Control of odor sensation by light and cryptochrome in the Drosophila antenna

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Main Authors: Thakur, Dhananjay, Montell, Craig
Format: Recurso digital
Published: Zenodo 2025
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author Thakur, Dhananjay
Montell, Craig
author_facet Thakur, Dhananjay
Montell, Craig
contents <p>Olfaction is a sense employed by insects to differentiate safe from harmful food options, evaluate potential mates, and identify oviposition sites. Here, we found that the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, responds differently to a set of repulsive odors depending on ambient light conditions. Ultraviolet (UV) or blue light reduces the behavioral aversion and electrophysiological responses of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) to certain repellent odors, such as benzaldehyde. We found that cryptochrome (cry) is strongly expressed in the antennal support cells that lie adjacent to ORNs, and mutation of cry eliminates the light-dependent reduction in aversion. Thus, these data indicate that support cells in an olfactory organ serve a sensory function as light responsive cells. It has been shown that light activation of Cry creates reactive oxygen species (ROS), and ROS activates the TRPA1 channel. We demonstrate that the TRPA1-C isoform is expressed and required in ORNs for benzaldehyde repulsion, and that TRPA1-C is activated in vitro by benzaldehyde. Overexpression of dual oxygenase, which generates hydrogen peroxide, reduced the aversion under dark conditions. Our data support the model that light-dependent creation of hydrogen peroxide persistently activates TRPA1-C. Consequently, the channel is no longer effectively activated by benzaldehyde. Since flies sleep much more at night, and begin feeding at dawn, we propose that the light-induced reduction in aversion to certain odors provides a mechanism to lower the barrier to feeding following the transition from night to day.</p>
format Recurso digital
id zenodo_https___doi_org_10_5281_zenodo_15042942
institution Zenodo
language
publishDate 2025
publisher Zenodo
record_format zenodo
spellingShingle Control of odor sensation by light and cryptochrome in the Drosophila antenna
Thakur, Dhananjay
Montell, Craig
olfaction
Smell
Light
Ultraviolet
Reactive oxygen species
ROS
Hydrogen peroxide
H2O2
Cryptochrome
TRPA1
Olfactory receptor neurons
ORNs
olfactory sensory neurons
OSNs
support cells
<p>Olfaction is a sense employed by insects to differentiate safe from harmful food options, evaluate potential mates, and identify oviposition sites. Here, we found that the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, responds differently to a set of repulsive odors depending on ambient light conditions. Ultraviolet (UV) or blue light reduces the behavioral aversion and electrophysiological responses of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) to certain repellent odors, such as benzaldehyde. We found that cryptochrome (cry) is strongly expressed in the antennal support cells that lie adjacent to ORNs, and mutation of cry eliminates the light-dependent reduction in aversion. Thus, these data indicate that support cells in an olfactory organ serve a sensory function as light responsive cells. It has been shown that light activation of Cry creates reactive oxygen species (ROS), and ROS activates the TRPA1 channel. We demonstrate that the TRPA1-C isoform is expressed and required in ORNs for benzaldehyde repulsion, and that TRPA1-C is activated in vitro by benzaldehyde. Overexpression of dual oxygenase, which generates hydrogen peroxide, reduced the aversion under dark conditions. Our data support the model that light-dependent creation of hydrogen peroxide persistently activates TRPA1-C. Consequently, the channel is no longer effectively activated by benzaldehyde. Since flies sleep much more at night, and begin feeding at dawn, we propose that the light-induced reduction in aversion to certain odors provides a mechanism to lower the barrier to feeding following the transition from night to day.</p>
title Control of odor sensation by light and cryptochrome in the Drosophila antenna
topic olfaction
Smell
Light
Ultraviolet
Reactive oxygen species
ROS
Hydrogen peroxide
H2O2
Cryptochrome
TRPA1
Olfactory receptor neurons
ORNs
olfactory sensory neurons
OSNs
support cells
url https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15042942