Molecular basis of insect attraction to human odorants

描述(申请人提供)：传播疾病的昆虫通常通过嗅觉线索检测到人类，因此必须更好地了解气味是如何编码的，并诱导昆虫的行为。这项提议的长期目标是阐明昆虫嗅觉信号的基本过程，特别关注嗅觉神经元的一个子集，即体腔锥体神经元，已知的人类气味检测。鉴于昆虫之间嗅觉系统的进化保守，我们建议利用果蝇可用的遗传和行为工具来了解吸引这些气味的分子基础。在我的第一个目标中，我将利用电生理记录来表征体腔锥体神经元对其他气味的反应，从而扩大已知的激活体腔锥体神经元的气味的范围。特别是，我将重点介绍胺和羧酸，这是在人类排放中发现的诱人气味。在我的第二个目标中，我将通过利用遗传操作和成熟的苍蝇行为测试来剖析腔锥神经元信号的行为意义。最后，我将通过对从RNA测序筛选获得的候选基因的功能和定位的探索，确定在腔锥体中丰富的其他信号成分，这些成分是嗅觉受体活动所必需的。总之，这些实验旨在阐明嗅觉信号的分子机制，以及环境信号转化为昆虫行为的方式。 公共卫生相关性：包括疟疾在内的虫媒疾病每年导致100多万人死亡。像蚊子这样的昆虫主要依靠它们的嗅觉系统来探测人类。该项目旨在阐明人类气味是如何编码的，并引发昆虫的行为。这一结果可能会导致改进的驱虫剂和诱捕器的开发。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Insects that transmit disease often detect humans through olfactory cues, making it imperative to better understand how odors are encoded and elicit behavior in insects. The long term goal of this proposal is to illuminate fundamental processes in insect olfactory signaling, with particular focus on a subset of olfactory neurons, coeloconic neurons, known to detect human odorants. Given the evolutionary conservation of olfactory systems amongst insects, we propose to make use of the genetic and behavioral tools available in Drosophila to understand the molecular basis of attraction to these odorants. In my first aim, I will expand the range of odors known to activate coeloconic neurons by characterizing their responses to additional odorants using electrophysiological recordings. In particular, I will focus on amines and carboxylic acids, attractive odors found in human emanations. In my second aim, I will dissect the behavioral significance of coeloconic neuron signaling by utilizing genetic manipulations and a well-characterized behavioral assay with adult flies. Finally, I will identify additional signaling components enriched in coeloconic ORNs that are necessary for olfactory receptor activity by probing the function and localization of candidate genes obtained from an RNA Sequencing screen. Together, these experiments are designed to elucidate molecular mechanisms of olfactory signaling and the means by which environmental signals are transformed into behavior in insects. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Insect-borne diseases, including malaria, kill more than a million people each year. Insects such as mosquitoes primarily rely upon their olfactory system to detect humans. This project is designed to shed light on how human odorants are encoded and elicit behavior in insects. The results could lead to the development of improved insect repellents and traps.