In:
The Journal of Neuroscience, Society for Neuroscience, Vol. 32, No. 4 ( 2012-01-25), p. 1429-1435
Abstract:
Insect survival depends on contact chemosensation to sense and avoid consuming plant-derived insecticides, such as l -canavanine. Members of a family of ∼60 gustatory receptors (GRs) comprise the main peripheral receptors responsible for taste sensation in Drosophila . However, the roles of most Drosophila GRs are unknown. In addition to GRs, a G protein-coupled receptor, DmXR, has been reported to be required for detecting l -canavanine. Here, we showed that GRs are essential for responding to l -canavanine and that flies missing DmXR displayed normal l -canavanine avoidance and l -canavanine-evoked action potentials. Mutations disrupting either Gr8a or Gr66a resulted in an inability to detect l -canavanine. We found that l -canavanine stimulated action potentials in S-type sensilla, which were where Gr8a and Gr66a were both expressed, but not in Gr66a -expressing sensilla that did not express Gr8a . l -canavanine-induced action potentials were also abolished in the Gr8a and Gr66a mutant animals. Gr8a was narrowly required for responding to l -canavanine, in contrast to Gr66a , which was broadly required for responding to other noxious tastants. Our data suggest that GR8a and GR66a are subunits of an l -canavanine receptor and that GR8a contributes to the specificity for l -canavanine.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0270-6474
,
1529-2401
DOI:
10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4630-11.2012
Language:
English
Publisher:
Society for Neuroscience
Publication Date:
2012
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1475274-8
SSG:
12
