TY - JOUR
T1 - Gsalpha is involved in sugar perception in Drosophila melanogaster.
AU - Ueno, Kohei
AU - Kohatsu, Soh
AU - Clay, Catherine
AU - Forte, Michael
AU - Isono, Kunio
AU - Kidokoro, Yoshiaki
PY - 2006/6/7
Y1 - 2006/6/7
N2 - In Drosophila melanogaster, gustatory receptor genes (Grs) encode G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in gustatory receptor neurons (GRNs) and some olfactory receptor neurons. One of the Gr genes, Gr5a, encodes a sugar receptor that is expressed in a subset of GRNs and has been most extensively studied both molecularly and physiologically, but the G-protein alpha subunit (Galpha) that is coupled to this sugar receptor remains unknown. Here, we propose that Gs is the Galpha that is responsible for Gr5a-mediated sugar-taste transduction, based on the following findings: First, immunoreactivities against Gs were detected in a subset of GRNs including all Gr5a-expressing neurons. Second, trehalose-intake is reduced in flies heterozygous for null mutations in DGsalpha, a homolog of mammalian Gs, and trehalose-induced electrical activities in sugar-sensitive GRNs were depressed in those flies. Furthermore, expression of wild-type DGsalpha in sugar-sensitive GRNs in heterozygotic DGsalpha mutant flies rescued those impairments. Third, expression of double-stranded RNA for DGsalpha in sugar-sensitive GRNs depressed both behavioral and electrophysiological responses to trehalose. Together, these findings indicate that DGsalpha is involved in trehalose perception. We suggest that sugar-taste signals are processed through the Gsalpha-mediating signal transduction pathway in sugar-sensitive GRNs in Drosophila.
AB - In Drosophila melanogaster, gustatory receptor genes (Grs) encode G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in gustatory receptor neurons (GRNs) and some olfactory receptor neurons. One of the Gr genes, Gr5a, encodes a sugar receptor that is expressed in a subset of GRNs and has been most extensively studied both molecularly and physiologically, but the G-protein alpha subunit (Galpha) that is coupled to this sugar receptor remains unknown. Here, we propose that Gs is the Galpha that is responsible for Gr5a-mediated sugar-taste transduction, based on the following findings: First, immunoreactivities against Gs were detected in a subset of GRNs including all Gr5a-expressing neurons. Second, trehalose-intake is reduced in flies heterozygous for null mutations in DGsalpha, a homolog of mammalian Gs, and trehalose-induced electrical activities in sugar-sensitive GRNs were depressed in those flies. Furthermore, expression of wild-type DGsalpha in sugar-sensitive GRNs in heterozygotic DGsalpha mutant flies rescued those impairments. Third, expression of double-stranded RNA for DGsalpha in sugar-sensitive GRNs depressed both behavioral and electrophysiological responses to trehalose. Together, these findings indicate that DGsalpha is involved in trehalose perception. We suggest that sugar-taste signals are processed through the Gsalpha-mediating signal transduction pathway in sugar-sensitive GRNs in Drosophila.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33745627110&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33745627110&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0857-06.2006
DO - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0857-06.2006
M3 - Article
C2 - 16763022
AN - SCOPUS:33745627110
SN - 0270-6474
VL - 26
SP - 6143
EP - 6152
JO - The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience
JF - The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience
IS - 23
ER -