Gene expansion in the hawkmoth Manduca sexta drives evolution of food-associated odorant receptors

Summary: In insects, odorant receptors (ORs) are required for the detection of most olfactory cues. We investigated the function of a clade of four duplicated ORs in the hawkmoth Manduca sexta and found that these paralogs encode broadly tuned receptors with overlapping but distinct response spectra...

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Main Authors: Megha Treesa Tom, Philipp Brand, Sascha Bucks, Jin Zhang, Mario Ernesto Escobar Huezo, Bill S. Hansson, Sonja Bisch-Knaden
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-12-01
Series:iScience
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004224025422
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author Megha Treesa Tom
Philipp Brand
Sascha Bucks
Jin Zhang
Mario Ernesto Escobar Huezo
Bill S. Hansson
Sonja Bisch-Knaden
author_facet Megha Treesa Tom
Philipp Brand
Sascha Bucks
Jin Zhang
Mario Ernesto Escobar Huezo
Bill S. Hansson
Sonja Bisch-Knaden
author_sort Megha Treesa Tom
collection DOAJ
description Summary: In insects, odorant receptors (ORs) are required for the detection of most olfactory cues. We investigated the function of a clade of four duplicated ORs in the hawkmoth Manduca sexta and found that these paralogs encode broadly tuned receptors with overlapping but distinct response spectra. Two paralogs, which arose after divergence from a related lineage, show high sensitivity to floral esters released by a nectar-rich plant frequently visited by M. sexta. Functional imaging in mutant moths lacking one of the paralogs suggests that olfactory sensory neurons expressing this OR target a previously identified feeding-associated glomerulus in the primary olfactory center of the brain. However, only the response of this glomerulus to the single ligand unique to the now mutated OR disappeared, suggesting neuronal coexpression of the paralogs. Our results suggest a link between the studied OR expansion and enhanced detection of odors emitted by valuable nectar sources in M. sexta.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2589-0042
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publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series iScience
spelling doaj-art-2c11cb31f1e44f45abc0e8e3b4fb5b812024-12-22T05:28:54ZengElsevieriScience2589-00422024-12-012712111317Gene expansion in the hawkmoth Manduca sexta drives evolution of food-associated odorant receptorsMegha Treesa Tom0Philipp Brand1Sascha Bucks2Jin Zhang3Mario Ernesto Escobar Huezo4Bill S. Hansson5Sonja Bisch-Knaden6Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, GermanyLaboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USADepartment of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, GermanyDepartment of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany; Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, ChinaDepartment of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, GermanyDepartment of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, GermanyDepartment of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany; Corresponding authorSummary: In insects, odorant receptors (ORs) are required for the detection of most olfactory cues. We investigated the function of a clade of four duplicated ORs in the hawkmoth Manduca sexta and found that these paralogs encode broadly tuned receptors with overlapping but distinct response spectra. Two paralogs, which arose after divergence from a related lineage, show high sensitivity to floral esters released by a nectar-rich plant frequently visited by M. sexta. Functional imaging in mutant moths lacking one of the paralogs suggests that olfactory sensory neurons expressing this OR target a previously identified feeding-associated glomerulus in the primary olfactory center of the brain. However, only the response of this glomerulus to the single ligand unique to the now mutated OR disappeared, suggesting neuronal coexpression of the paralogs. Our results suggest a link between the studied OR expansion and enhanced detection of odors emitted by valuable nectar sources in M. sexta.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004224025422Sensory neuroscienceEvolutionary ecologyCell biology
spellingShingle Megha Treesa Tom
Philipp Brand
Sascha Bucks
Jin Zhang
Mario Ernesto Escobar Huezo
Bill S. Hansson
Sonja Bisch-Knaden
Gene expansion in the hawkmoth Manduca sexta drives evolution of food-associated odorant receptors
iScience
Sensory neuroscience
Evolutionary ecology
Cell biology
title Gene expansion in the hawkmoth Manduca sexta drives evolution of food-associated odorant receptors
title_full Gene expansion in the hawkmoth Manduca sexta drives evolution of food-associated odorant receptors
title_fullStr Gene expansion in the hawkmoth Manduca sexta drives evolution of food-associated odorant receptors
title_full_unstemmed Gene expansion in the hawkmoth Manduca sexta drives evolution of food-associated odorant receptors
title_short Gene expansion in the hawkmoth Manduca sexta drives evolution of food-associated odorant receptors
title_sort gene expansion in the hawkmoth manduca sexta drives evolution of food associated odorant receptors
topic Sensory neuroscience
Evolutionary ecology
Cell biology
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004224025422
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