insect olfactory system may not apply to the predominant sensilla on the antenna of female B. mori.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Schuh
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knoell-Straße 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
- Research Group Olfactory Coding, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knoell-Straße 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Sina Cassau
- Institute of Biology/Zoology, Department of Animal Physiology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Ahmed R Ismaieel
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knoell-Straße 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
- Entomology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo 11566, Egypt
| | - Regina Stieber
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knoell-Straße 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Jürgen Krieger
- Institute of Biology/Zoology, Department of Animal Physiology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Bill S Hansson
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knoell-Straße 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Silke Sachse
- Research Group Olfactory Coding, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knoell-Straße 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Sonja Bisch-Knaden
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knoell-Straße 8, 07745 Jena, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Ziemba PM, Mueck A, Gisselmann G, Stoertkuhl KF. Functional expression and ligand identification of homo- and heteromeric Drosophila melanogaster CO2 receptors in the Xenopus laevis oocyte system. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0295404. [PMID: 38157355 PMCID: PMC10756536 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is an important olfactory cue in Drosophila melanogaster and can elicit both attractive and aversive behaviors. It is detected by gustatory receptors, Gr21a and Gr63a, found in the ab1C neuron in basiconic sensilla on the third antennal segment. Volatile substances that modulate the receptors' function are of interest for pest control. While several substances block ab1C neurons or mimic the activating effect of carbon dioxide, it is not known if these substances are indeed ligands of the CO2 receptor or might act on other proteins in the receptor neuron. In this study, we used the recombinant Xenopus laevis expression system and two-electrode voltage-clamp technology to investigate the receptor function. We found that application of sodium bicarbonate evokes large inward currents in oocytes co-expressing Gr21a and Gr63a. The receptors most likely form hetromultimeric complexes. Homomultimeric receptors of Gr21a or Gr63a are sufficient for receptor functionality, although oocytes gave significantly lower current responses compared to the probable heteromultimeric receptor. We screened for putative blockers of the sodium bicarbonate response and confirmed that some of the substances identified by spike recordings of olfactory receptor neurons, such as 1-hexanol, are also blockers in the Xenopus oocyte system. We also identified a new blocking substance, citronellol, which is related to insect repellents. Many substances that activate receptor neurons were inactive in the Xenopus oocyte system, indicating that they may not be ligands for the receptor, but may act on other proteins. However, methyl pyruvate and n-hexylamine were found to be activators of the recombinant Gr21a/Gr63a receptor.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul M. Ziemba
- AG Physiology of Senses, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
| | - Alina Mueck
- AG Physiology of Senses, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
| | - Günter Gisselmann
- Department of Cell Physiology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
| | - Klemens F. Stoertkuhl
- AG Physiology of Senses, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Brahma A, Frank DD, Pastor PDH, Piekarski PK, Wang W, Luo JD, Carroll TS, Kronauer DJC. Transcriptional and post-transcriptional control of odorant receptor choice in ants. Curr Biol 2023; 33:5456-5466.e5. [PMID: 38070504 PMCID: PMC11025690 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.11.025] [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: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Insects and mammals have independently evolved odorant receptor genes that are arranged in large genomic tandem arrays. In mammals, each olfactory sensory neuron chooses to express a single receptor in a stochastic process that includes substantial chromatin rearrangements. Here, we show that ants, which have the largest odorant receptor repertoires among insects, employ a different mechanism to regulate gene expression from tandem arrays. Using single-nucleus RNA sequencing, we found that ant olfactory sensory neurons choose different transcription start sites along an array but then produce mRNA from many downstream genes. This can result in transcripts from dozens of receptors being present in a single nucleus. Such rampant receptor co-expression at first seems difficult to reconcile with the narrow tuning of the ant olfactory system. However, RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization showed that only mRNA from the most upstream transcribed odorant receptor seems to reach the cytoplasm where it can be translated into protein, whereas mRNA from downstream receptors gets sequestered in the nucleus. This implies that, despite the extensive co-expression of odorant receptor genes, each olfactory sensory neuron ultimately only produces one or very few functional receptors. Evolution has thus found different molecular solutions in insects and mammals to the convergent challenge of selecting small subsets of receptors from large odorant receptor repertoires.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anindita Brahma
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Dominic D Frank
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - P Daniel H Pastor
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Patrick K Piekarski
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Wei Wang
- Bioinformatics Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ji-Dung Luo
- Bioinformatics Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Thomas S Carroll
- Bioinformatics Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Daniel J C Kronauer
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Walker III WB, Cattaneo AM, Stout JL, Evans ML, Garczynski SF. Chemosensory Receptor Expression in the Abdomen Tip of the Female Codling Moth, Cydia pomonella L. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). INSECTS 2023; 14:948. [PMID: 38132621 PMCID: PMC10743790 DOI: 10.3390/insects14120948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
In insects, the chemical senses influence most vital behaviors, including mate seeking and egg laying; these sensory modalities are predominantly governed by odorant receptors (ORs), ionotropic receptors (IRs), and gustatory receptors (GRs). The codling moth, Cydia pomonella, is a global pest of apple, pear, and walnut, and semiochemically based management strategies limit the economic impacts of this species. The previous report of expression of a candidate pheromone-responsive OR in female codling moth ovipositor and pheromone glands raises further questions about the chemosensory capacity of these organs. With an RNA-sequencing approach, we examined chemoreceptors' expression in the female codling moth abdomen tip, sampling tissues from mated and unmated females and pupae. We report 37 ORs, 22 GRs, and 18 IRs expressed in our transcriptome showing overlap with receptors expressed in adult antennae as well as non-antennal candidate receptors. A quantitative PCR approach was also taken to assess the effect of mating on OR expression in adult female moths, revealing a few genes to be upregulated or downregulating after mating. These results provide a better understanding of the chemosensory role of codling moth female abdomen tip organs in female-specific behaviors. Future research will determine the function of specific receptors to augment current semiochemical-based strategies for codling moth management.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William B. Walker III
- Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture—Agricultural Research Service, Wapato, WA 98951, USA; (J.L.S.); (M.L.E.)
| | - Alberto M. Cattaneo
- Chemical Ecology Group, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lomma (Campus Alnarp), 234 56 Skåne, Sweden;
| | - Jennifer L. Stout
- Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture—Agricultural Research Service, Wapato, WA 98951, USA; (J.L.S.); (M.L.E.)
| | - MacKenzie L. Evans
- Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture—Agricultural Research Service, Wapato, WA 98951, USA; (J.L.S.); (M.L.E.)
| | - Stephen F. Garczynski
- Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture—Agricultural Research Service, Wapato, WA 98951, USA; (J.L.S.); (M.L.E.)
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Raji JI, Potter CJ. Hybridization Chain Reaction RNA Whole-Mount Fluorescence In situ Hybridization of Chemosensory Genes in Mosquito Olfactory Appendages. J Vis Exp 2023:10.3791/65933. [PMID: 38047558 PMCID: PMC11099874 DOI: 10.3791/65933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Mosquitoes are effective vectors of deadly diseases and can navigate their chemical environment using chemosensory receptors expressed in their olfactory appendages. Understanding how chemosensory receptors are spatially organized in the peripheral olfactory appendages can offer insights into how odor is encoded in the mosquito olfactory system and inform new ways to combat the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. The emergence of third-generation hybridization chain reaction RNA whole-mount fluorescence in situ hybridization (HCR RNA WM-FISH) allows for spatial mapping and simultaneous expression profiling of multiple chemosensory genes. Here, we describe a stepwise approach for performing HCR RNA WM-FISH on the Anopheles mosquito antenna and maxillary palp. We investigated the sensitivity of this technique by examining the expression profile of ionotropic olfactory receptors. We asked if the HCR WM-FISH technique described was suitable for multiplexed studies by tethering RNA probes to three spectrally distinct fluorophores. Results provided evidence that HCR RNA WM-FISH is robustly sensitive to simultaneously detect multiple chemosensory genes in the antenna and maxillary palp olfactory appendages. Further investigations attest to the suitability of HCR WM-FISH for co-expression profiling of double and triple RNA targets. This technique, when applied with modifications, could be adaptable to localize genes of interest in the olfactory tissues of other insect species or in other appendages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua I Raji
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
| | - Christopher J Potter
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine;
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Mappin F, Bellantuono AJ, Ebrahimi B, DeGennaro M. Odor-evoked transcriptomics of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293018. [PMID: 37874813 PMCID: PMC10597520 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Modulation of odorant receptors mRNA induced by prolonged odor exposure is highly correlated with ligand-receptor interactions in Drosophila as well as mammals of the Muridae family. If this response feature is conserved in other organisms, this presents an intriguing initial screening tool when searching for novel receptor-ligand interactions in species with predominantly orphan olfactory receptors. We demonstrate that mRNA modulation in response to 1-octen-3-ol odor exposure occurs in a time- and concentration-dependent manner in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. To investigate gene expression patterns at a global level, we generated an odor-evoked transcriptome associated with 1-octen-3-ol odor exposure. Transcriptomic data revealed that ORs and OBPs were transcriptionally responsive whereas other chemosensory gene families showed little to no differential expression. Alongside chemosensory gene expression changes, transcriptomic analysis found that prolonged exposure to 1-octen-3-ol modulated xenobiotic response genes, primarily members of the cytochrome P450, insect cuticle proteins, and glucuronosyltransferases families. Together, these findings suggest that mRNA transcriptional modulation of olfactory receptors caused by prolonged odor exposure is pervasive across taxa and can be accompanied by the activation of xenobiotic responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fredis Mappin
- Department of Biological Sciences & Biomolecular Sciences Institute, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Anthony J. Bellantuono
- Department of Biological Sciences & Biomolecular Sciences Institute, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Babak Ebrahimi
- Department of Biological Sciences & Biomolecular Sciences Institute, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Matthew DeGennaro
- Department of Biological Sciences & Biomolecular Sciences Institute, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Watanabe H, Tateishi K. Parallel olfactory processing in a hemimetabolous insect. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 59:101097. [PMID: 37541388 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2023.101097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
To represent specific olfactory cues from the highly complex and dynamic odor world in the brain, insects employ multiple parallel olfactory pathways that process odors with different coding strategies. Here, we summarize the anatomical and physiological features of parallel olfactory pathways in the hemimetabolous insect, the cockroach Periplaneta americana. The cockroach processes different aspects of odor stimuli, such as odor qualities, temporal information, and dynamics, through parallel olfactory pathways. These parallel pathways are anatomically segregated from the peripheral to higher brain centers, forming functional maps within the brain. In addition, the cockroach may possess parallel pathways that correspond to distinct types of olfactory receptors expressed in sensory neurons. Through comparisons with olfactory pathways in holometabolous insects, we aim to provide valuable insights into the organization, functionality, and evolution of insect olfaction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hidehiro Watanabe
- Department of Earth System Science, Faculty of Science, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka 814-0180, Fukuoka, Japan.
| | - Kosuke Tateishi
- Department of Earth System Science, Faculty of Science, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka 814-0180, Fukuoka, Japan; School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Kwansei Gakuin University, Sanda 669-1330, Hyogo, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Mariette J, Noël A, Louis T, Montagné N, Chertemps T, Jacquin-Joly E, Marion-Poll F, Sandoz JC. Transcuticular calcium imaging as a tool for the functional study of insect odorant receptors. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1182361. [PMID: 37645702 PMCID: PMC10461100 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1182361] [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: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The primary actors in the detection of olfactory information in insects are odorant receptors (ORs), transmembrane proteins expressed at the dendrites of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs). In order to decode the insect olfactome, many studies focus on the deorphanization of ORs (i.e., identification of their ligand), using various approaches involving heterologous expression coupled to neurophysiological recordings. The "empty neuron system" of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is an appreciable host for insect ORs, because it conserves the cellular environment of an OSN. Neural activity is usually recorded using labor-intensive electrophysiological approaches (single sensillum recordings, SSR). In this study, we establish a simple method for OR deorphanization using transcuticular calcium imaging (TCI) at the level of the fly antenna. As a proof of concept, we used two previously deorphanized ORs from the cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis, a specialist pheromone receptor and a generalist plant odor receptor. We demonstrate that by co-expressing the GCaMP6s/m calcium probes with the OR of interest, it is possible to measure robust odorant-induced responses under conventional microscopy conditions. The tuning breadth and sensitivity of ORs as revealed using TCI were similar to those measured using single sensillum recordings (SSR). We test and discuss the practical advantages of this method in terms of recording duration and the simultaneous testing of several insects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia Mariette
- Evolution, Genomes, Behaviour and Ecology, IDEEV, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, IRD, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Amélie Noël
- Evolution, Genomes, Behaviour and Ecology, IDEEV, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, IRD, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Thierry Louis
- Evolution, Genomes, Behaviour and Ecology, IDEEV, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, IRD, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Nicolas Montagné
- Sorbonne Université, INRAE, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université Paris Cité, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris (iEES-Paris), Paris, France
| | - Thomas Chertemps
- Sorbonne Université, INRAE, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université Paris Cité, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris (iEES-Paris), Paris, France
| | - Emmanuelle Jacquin-Joly
- Sorbonne Université, INRAE, CNRS, IRD, UPEC, Université Paris Cité, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris (iEES-Paris), Paris, France
| | - Frédéric Marion-Poll
- Evolution, Genomes, Behaviour and Ecology, IDEEV, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, IRD, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Sandoz
- Evolution, Genomes, Behaviour and Ecology, IDEEV, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, IRD, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Dorkenwald S, Matsliah A, Sterling AR, Schlegel P, Yu SC, McKellar CE, Lin A, Costa M, Eichler K, Yin Y, Silversmith W, Schneider-Mizell C, Jordan CS, Brittain D, Halageri A, Kuehner K, Ogedengbe O, Morey R, Gager J, Kruk K, Perlman E, Yang R, Deutsch D, Bland D, Sorek M, Lu R, Macrina T, Lee K, Bae JA, Mu S, Nehoran B, Mitchell E, Popovych S, Wu J, Jia Z, Castro M, Kemnitz N, Ih D, Bates AS, Eckstein N, Funke J, Collman F, Bock DD, Jefferis GS, Seung HS, Murthy M. Neuronal wiring diagram of an adult brain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.27.546656. [PMID: 37425937 PMCID: PMC10327113 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.27.546656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Connections between neurons can be mapped by acquiring and analyzing electron microscopic (EM) brain images. In recent years, this approach has been applied to chunks of brains to reconstruct local connectivity maps that are highly informative, yet inadequate for understanding brain function more globally. Here, we present the first neuronal wiring diagram of a whole adult brain, containing 5×107 chemical synapses between ~130,000 neurons reconstructed from a female Drosophila melanogaster. The resource also incorporates annotations of cell classes and types, nerves, hemilineages, and predictions of neurotransmitter identities. Data products are available by download, programmatic access, and interactive browsing and made interoperable with other fly data resources. We show how to derive a projectome, a map of projections between regions, from the connectome. We demonstrate the tracing of synaptic pathways and the analysis of information flow from inputs (sensory and ascending neurons) to outputs (motor, endocrine, and descending neurons), across both hemispheres, and between the central brain and the optic lobes. Tracing from a subset of photoreceptors all the way to descending motor pathways illustrates how structure can uncover putative circuit mechanisms underlying sensorimotor behaviors. The technologies and open ecosystem of the FlyWire Consortium set the stage for future large-scale connectome projects in other species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sven Dorkenwald
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
- Computer Science Department, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Arie Matsliah
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Amy R Sterling
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
- Eyewire, Boston, USA
| | - Philipp Schlegel
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Szi-chieh Yu
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | | | - Albert Lin
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
- Center for the Physics of Biological Function, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Marta Costa
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Katharina Eichler
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yijie Yin
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Will Silversmith
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | | | - Chris S. Jordan
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | | | - Akhilesh Halageri
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Kai Kuehner
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | | | - Ryan Morey
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Jay Gager
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | | | | | - Runzhe Yang
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
- Computer Science Department, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - David Deutsch
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Doug Bland
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Marissa Sorek
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
- Eyewire, Boston, USA
| | - Ran Lu
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Thomas Macrina
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
- Computer Science Department, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Kisuk Lee
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
- Brain & Cognitive Sciences Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA
| | - J. Alexander Bae
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Shang Mu
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Barak Nehoran
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
- Computer Science Department, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Eric Mitchell
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Sergiy Popovych
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
- Computer Science Department, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Jingpeng Wu
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Zhen Jia
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Manuel Castro
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Nico Kemnitz
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Dodam Ih
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Alexander Shakeel Bates
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, The University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nils Eckstein
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, USA
| | - Jan Funke
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, USA
| | | | - Davi D. Bock
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, USA
| | - Gregory S.X.E Jefferis
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - H. Sebastian Seung
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
- Computer Science Department, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Mala Murthy
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Hart T, Frank DD, Lopes LE, Olivos-Cisneros L, Lacy KD, Trible W, Ritger A, Valdés-Rodríguez S, Kronauer DJC. Sparse and stereotyped encoding implicates a core glomerulus for ant alarm behavior. Cell 2023; 186:3079-3094.e17. [PMID: 37321218 PMCID: PMC10334690 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Ants communicate via large arrays of pheromones and possess expanded, highly complex olfactory systems, with antennal lobes in the brain comprising up to ∼500 glomeruli. This expansion implies that odors could activate hundreds of glomeruli, which would pose challenges for higher-order processing. To study this problem, we generated transgenic ants expressing the genetically encoded calcium indicator GCaMP in olfactory sensory neurons. Using two-photon imaging, we mapped complete glomerular responses to four ant alarm pheromones. Alarm pheromones robustly activated ≤6 glomeruli, and activity maps for the three pheromones inducing panic alarm in our study species converged on a single glomerulus. These results demonstrate that, rather than using broadly tuned combinatorial encoding, ants employ precise, narrowly tuned, and stereotyped representations of alarm pheromones. The identification of a central sensory hub glomerulus for alarm behavior suggests that a simple neural architecture is sufficient to translate pheromone perception into behavioral outputs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Hart
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Dominic D Frank
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Lindsey E Lopes
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Leonora Olivos-Cisneros
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Kip D Lacy
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Waring Trible
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; John Harvard Distinguished Science Fellowship Program, Harvard University, 52 Oxford Street, NW Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Amelia Ritger
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Marine Science Research Building, Bldg. 520, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Stephany Valdés-Rodríguez
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Daniel J C Kronauer
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Steele TJ, Lanz AJ, Nagel KI. Olfactory navigation in arthropods. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2023; 209:467-488. [PMID: 36658447 PMCID: PMC10354148 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-022-01611-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Using odors to find food and mates is one of the most ancient and highly conserved behaviors. Arthropods from flies to moths to crabs use broadly similar strategies to navigate toward odor sources-such as integrating flow information with odor information, comparing odor concentration across sensors, and integrating odor information over time. Because arthropods share many homologous brain structures-antennal lobes for processing olfactory information, mechanosensors for processing flow, mushroom bodies (or hemi-ellipsoid bodies) for associative learning, and central complexes for navigation, it is likely that these closely related behaviors are mediated by conserved neural circuits. However, differences in the types of odors they seek, the physics of odor dispersal, and the physics of locomotion in water, air, and on substrates mean that these circuits must have adapted to generate a wide diversity of odor-seeking behaviors. In this review, we discuss common strategies and specializations observed in olfactory navigation behavior across arthropods, and review our current knowledge about the neural circuits subserving this behavior. We propose that a comparative study of arthropod nervous systems may provide insight into how a set of basic circuit structures has diversified to generate behavior adapted to different environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Theresa J Steele
- Neuroscience Institute, NYU School of Medicine, 435 E 30th St., New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Aaron J Lanz
- Neuroscience Institute, NYU School of Medicine, 435 E 30th St., New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Katherine I Nagel
- Neuroscience Institute, NYU School of Medicine, 435 E 30th St., New York, NY, 10016, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Durant A, Khodikian E, Porteus CS. Ocean acidification alters foraging behaviour in Dungeness crab through impairment of the olfactory pathway. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:4126-4139. [PMID: 37158617 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Crustacean olfaction is fundamental to most aspects of living and communicating in aquatic environments and more broadly, for individual- and population-level success. Accelerated ocean acidification from elevated CO2 threatens the ability of crabs to detect and respond to important olfactory-related cues. Here, we demonstrate that the ecologically and economically important Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) exhibits reduced olfactory-related antennular flicking responses to a food cue when exposed to near-future CO2 levels, adding to the growing body of evidence of impaired crab behaviour. Underlying this altered behaviour, we find that crabs have lower olfactory nerve sensitivities (twofold reduction in antennular nerve activity) in response to a food cue when exposed to elevated CO2 . This suggests that near-future CO2 levels will impact the threshold of detection of food by crabs. We also show that lower olfactory nerve sensitivity in elevated CO2 is accompanied by a decrease in the olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) expression of a principal chemosensory receptor protein, ionotropic receptor 25a (IR25a) which is fundamental for odorant coding and olfactory signalling cascades. The OSNs also exhibit morphological changes in the form of decreased surface areas of their somata. This study provides the first evidence of the effects of high CO2 levels at multiple levels of biological organization in marine crabs, linking physiological and cellular changes with whole animal behavioural responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Durant
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Canada
| | - Elissa Khodikian
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Canada
| | - Cosima S Porteus
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Rozenfeld E, Ehmann N, Manoim JE, Kittel RJ, Parnas M. Homeostatic synaptic plasticity rescues neural coding reliability. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2993. [PMID: 37225688 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38575-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
To survive, animals must recognize reoccurring stimuli. This necessitates a reliable stimulus representation by the neural code. While synaptic transmission underlies the propagation of neural codes, it is unclear how synaptic plasticity can maintain coding reliability. By studying the olfactory system of Drosophila melanogaster, we aimed to obtain a deeper mechanistic understanding of how synaptic function shapes neural coding in the live, behaving animal. We show that the properties of the active zone (AZ), the presynaptic site of neurotransmitter release, are critical for generating a reliable neural code. Reducing neurotransmitter release probability of olfactory sensory neurons disrupts both neural coding and behavioral reliability. Strikingly, a target-specific homeostatic increase of AZ numbers rescues these defects within a day. These findings demonstrate an important role for synaptic plasticity in maintaining neural coding reliability and are of pathophysiological interest by uncovering an elegant mechanism through which the neural circuitry can counterbalance perturbations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eyal Rozenfeld
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Nadine Ehmann
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Julia E Manoim
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Robert J Kittel
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Moshe Parnas
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel.
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Konopka JK, Task D, Poinapen D, Potter CJ. Neurogenetic identification of mosquito sensory neurons. iScience 2023; 26:106690. [PMID: 37182106 PMCID: PMC10172775 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106690] [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: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Anopheles mosquitoes, as vectors for the malaria parasite, are a global threat to human health. To find and bite a human, they utilize neurons within their sensory appendages. However, the identity and quantification of sensory appendage neurons are lacking. Here we use a neurogenetic approach to label all neurons in Anopheles coluzzii mosquitoes. We utilize the homology assisted CRISPR knock-in (HACK) approach to generate a T2A-QF2w knock-in of the synaptic gene bruchpilot. We use a membrane-targeted GFP reporter to visualize the neurons in the brain and to quantify neurons in all major chemosensory appendages (antenna, maxillary palp, labella, tarsi, and ovipositor). By comparing labeling of brp>GFP and Orco>GFP mosquitoes, we predict the extent of neurons expressing ionotropic receptors (IRs) or other chemosensory receptors. This work introduces a valuable genetic tool for the functional analysis of Anopheles mosquito neurobiology and initiates characterization of the sensory neurons that guide mosquito behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joanna K. Konopka
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Darya Task
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Danny Poinapen
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Christopher J. Potter
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Corresponding author
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Zhang R, Lun X, Zhang Y, Zhao Y, Xu X, Zhang Z. Characterization of Ionotropic Receptor Gene EonuIR25a in the Tea Green Leafhopper, Empoasca onukii Matsuda. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:2034. [PMID: 37653951 PMCID: PMC10223087 DOI: 10.3390/plants12102034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Ionotropic receptors (IRs) play a central role in detecting chemosensory information from the environment and guiding insect behaviors and are potential target genes for pest control. Empoasca onukii Matsuda is a major pest of the tea plant Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Ktze, and seriously influences tea yields and quality. In this study, the ionotropic receptor gene EonuIR25a in E. onukii was cloned, and the expression pattern of EonuIR25a was detected in various tissues. Behavioral responses of E. onukii to volatile compounds emitted by tea plants were determined using olfactometer bioassay and field trials. To further explore the function of EonuIR25a in olfactory recognition of compounds, RNA interference (RNAi) of EonuIR25a was carried out by ingestion of in vitro synthesized dsRNAs. The coding sequence (CDS) length of EonuIR25a was 1266 bp and it encoded a 48.87 kD protein. EonuIR25a was enriched in the antennae of E. onukii. E. onukii was more significantly attracted by 1-phenylethanol at a concentration of 100 µL/mL. Feeding with dsEonuIR25a significantly downregulated the expression level of EonuIR25a, after 3 h of treatment, which disturbed the behavioral responses of E. onukii to 1-phenylethanol at a concentration of 100 µL/mL. The response rate of E. onukii to 1-phenylethanol was significantly decreased after dsEonuIR25a treatment for 12 h. In summary, the ionotropic receptor gene EonuIR25a was highly expressed in the antennae of E. onukii and was involved in olfactory recognition of the tea plant volatile 1-phenylethanol. The present study may help us to use the ionotropic receptor gene as a target for the behavioral manipulation of E. onukii in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruirui Zhang
- College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271000, China; (R.Z.)
| | - Xiaoyue Lun
- College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271000, China; (R.Z.)
| | - Yu Zhang
- College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271000, China; (R.Z.)
| | - Yunhe Zhao
- College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271000, China; (R.Z.)
| | - Xiuxiu Xu
- Tea Research Institute, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Science, Ji’nan 250100, China
| | - Zhengqun Zhang
- College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271000, China; (R.Z.)
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Gomez Ramirez WC, Thomas NK, Muktar IJ, Riabinina O. The neuroecology of olfaction in bees. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 56:101018. [PMID: 36842606 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2023.101018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The focus of bee neuroscience has for a long time been on only a handful of social honeybee and bumblebee species, out of thousands of bees species that have been described. On the other hand, information about the chemical ecology of bees is much more abundant. Here we attempted to compile the scarce information about olfactory systems of bees across species. We also review the major categories of intra- and inter-specific olfactory behaviors of bees, with specific focus on recent literature. We finish by discussing the most promising avenues for bee olfactory research in the near future.
Collapse
|
32
|
Mappin F, Bellantuono AJ, Ebrahimi B, DeGennaro M. Odor-evoked transcriptomics of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.12.532230. [PMID: 36993705 PMCID: PMC10055012 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.12.532230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Modulation of odorant receptors mRNA induced by prolonged odor exposure is highly correlated with ligand-receptor interactions in Drosophila as well as mammals of the Muridae family. If this response feature is conserved in other organisms, this presents a potentially potent initial screening tool when searching for novel receptor-ligand interactions in species with predominantly orphan olfactory receptors. We demonstrate that mRNA modulation in response to 1-octen-3-ol odor exposure occurs in a time- and concentration-dependent manner in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. To investigate gene expression patterns at a global level, we generated an odor-evoked transcriptome associated with 1-octen-3-ol odor exposure. Transcriptomic data revealed that ORs and OBPs were transcriptionally responsive whereas other chemosensory gene families showed little to no differential expression. Alongside chemosensory gene expression changes, transcriptomic analysis found that prolonged exposure to 1-octen-3-ol modulated xenobiotic response genes, primarily members of the cytochrome P450, insect cuticle proteins, and glucuronosyltransferases families. Together, these findings suggest that mRNA transcriptional modulation caused by prolonged odor exposure is pervasive across taxa and accompanied by the activation of xenobiotic responses. Furthermore, odor-evoked transcriptomics create a potential screening tool for filtering and identification of chemosensory and xenobiotic targets of interest.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fredis Mappin
- Department of Biological Sciences & Biomolecular Sciences Institute, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Anthony J. Bellantuono
- Department of Biological Sciences & Biomolecular Sciences Institute, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Babak Ebrahimi
- Department of Biological Sciences & Biomolecular Sciences Institute, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Matthew DeGennaro
- Department of Biological Sciences & Biomolecular Sciences Institute, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Walker WB, Mori BA, Cattaneo AM, Gonzalez F, Witzgall P, Becher PG. Comparative transcriptomic assessment of the chemosensory receptor repertoire of Drosophila suzukii adult and larval olfactory organs. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY. PART D, GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2023; 45:101049. [PMID: 36528931 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2022.101049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The spotted wing Drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, has emerged within the past decade as an invasive species on a global scale, and is one of the most economically important pests in fruit and berry production in Europe and North America. Insect ecology, to a strong degree, depends on the chemosensory modalities of smell and taste. Extensive research on the sensory receptors of the olfactory and gustatory systems in Drosophila melanogaster provide an excellent frame of reference to better understand the fundamentals of the chemosensory systems of D. suzukii. This knowledge may enhance the development of semiochemicals for sustainable management of D. suzukii, which is urgently needed. Here, using a transcriptomic approach we report the chemosensory receptor expression profiles in D. suzukii female and male antennae, and for the first time, in larval heads including the dorsal organ that houses larval olfactory sensory neurons. In D. suzukii adults, we generally observed a lack of sexually dimorphic expression levels in male and female antennae. While there was generally conservation of antennal expression of odorant and ionotropic receptor orthologues for D. melanogaster and D. suzukii, gustatory receptors showed more distinct species-specific profiles. In larval head tissues, for all three receptor gene families, there was also a greater degree of species-specific gene expression patterns. Analysis of chemosensory receptor repertoires in the pest species, D. suzukii relative to those of the genetic model D. melanogaster enables comparative studies of the chemosensory, physiology, and ecology of D. suzukii.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William B Walker
- Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden; USDA-ARS Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research Unit, 5230 Konnowac Pass Road, Wapato, WA 98951, USA.
| | - Boyd A Mori
- Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden; Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, 4-10 Agriculture/Forestry Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2P5, Canada.
| | - Alberto M Cattaneo
- Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden.
| | - Francisco Gonzalez
- Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden; Department of Research and Development, ChemTica Internacional S.A., Apdo. 640-3100, Santo Domingo, Heredia, Costa Rica.
| | - Peter Witzgall
- Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden.
| | - Paul G Becher
- Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Raji JI, Konopka JK, Potter CJ. A spatial map of antennal-expressed ionotropic receptors in the malaria mosquito. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112101. [PMID: 36773296 PMCID: PMC10412736 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112101] [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: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The mosquito's antenna represents its main olfactory appendage for detecting volatile chemical cues from the environment. Whole-mount fluorescence in situ hybridization of ionotropic receptors (IRs) expressed in the antennae reveals that the antenna might be divisible into proximal and distal functional domains. The number of IR-positive cells appear stereotyped within each antennal segment (flagellomere). Highly expressed odor-tuning IRs exhibit distinct co-localization patterns with the IR coreceptors Ir8a, Ir25a, and Ir76b that might predict their functional properties. Genetic knockin and in vivo functional imaging of IR41c-expressing neurons indicate both odor-induced activation and inhibition in response to select amine compounds. Targeted mutagenesis of IR41c does not abolish behavioral responses to the amine compounds. Our study provides a comprehensive map of IR-expressing neurons in the main olfactory appendage of mosquitoes. These findings show organizing principles of Anopheles IR-expressing neurons, which might underlie their functional contribution to the detection of behaviorally relevant odors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua I Raji
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Joanna K Konopka
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Christopher J Potter
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Fabian B, Sachse S. Experience-dependent plasticity in the olfactory system of Drosophila melanogaster and other insects. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1130091. [PMID: 36923450 PMCID: PMC10010147 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1130091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
It is long known that the nervous system of vertebrates can be shaped by internal and external factors. On the other hand, the nervous system of insects was long assumed to be stereotypic, although evidence for plasticity effects accumulated for several decades. To cover the topic comprehensively, this review recapitulates the establishment of the term "plasticity" in neuroscience and introduces its original meaning. We describe the basic composition of the insect olfactory system using Drosophila melanogaster as a representative example and outline experience-dependent plasticity effects observed in this part of the brain in a variety of insects, including hymenopterans, lepidopterans, locusts, and flies. In particular, we highlight recent advances in the study of experience-dependent plasticity effects in the olfactory system of D. melanogaster, as it is the most accessible olfactory system of all insect species due to the genetic tools available. The partly contradictory results demonstrate that morphological, physiological and behavioral changes in response to long-term olfactory stimulation are more complex than previously thought. Different molecular mechanisms leading to these changes were unveiled in the past and are likely responsible for this complexity. We discuss common problems in the study of experience-dependent plasticity, ways to overcome them, and future directions in this area of research. In addition, we critically examine the transferability of laboratory data to natural systems to address the topic as holistically as possible. As a mechanism that allows organisms to adapt to new environmental conditions, experience-dependent plasticity contributes to an animal's resilience and is therefore a crucial topic for future research, especially in an era of rapid environmental changes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Silke Sachse
- Research Group Olfactory Coding, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Reisenman CE, Wong J, Vedagarbha N, Livelo C, Scott K. Taste adaptations associated with host specialization in the specialist Drosophila sechellia. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb244641. [PMID: 36637369 PMCID: PMC10088416 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244641] [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: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Chemosensory-driven host plant specialization is a major force mediating insect ecological adaptation and speciation. Drosophila sechellia, a species endemic to the Seychelles islands, feeds and oviposits on Morinda citrifolia almost exclusively. This fruit is harmless to D. sechellia but toxic to other Drosophilidae, including the closely related generalists D. simulans and D. melanogaster, because of its high content of fatty acids. While several olfactory adaptations mediating D. sechellia's preference for its host have been uncovered, the role of taste has been much less examined. We found that D. sechellia has reduced taste and feeding aversion to bitter compounds and host fatty acids that are aversive to D. melanogaster and D. simulans. The loss of aversion to canavanine, coumarin and fatty acids arose in the D. sechellia lineage, as its sister species D. simulans showed responses akin to those of D. melanogaster. Drosophila sechellia has increased taste and feeding responses towards M. citrifolia. These results are in line with D. sechellia's loss of genes that encode bitter gustatory receptors (GRs) in D. melanogaster. We found that two GR genes which are lost in D. sechellia, GR39a.a and GR28b.a, influence the reduction of aversive responses to some bitter compounds. Also, D. sechellia has increased appetite for a prominent host fatty acid compound that is toxic to its relatives. Our results support the hypothesis that changes in the taste system, specifically a reduction of sensitivity to bitter compounds that deter generalist ancestors, contribute to the specialization of D. sechellia for its host.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carolina E. Reisenman
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
- Essig Museum of Entomology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Joshua Wong
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | - Namrata Vedagarbha
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | | | - Kristin Scott
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Calvin-Cejudo L, Martin F, Mendez LR, Coya R, Castañeda-Sampedro A, Gomez-Diaz C, Alcorta E. Neuron-glia interaction at the receptor level affects olfactory perception in adult Drosophila. iScience 2022; 26:105837. [PMID: 36624835 PMCID: PMC9823236 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Some types of glia play an active role in neuronal signaling by modifying their activity although little is known about their role in sensory information signaling at the receptor level. In this research, we report a functional role for the glia that surround the soma of the olfactory receptor neurons (OSNs) in adult Drosophila. Specific genetic modifications have been targeted to this cell type to obtain live individuals who are tested for olfactory preference and display changes both increasing and reducing sensitivity. A closer look at the antenna by Ca2+ imaging shows that odor activates the OSNs, which subsequently produce an opposite and smaller effect in the glia that partially counterbalances neuronal activation. Therefore, these glia may play a dual role in preventing excessive activation of the OSNs at high odorant concentrations and tuning the chemosensory window for the individual according to the network structure in the receptor organ.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Calvin-Cejudo
- Group of Neurobiology of the Sensory Systems (NEUROSEN), Department of Functional Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Fernando Martin
- Group of Neurobiology of the Sensory Systems (NEUROSEN), Department of Functional Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Luis R. Mendez
- Group of Neurobiology of the Sensory Systems (NEUROSEN), Department of Functional Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Ruth Coya
- Group of Neurobiology of the Sensory Systems (NEUROSEN), Department of Functional Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Ana Castañeda-Sampedro
- Group of Neurobiology of the Sensory Systems (NEUROSEN), Department of Functional Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Carolina Gomez-Diaz
- Group of Neurobiology of the Sensory Systems (NEUROSEN), Department of Functional Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Esther Alcorta
- Group of Neurobiology of the Sensory Systems (NEUROSEN), Department of Functional Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
- Corresponding author
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Raji JI, Potter CJ. Chemosensory ionotropic receptors in human host-seeking mosquitoes. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 54:100967. [PMID: 36096415 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2022.100967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Half the world's human population is at risk for mosquito-borne diseases. Mosquitoes rely mainly on their sense of smell to find a vertebrate blood host, nectar source, and a suitable oviposition site. Advances in neurogenetic tools have now aided our understanding of the receptors that mediate the detection of sensory cues that emanate from humans. Recent studies in the anthropophilic mosquito vectors, Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae, have implicated the chemosensory ionotropic-receptor (IR) family in the detection of behaviorally relevant odors and uncovered functions beyond chemical sensing. Here, we highlight the multifunctional roles of the chemosensory ionotropic receptors in anthropophilic mosquito vectors and suggest future directions to improve our understanding of the IR family.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua I Raji
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Christopher J Potter
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Vandroux P, Li Z, Capoduro R, François MC, Renou M, Montagné N, Jacquin-Joly E. Activation of pheromone-sensitive olfactory neurons by plant volatiles in the moth Agrotis ipsilon does not occur at the level of the pheromone receptor protein. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1035252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In moths, mate finding relies on female-emitted sex pheromones that the males have to decipher within a complex environmental odorant background. Previous studies have shown that interactions of both sex pheromones and plant volatiles can occur in the peripheral olfactory system, and that some plant volatiles can activate the pheromone-specific detection pathway. In the noctuid moth Agrotis ipsilon, plant volatiles such as heptanal activate the receptor neurons tuned to the pheromone component (Z)7-12:OAc. However, the underlying mechanisms remain totally unknown. Following the general rule that states that one olfactory receptor neuron usually expresses only one type of receptor protein, a logic explanation would be that the receptor protein expressed in (Z)7-12:OAc-sensitive neurons recognizes both pheromone and plant volatiles. To test this hypothesis, we first annotated odorant receptor genes in the genome of A. ipsilon and we identified a candidate receptor putatively tuned to (Z)7-12:OAc, named AipsOR3. Then, we expressed it in Drosophila olfactory neurons and determined its response spectrum to a large panel of pheromone compounds and plant volatiles. Unexpectedly, the receptor protein AipsOR3 appeared to be very specific to (Z)7-12:OAc and was not activated by any of the plant volatiles tested, including heptanal. We also found that (Z)7-12:OAc responses of Drosophila neurons expressing AipsOR3 were not affected by a background of heptanal. As the Drosophila olfactory sensilla that house neurons in which AipsOR3 was expressed contain other olfactory proteins – such as odorant-binding proteins – that may influence its selectivity, we also expressed AipsOR3 in Xenopus oocytes and confirmed its specificity and the lack of activation by plant volatiles. Altogether, our results suggest that a still unknown second odorant receptor protein tuned to heptanal and other plant volatiles is expressed in the (Z)7-12:OAc-sensitive neurons of A. ipsilon.
Collapse
|
40
|
Patel M, Kulkarni N, Lei HH, Lai K, Nematova O, Wei K, Lei H. Experimental and theoretical probe on mechano- and chemosensory integration in the insect antennal lobe. Front Physiol 2022; 13:1004124. [PMID: 36406994 PMCID: PMC9667105 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.1004124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
In nature, olfactory signals are delivered to detectors—for example, insect antennae—by means of turbulent air, which exerts concurrent chemical and mechanical stimulation on the detectors. The antennal lobe, which is traditionally viewed as a chemosensory module, sits downstream of antennal inputs. We review experimental evidence showing that, in addition to being a chemosensory structure, antennal lobe neurons also respond to mechanosensory input in the form of wind speed. Benchmarked with empirical data, we constructed a dynamical model to simulate bimodal integration in the antennal lobe, with model dynamics yielding insights such as a positive correlation between the strength of mechanical input and the capacity to follow high frequency odor pulses, an important task in tracking odor sources. Furthermore, we combine experimental and theoretical results to develop a conceptual framework for viewing the functional significance of sensory integration within the antennal lobe. We formulate the testable hypothesis that the antennal lobe alternates between two distinct dynamical regimes, one which benefits odor plume tracking and one which promotes odor discrimination. We postulate that the strength of mechanical input, which correlates with behavioral contexts such being mid-flight versus hovering near a flower, triggers the transition from one regime to the other.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mainak Patel
- Department of Mathematics, William and Mary College, Williamsburg, VA, United States
| | - Nisha Kulkarni
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Harry H. Lei
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Kaitlyn Lai
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Omina Nematova
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Katherine Wei
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Hong Lei
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- *Correspondence: Hong Lei,
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
De Obaldia ME, Morita T, Dedmon LC, Boehmler DJ, Jiang CS, Zeledon EV, Cross JR, Vosshall LB. Differential mosquito attraction to humans is associated with skin-derived carboxylic acid levels. Cell 2022; 185:4099-4116.e13. [PMID: 36261039 PMCID: PMC10069481 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.09.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Some people are more attractive to mosquitoes than others, but the mechanistic basis of this phenomenon is poorly understood. We tested mosquito attraction to human skin odor and identified people who are exceptionally attractive or unattractive to mosquitoes. These differences were stable over several years. Chemical analysis revealed that highly attractive people produce significantly more carboxylic acids in their skin emanations. Mutant mosquitoes lacking the chemosensory co-receptors Ir8a, Ir25a, or Ir76b were severely impaired in attraction to human scent, but retained the ability to differentiate highly and weakly attractive people. The link between elevated carboxylic acids in "mosquito-magnet" human skin odor and phenotypes of genetic mutations in carboxylic acid receptors suggests that such compounds contribute to differential mosquito attraction. Understanding why some humans are more attractive than others provides insights into what skin odorants are most important to the mosquito and could inform the development of more effective repellents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Elena De Obaldia
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Takeshi Morita
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Laura C Dedmon
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Daniel J Boehmler
- Donald B. and Catherine C. Marron Cancer Metabolism Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Caroline S Jiang
- Center for Clinical and Translational Science, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Emely V Zeledon
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Justin R Cross
- Donald B. and Catherine C. Marron Cancer Metabolism Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Leslie B Vosshall
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA; Kavli Neural Systems Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Ha TS, Smith DP. Recent Insights into Insect Olfactory Receptors and Odorant-Binding Proteins. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13100926. [PMID: 36292874 PMCID: PMC9604063 DOI: 10.3390/insects13100926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Human and insect olfaction share many general features, but insects differ from mammalian systems in important ways. Mammalian olfactory neurons share the same overlying fluid layer in the nose, and neuronal tuning entirely depends upon receptor specificity. In insects, the olfactory neurons are anatomically segregated into sensilla, and small clusters of olfactory neurons dendrites share extracellular fluid that can be independently regulated in different sensilla. Small extracellular proteins called odorant-binding proteins are differentially secreted into this sensillum lymph fluid where they have been shown to confer sensitivity to specific odorants, and they can also affect the kinetics of the olfactory neuron responses. Insect olfactory receptors are not G-protein-coupled receptors, such as vertebrate olfactory receptors, but are ligand-gated ion channels opened by direct interactions with odorant molecules. Recently, several examples of insect olfactory neurons expressing multiple receptors have been identified, indicating that the mechanisms for neuronal tuning may be broader in insects than mammals. Finally, recent advances in genome editing are finding applications in many species, including agricultural pests and human disease vectors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tal Soo Ha
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Natural Science, Daegu University, Gyeongsan 38453, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea
| | - Dean P. Smith
- Departments of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Scalzotto M, Ng R, Cruchet S, Saina M, Armida J, Su CY, Benton R. Pheromone sensing in Drosophila requires support cell-expressed Osiris 8. BMC Biol 2022; 20:230. [PMID: 36217142 PMCID: PMC9552441 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01425-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The nose of most animals comprises multiple sensory subsystems, which are defined by the expression of different olfactory receptor families. Drosophila melanogaster antennae contain two morphologically and functionally distinct subsystems that express odorant receptors (Ors) or ionotropic receptors (Irs). Although these receptors have been thoroughly characterized in this species, the subsystem-specific expression and roles of other genes are much less well-understood. Results Here we generate subsystem-specific transcriptomic datasets to identify hundreds of genes, encoding diverse protein classes, that are selectively enriched in either Or or Ir subsystems. Using single-cell antennal transcriptomic data and RNA in situ hybridization, we find that most neuronal genes—other than sensory receptor genes—are broadly expressed within the subsystems. By contrast, we identify many non-neuronal genes that exhibit highly selective expression, revealing substantial molecular heterogeneity in the non-neuronal cellular components of the olfactory subsystems. We characterize one Or subsystem-specific non-neuronal molecule, Osiris 8 (Osi8), a conserved member of a large, insect-specific family of transmembrane proteins. Osi8 is expressed in the membranes of tormogen support cells of pheromone-sensing trichoid sensilla. Loss of Osi8 does not have obvious impact on trichoid sensillar development or basal neuronal activity, but abolishes high sensitivity responses to pheromone ligands. Conclusions This work identifies a new protein required for insect pheromone detection, emphasizes the importance of support cells in neuronal sensory functions, and provides a resource for future characterization of other olfactory subsystem-specific genes. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-022-01425-w.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Scalzotto
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Renny Ng
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Steeve Cruchet
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michael Saina
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jan Armida
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Chih-Ying Su
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Richard Benton
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Mahadevan VP, Lavista-Llanos S, Knaden M, Hansson BS. No functional contribution of the gustatory receptor, Gr64b, co-expressed in olfactory sensory neurons of Drosophila melanogaster. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.980351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemosensation is essential for the survival of insects. Activities like searching for food, mating, and oviposition in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster are to a great extent governed by chemical cues detected via olfaction and gustation. This chemical information is conveyed to higher brain centers via populations of diverse olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) and gustatory sensory neurons (GSNs) expressing olfactory receptors (ORs) and gustatory receptors (GRs), respectively. ORs are exclusively expressed in the antenna and in the maxillary palps, while GRs are widely expressed in the labellum, tarsi, genitalia etc. Interestingly, 14 GRs were previously reported to be expressed in the antenna of D. melanogaster. However, the spatial expression pattern for all GRs and their functional role are still unclear. Recent data challenge the dogma that single OSNs express a single OR. In the present study, we studied the expression of 12 previously reported GRs among sensory structures on the fly antenna using the Gal4-UAS binary expression system. We observed antennal expression of nine out of the 12 reported. Out of these nine, consistent expression was only apparent for Gr64b, and we reconfirmed its presence in OSNs innervating three glomeruli in the antennal lobe. These glomeruli are known to be innervated by ab5A, ab5B and ab8A OSNs, respectively. Next, we generated double labeling crosses with Gr64b and observed co-expression of Gr64b with Or47a, which is expressed in the ab5B neuron. To elucidate the functional role of Gr64b co-expressed with Or47a, we challenged Or47a-expressing OSNs in wild type and Gr64b–/– mutant flies with odor stimulation using the single sensillum recording technique in two satiation states (fed and starved). Notably, we did not observe any significant odor sensitivity or specificity changes in Gr64b mutants as compared to wild type flies. Taken together, our results reveal co-expression of GRs with ORs in olfactory sensory neurons, while the functional contribution of the GR in this context remains obscure.
Collapse
|
45
|
Herre M, Goldman OV, Lu TC, Caballero-Vidal G, Qi Y, Gilbert ZN, Gong Z, Morita T, Rahiel S, Ghaninia M, Ignell R, Matthews BJ, Li H, Vosshall LB, Younger MA. Non-canonical odor coding in the mosquito. Cell 2022; 185:3104-3123.e28. [PMID: 35985288 PMCID: PMC9480278 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are a persistent human foe, transmitting arboviruses including dengue when they feed on human blood. Mosquitoes are intensely attracted to body odor and carbon dioxide, which they detect using ionotropic chemosensory receptors encoded by three large multi-gene families. Genetic mutations that disrupt the olfactory system have modest effects on human attraction, suggesting redundancy in odor coding. The canonical view is that olfactory sensory neurons each express a single chemosensory receptor that defines its ligand selectivity. We discovered that Ae. aegypti uses a different organizational principle, with many neurons co-expressing multiple chemosensory receptor genes. In vivo electrophysiology demonstrates that the broad ligand-sensitivity of mosquito olfactory neurons depends on this non-canonical co-expression. The redundancy afforded by an olfactory system in which neurons co-express multiple chemosensory receptors may increase the robustness of the mosquito olfactory system and explain our long-standing inability to disrupt the detection of humans by mosquitoes. Humans produce a complex blend of odor cues that attract female mosquitoes, and these cues are typically detected by olfactory neurons expressing a single receptor. In female Aedes aegypti mosquitos, however, many of these neurons co-express multiple chemosensory receptors directly affecting mosquito behavior and challenging the canonical one-receptor-to-one-neuron organization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Herre
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Kavli Neural Systems Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA; Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Olivia V Goldman
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Kavli Neural Systems Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Tzu-Chiao Lu
- Huffington Center on Aging and Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Gabriela Caballero-Vidal
- Disease Vector Group, Unit of Chemical Ecology, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp 234 22, Sweden
| | - Yanyan Qi
- Huffington Center on Aging and Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zachary N Gilbert
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Zhongyan Gong
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Takeshi Morita
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Saher Rahiel
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Majid Ghaninia
- Disease Vector Group, Unit of Chemical Ecology, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp 234 22, Sweden
| | - Rickard Ignell
- Disease Vector Group, Unit of Chemical Ecology, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp 234 22, Sweden
| | - Benjamin J Matthews
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Hongjie Li
- Huffington Center on Aging and Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Leslie B Vosshall
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Kavli Neural Systems Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Meg A Younger
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Kavli Neural Systems Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA; Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Peach DA, Matthews BJ. Sensory mechanisms for the shift from phytophagy to haematophagy in mosquitoes. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 52:100930. [PMID: 35580800 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2022.100930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Culicomorpha are an infraorder of several families of blood-feeding flies, including mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae). Here we discuss the evolutionary origins of blood-feeding within the Culicomorpha and review literature that suggests this behaviour may have evolved from ancestral plant-feeding or a combination of plant-feeding and insect-feeding. Sialomic and life-history evidence suggest that plant-feeding, concurrent or not with insect-feeding, is parsimonious as an ancestral diet for Culicomorpha. We review the chemical parsimony observed between vertebrate headspace odours, floral headspace odours, and honeydew headspace odours, which are behaviourally attractive to many of the Culicomorpha. We also review the sensory and neural mechanisms involved in changes in olfactory attraction and we propose this observed chemical parsimony as a hypothesis for an associative mechanism which may have led to the development of blood-feeding from plant-feeding that is consistent with a 'path of least resistance' for the sensory changes necessary to undergo host shifts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ah Peach
- The University of British Columbia, Department of Zoology, 4200-6270 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z4, Canada.
| | - Benjamin J Matthews
- The University of British Columbia, Department of Zoology, 4200-6270 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z4, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
McLaughlin CN, Luo L. Scent of a human: The mosquito olfactory system defies dogma to ensure attraction to humans. Cell 2022; 185:3079-3081. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
|
48
|
Keesey IW. Sensory neuroecology and multimodal evolution across the genus Drosophila. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.932344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural basis and genetic mechanisms for sensory evolution are increasingly being explored in depth across many closely related members of the Drosophila genus. This has, in part, been achieved due to the immense efforts toward adapting gene-editing technologies for additional, non-model species. Studies targeting both peripheral sensory variations, as well as interspecies divergence in coding or neural connectivity, have generated numerous, tangible examples of how and where the evolution of sensory-driven animal behavior has occurred. Here, we review and discuss studies that each aim to identify the neurobiological and genetic components of sensory system evolution to provide a comparative overview of the types of functional variations observed across both perceptual input and behavioral output. In addition, we examined the roles neuroecology and neuroevolution play in speciation events, such as courtship and intraspecies communication, as well as those aspects related to behavioral divergence in host navigation or egg-laying preferences. Through the investigation of comparative, large-scale trends and correlations across diverse, yet closely related species within this highly ecologically variable genus of flies, we can begin to describe the underlying pressures, mechanisms, and constraints that have guided sensory and nervous system evolution within the natural environments of these organisms.
Collapse
|
49
|
Copy number changes in co-expressed odorant receptor genes enable selection for sensory differences in drosophilid species. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1343-1353. [PMID: 35864227 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01830-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Despite numerous examples of chemoreceptor gene family expansions and contractions, how these relate to modifications in the sensory neuron populations in which they are expressed remains unclear. Drosophila melanogaster's odorant receptor (Or) family is ideal for addressing this question because most Ors are expressed in distinct olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) types. Between-species changes in Or copy number may therefore indicate increases or reductions in the number of OSN populations. Here we investigated the Or67a subfamily, which exhibits copy number variation in D. melanogaster and its closest relatives: D. simulans, D. sechellia and D. mauritiana. These species' common ancestor had three Or67a paralogues that had already diverged adaptively. Following speciation, two Or67a paralogues were lost independently in D. melanogaster and D. sechellia, with ongoing positive selection shaping the intact genes. Unexpectedly, the functionally diverged Or67a paralogues in D. simulans are co-expressed in a single neuron population, which projects to a glomerulus homologous to that innervated by Or67a neurons in D. melanogaster. Thus, while sensory pathway neuroanatomy is conserved, independent selection on co-expressed receptors has contributed to species-specific peripheral coding. This work reveals a type of adaptive change largely overlooked for olfactory evolution, raising the possibility that similar processes influence other cases of insect Or co-expression.
Collapse
|
50
|
Ye Z, Liu F, Sun H, Ferguson ST, Baker A, Ochieng SA, Zwiebel LJ. Discrete roles of Ir76b ionotropic coreceptor impact olfaction, blood feeding, and mating in the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles coluzzii. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2112385119. [PMID: 35648836 PMCID: PMC9191353 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2112385119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Anopheline mosquitoes rely on their highly sensitive chemosensory apparatus to detect diverse chemical stimuli that drive the host-seeking and blood-feeding behaviors required to vector pathogens for malaria and other diseases. This process incorporates a variety of chemosensory receptors and transduction pathways. We used advanced in vivo gene-editing and -labeling approaches to localize and functionally characterize the ionotropic coreceptor AcIr76b in the malaria mosquito Anopheles coluzzii, where it impacts both olfactory and gustatory systems. AcIr76b has a broad expression pattern in female adult antennal grooved pegs, coeloconic sensilla, and T1 and T2 sensilla on the labellum, stylets, and tarsi, as well as the larval sensory peg. AcIr76b is colocalized with the Orco odorant receptor (OR) coreceptor in a subset of cells across the female antennae and labella. In contrast to Orco and Ir8a, chemosensory coreceptors that appear essential for the activity of their respective sets of chemosensory neurons in mosquitoes, AcIr76b−/− mutants maintain wild-type peripheral responses to volatile amines on the adult palps, labellum, and larval sensory cone. Interestingly, AcIr76b−/− mutants display significantly increased responses to amines in antennal grooved peg sensilla, while coeloconic sensilla reveal significant deficits in responses to several acids and amines. Behaviorally, AcIr76b mutants manifest significantly female-specific insemination deficits, and although AcIr76b−/− mutant females can locate, alight on, and probe artificial blood hosts, they are incapable of blood feeding successfully. Taken together, our findings reveal a multidimensional functionality of Ir76b in anopheline olfactory and gustatory pathways that directly impacts the vectorial capacity of these mosquitoes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zi Ye
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235
| | - Feng Liu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235
| | - Huahua Sun
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235
| | - Stephen T. Ferguson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235
| | - Adam Baker
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235
| | - Samuel A. Ochieng
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235
| | - Laurence J. Zwiebel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235
| |
Collapse
|