The Molecular Basis of Pheromone-induced Behaviors in Drosophila

描述（由申请人提供）：本研究的长期目标是阐明表达孤儿气味受体的挥发性信息素检测神经元的功能。挥发性信息素触发或调节包括交配在内的社会行为。这项工作意义重大，因为了解果蝇的信息素生物学将转化为控制传播人类疾病和破坏作物的昆虫繁殖的新方法，并将为动物模型系统中指导社会行为的电路提供新的见解。使用多方面的方法，包括遗传学，化学，电生理学，行为和成像，我们将确定这些受体的配体，确定失活和激活这些单个神经回路的行为影响，并绘制由这些神经元激活的下游回路。第一个目标是确定通过表达Or83c的神经元影响的行为，我们已经确定Or83c是法尼醇的受体。第二个目标是鉴定使用“空毛状神经元”系统触发10个孤儿毛状受体活性变化的配体，定位表达这些受体的内源性神经元，并表征其下游信号转导要求。第三个目标是识别由这些受体的气味刺激触发的这些回路的激活或失活所调节的行为。目的4是利用MARCM方法绘制支配毛状肾小球的二级投射神经元的突触靶点，开始追踪这些行为回路的神经解剖学。这些研究的完成将促进我们对一个重要模型系统中挥发性信息素生物学的理解，将确定操纵昆虫行为的新靶点，并将指导未来在更复杂的动物模型系统中进行信息素信号传导的研究。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The broad long-term objective of this research is to elucidate the function of the volatile pheromone-detecting neurons expressing orphan odorant receptors. Volatile pheromones trigger or modulate social behaviors including mating. This work is significant because understanding pheromone biology in Drosophila will translate into new methods to control reproduction in insects that transmit human diseases and destroy crops and will shed new insights into the circuits guiding social behavior in an animal model system. Using a multifaceted approach that includes genetics, chemistry, electrophysiology, behavior and imaging we will identify ligands for these receptors, determine the behavioral effects of inactivating and activating these individual neural circuits, and map the downstream circuits activated by these neurons. The first aim is to determine the behaviors influenced through neurons expressing Or83c, which we have identified as a receptor for farnesol. The second aim is to identify ligands that trigger changes in activity in ten orphan trichoid receptors using the 'empty trichoid neuron' system, localize the endogenous neurons expressing these receptors, and characterize their downstream signal transduction requirements. The third aim is to identify behaviors modulated by activation or inactivation of these circuits triggered by odorant stimulation of these receptors. Aim 4 is to map the synaptic targets of the second order projection neurons innervating the trichoid glomeruli using the MARCM approach to begin to trace the neuroanatomy of these behavioral circuits. The completion of the studies will advance our understanding of volatile pheromone biology in an important model system, will identify new targets to manipulate insect behavior, and will guide future studies on pheromone signaling in more complex animal model systems.