Non-coding RNA in the olfactory system of Drosophila

项目总结 气味检测和鉴定对动物的生存至关重要。主要问题仍然是关于 嗅觉系统受环境条件和环境调节的分子机制 动物的内部状态。非编码RNA(NcRNA)在嗅觉中几乎没有被研究过。 NcRNA的许多结构和功能特征可以被利用在嗅觉编码和 而且迅速扩大的证据表明，ncRNA在 其他神经系统。果蝇是一种强大的模式生物，可以用来研究这种潜力 NcRNA在气味感知的分子基础中的作用。这项提议涉及到ncRNA在 果蝇天线，重点放在一个特别耐人寻味的ncRNA上。 在前期工作中，我描述了黑腹隐翅虫的触角ncRNA景观和 鉴定了10个富含在飞行天线中的ncRNA，其中4个富含 食物和/或信息素感受器。我发现当这些ncRNA中的一个被上调时 这些动物正在挨饿，我把它命名为ANRUS，一种因饥饿而上调的触角ncRNA。这个 拟议的项目旨在描述这些触角ncRNA的特征，重点是ANRU。 第一个目的是确定ANRUS的表达模式。我将执行单分子 荧光原位杂交以确定该ncRNA在哪些细胞和细胞室 是局部化的，这可能为其功能提供线索。如果在神经元中检测到，我会识别神经元 类，在其中表达ncRNA。这一结果可能表明，ncRNA作用于 对某些气味的反应。ANRUS本地化的动态将在以下几个方面进行评估 条件(如饥饿、预先接触气味、隔离和年龄)。亚细胞的变化 本地化可以表明在适应相应的环境或内部状态方面的作用。 第二个目标是描述缺乏ANRU的果蝇的特征。我产生了缺乏突变的苍蝇 ANRUS，以及初步的电生理测量显示，在缺乏ANRUS的果蝇中， 某些神经元在饥饿状态下无法提高其嗅觉敏感度。我会进一步研究 突变果蝇在电生理和行为测试中测试这种ncRNA的假设 在饥饿果蝇的嗅觉调节和编码中起着至关重要的作用。 这个项目的主要目标是扩大我们对分子基础的理解。 嗅觉。最终，这个项目可能会揭示感觉编码的新原理和新的角色 NcRNAs。

Project summary Odor detection and identification are critical to animal survival. Major questions remain about the molecular mechanisms by which olfactory systems are modulated by environmental conditions and the internal state of the animal. Non-coding RNA (ncRNA) remains virtually unexplored in olfaction. Many structural and functional features of ncRNA could be exploited in olfactory coding and modulation, and a rapidly expanding body of evidence shows that ncRNA plays a profound role in other neural systems. Drosophila is a powerful model organism in which to investigate the potential role of ncRNA in the molecular basis of odor perception. This proposal concerns ncRNA in the Drosophila antenna, with a focus on one particularly intriguing ncRNA. In preliminary work, I characterized the antennal ncRNA landscape of D. melanogaster and identified 10 abundant ncRNAs that are enriched in the fly antenna, including 4 that are enriched in food- and/or pheromone-sensing sensilla. I found that one of these ncRNAs is upregulated when the animals are starved and I named it ANRUS, Antennal ncRNA Upregulated by Starvation. The proposed project is designed to characterize these antennal ncRNAs, with a focus on ANRUS. The first aim is to determine the expression pattern of ANRUS. I will perform single molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization to determine in which cells and cellular compartments this ncRNA is localized, which may give clues to its function. If detected in neurons, I will identify the neuronal class in which the ncRNA is expressed. The results may suggest that an ncRNA acts in the response to certain odors. Dynamics of ANRUS localization will be assessed across certain conditions (e.g. starvation, pre-exposure to odorant, isolation and age). Changes in subcellular localization may indicate a role in adaptation to the corresponding environmental or internal state. The second aim is to characterize flies lacking ANRUS. I have generated mutant flies lacking ANRUS, and preliminary electrophysiological measurements revealed that in flies lacking ANRUS, certain neurons fail to increase their olfactory sensitivity under starvation. I will further examine the mutant flies in electrophysiological and behavioral assays to test the hypothesis that this ncRNA plays an essential role in olfactory modulation and coding in starved flies. The overarching goal of this project is to broaden our understanding of the molecular basis of olfaction. Ultimately, this project could reveal new principles of sensory coding and new roles of ncRNAs.