| Title: | The Drosophila IR20a clade of ionotropic receptors are candidate taste and pheromone receptors |
| Author(s): | Koh TW; He Z; Gorur-Shandilya S; Menuz K; Larter NK; Stewart S; Carlson JR; |
| Address: | "Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. Electronic address: john.carlson@yale.edu" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.07.012 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1097-4199 (Electronic) 0896-6273 (Print) 0896-6273 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Insects use taste to evaluate food, hosts, and mates. Drosophila has many 'orphan' taste neurons that express no known taste receptors. The Ionotropic Receptor (IR) superfamily is best known for its role in olfaction, but virtually nothing is known about a clade of approximately 35 members, the IR20a clade. Here, a comprehensive analysis of this clade reveals expression in all taste organs of the fly. Some members are expressed in orphan taste neurons, whereas others are coexpressed with bitter- or sugar-sensing Gustatory receptor (Gr) genes. Analysis of the closely related IR52c and IR52d genes reveals signatures of adaptive evolution, roles in male mating behavior, and sexually dimorphic expression in neurons of the male foreleg, which contacts females during courtship. These neurons are activated by conspecific females and contact a neural circuit for sexual behavior. Together, these results greatly expand the repertoire of candidate taste and pheromone receptors in the fly" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Drosophila Proteins/biosynthesis/*physiology Drosophila melanogaster Female Gene Expression Male Molecular Sequence Data Neurons/physiology Receptors, Cell Surface/*physiology Receptors, Pheromone/*physiology Sex Characteristics Sexual Behavior, A;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineKoh, Tong-Wey He, Zhe Gorur-Shandilya, Srinivas Menuz, Karen Larter, Nikki K Stewart, Shannon Carlson, John R eng R01 GM063364/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/ R01 DC002174/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ R01 DC004729/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ T32 GM007499/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/ R01 DC011697/DC/NIDCD NIH HHS/ Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2014/08/16 Neuron. 2014 Aug 20; 83(4):850-65. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.07.012. Epub 2014 Aug 7" |
