Biologische Funktion von Duftstoff-Bindeproteinen, deren Beziehung zu Duftstoffrezeptoren und zur metamorphischen Plastizität der zentralen olfaktorischen Bahn

作为最大昆虫目的一员和储藏农产品的害虫，赤粉甲虫（Tribolium castaneum）是一种有吸引力的研究嗅觉的新兴模式生物。随着转基因方法的可能性，如定向基因表达，基于系统rna干扰的强大反向遗传学，注释的全基因组序列，以及它的寿命，Tribolium提供了一个很好的系统来解决周围的气味识别和辨别以及中枢嗅觉通路的可塑性。本项目结合转基因、光遗传学、反向遗传学、电生理学、化学生态学、神经生化和神经解剖学等方法，研究气味剂与气味结合蛋白（OBP）和气味受体（OR）的相关性。该项目的重点将放在obp的生物学功能上，尽管它们对嗅觉有必要，但这一功能在很大程度上仍然未知。特别是obp与or的相互作用将是关键的兴趣所在。此外，所建立的工具也将应用于研究中枢嗅觉通路的变质后可塑性，包括第一中枢气味处理中心，触角叶，以及更高的处理中心，蘑菇体。

As a member of the largest insect order and a pest of stored agricultural products, the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum presents an attractive emerging model organism to study olfaction. With the possibility of transgenic approaches such as directed gene expression, powerful reverse genetics based on systemic RNA-interference, the annotated full genome sequence, and its longevity, Tribolium offers a great system to address both odour recognition and discrimination at the periphery as well as the plasticity of the central olfactory pathway. In this project we combine transgenetic, optogenetic, reverse genetic, electrophysiological, chemical ecological, neurobiochemical and neuroanatomical approaches to study the correlation of odorants to odorant binding proteins (OBP) to odorant receptors (OR). The focus of the project will lie on the biological function of OBPs which is still largely unknown, despite their necessity for olfaction. Especially the interaction of OBPs with ORs will be of key interest. Moreover, the established tools will also be applied to study postmetamorphic plasticity of the central olfactory pathway including the first central odour processing centers, the antennal lobes, and higher processing centers, the mushroom bodies.