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Drosophila TRPA1 channel is required to avoid the naturally occurring insect repellent citronellal.

ABSTRACT: Plants produce insect repellents, such as citronellal, which is the main component of citronellal oil. However, the molecular pathways through which insects sense botanical repellents are unknown. Here, we show that Drosophila use two pathways for direct avoidance of citronellal. The olfactory coreceptor OR83b contributes to citronellal repulsion and is essential for citronellal-evoked action potentials. Mutations affecting the Ca(2+)-permeable cation channel TRPA1 result in a comparable defect in avoiding citronellal vapor. The TRPA1-dependent aversion to citronellal relies on a G protein (Gq)/phospholipase C (PLC) signaling cascade rather than direct detection of citronellal by TRPA1. Loss of TRPA1, Gq, or PLC causes an increase in the frequency of citronellal-evoked action potentials in olfactory receptor neurons. Absence of the Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channel (BK channel) Slowpoke results in a similar impairment in citronellal avoidance and an increase in the frequency of action potentials. These results suggest that TRPA1 is required for activation of a BK channel to modulate citronellal-evoked action potentials and for aversion to citronellal. In contrast to Drosophila TRPA1, Anopheles gambiae TRPA1 is directly and potently activated by citronellal, thereby raising the possibility that mosquito TRPA1 may be a target for developing improved repellents to reduce insect-borne diseases such as malaria.

SUBMITTER: Kwon Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2946437 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Drosophila TRPA1 channel is required to avoid the naturally occurring insect repellent citronellal.

Kwon Young Y Kim Sang Hoon SH Ronderos David S DS Lee Youngseok Y Akitake Bradley B Woodward Owen M OM Guggino William B WB Smith Dean P DP Montell Craig C

Current biology : CB 20100901 18

Plants produce insect repellents, such as citronellal, which is the main component of citronellal oil. However, the molecular pathways through which insects sense botanical repellents are unknown. Here, we show that Drosophila use two pathways for direct avoidance of citronellal. The olfactory coreceptor OR83b contributes to citronellal repulsion and is essential for citronellal-evoked action potentials. Mutations affecting the Ca(2+)-permeable cation channel TRPA1 result in a comparable defect ...[more]

PMID: 20797863

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Project description:BackgroundMitochondria are organelles found in nearly all eukaryotic cells that play a crucial role in cellular survival and function. Mitochondrial function is under the control of nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. While the latter has been the focus of most genetic research, we remain largely ignorant about the nuclear-encoded genomic control of inter-individual variability in mitochondrial function. Here, we used Drosophila melanogaster as our model organism to address this question.ResultsWe quantified mitochondrial state 3 and state 4 respiration rates and P:O ratio in mitochondria isolated from the thoraces of 40 sequenced inbred lines of the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel. We found significant within-population genetic variability for all mitochondrial traits. Hence, we performed genome-wide association mapping and identified 141 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with differences in mitochondrial respiration and efficiency (P ≤1 × 10-5). Gene-centered regression models showed that 2-3 SNPs can explain 31, 13, and 18% of the phenotypic variation in state 3, state 4, and P:O ratio, respectively. Most of the genes tagged by the SNPs are involved in organ development, second messenger-mediated signaling pathways, and cytoskeleton remodeling. One of these genes, sallimus (sls), encodes a component of the muscle sarcomere. We confirmed the direct effect of sls on mitochondrial respiration using two viable mutants and their coisogenic wild-type strain. Furthermore, correlation network analysis revealed that sls functions as a transcriptional hub in a co-regulated module associated with mitochondrial respiration and is connected to CG7834, which is predicted to encode a protein with mitochondrial electron transfer flavoprotein activity. This latter finding was also verified in the sls mutants.ConclusionsOur results provide novel insights into the genetic factors regulating natural variation in mitochondrial function in D. melanogaster. The integrative genomic approach used in our study allowed us to identify sls as a novel hub gene responsible for the regulation of mitochondrial respiration in muscle sarcomere and to provide evidence that sls might act via the electron transfer flavoprotein/ubiquinone oxidoreductase complex.

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Drosophila TRPA1 channel is required to avoid the naturally occurring insect repellent citronellal.

Publications

Drosophila TRPA1 channel is required to avoid the naturally occurring insect repellent citronellal.

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