Determinants of the Drosophila Odorant Receptor Pattern

• Published in: Developmental cell 2012-02, Vol.22 (2), p.363-376
• Main Authors: Song, Erin, de Bivort, Benjamin, Dan, Chuntao, Kunes, Sam
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Genetically Modified; Biological and medical sciences; Cell differentiation, maturation, development, hematopoiesis; Cell Movement; Cell physiology; Cell receptors; Cell structures and functions; Drosophila; Drosophila melanogaster - genetics; Drosophila melanogaster - growth & development; Drosophila melanogaster - metabolism; Drosophila Proteins - genetics; Drosophila Proteins - metabolism; Epidermal Cells; Epidermis - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation; Homeodomain Proteins - genetics; Homeodomain Proteins - metabolism; Miscellaneous; Molecular and cellular biology; Mutation - genetics; Nuclear Proteins - genetics; Nuclear Proteins - metabolism; Olfactory Receptor Neurons - cytology; Olfactory Receptor Neurons - physiology; Receptors, Odorant - genetics; Receptors, Odorant - metabolism; Sensilla - physiology; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Transgenes - physiology
• ISSN: 1534-5807; 1878-1551
• DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2011.12.015

In most olfactory systems studied to date, neurons that express the same odorant receptor (Or) gene are scattered across sensory epithelia, intermingled with neurons that express different Or genes. In Drosophila, olfactory sensilla that express the same Or gene are dispersed on the antenna and the maxillary palp. Here we show that Or identity is specified in a spatially stereotyped pattern by the cell-autonomous activity of the transcriptional regulators Engrailed and Dachshund. Olfactory sensilla then become highly motile and disperse beneath the epidermis. Thus, positional information and cell motility underlie the dispersed patterns of Drosophila Or gene expression. [Display omitted] ► Drosophila olfactory sensilla are specified in a spatially stereotyped pattern ► Engrailed and Dachshund are early determinants of sensillum identity ► Sensilla are highly motile and move beneath the epidermis ► Sensillum motility creates dispersed odorant receptor patterns Olfactory neurons (ONs) expressing one odorant receptor (OR) are typically interspersed with ONs expressing different ORs. In mice, this salt-and-pepper pattern is attributable to stochastic regulation of OR genes. Song et al. find that in Drosophila, OR identity is specified in a spatially stereotyped pattern, but ONs subsequently disperse.