Structural basis of sensory receptor evolution in octopus.

ABSTRACT: Chemotactile receptors (CRs) are a cephalopod-specific innovation that allow octopuses to explore the seafloor via 'taste by touch'¹. CRs diverged from nicotinic acetylcholine receptors to mediate contact-dependent chemosensation of insoluble molecules that do not readily diffuse in marine environments. Here we exploit octopus CRs to probe the structural basis of sensory receptor evolution. We present the cryo-electron microscopy structure of an octopus CR and compare it with nicotinic receptors to determine features that enable environmental sensation versus neurotransmission. Evolutionary, structural and biophysical analyses show that the channel architecture involved in cation permeation and signal transduction is conserved. By contrast, the orthosteric ligand-binding site is

SUBMITTER: Allard CAH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10228259 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature