Olfactory sensory neuron population expansions influence projection neuron adaptation and enhance odour tracking.

ABSTRACT: The evolutionary expansion of sensory neuron populations detecting important environmental cues is widespread, but functionally enigmatic. We investigated this phenomenon through comparison of homologous olfactory pathways of Drosophila melanogaster and its close relative Drosophila sechellia, an extreme specialist for Morinda citrifolia noni fruit. D. sechellia has evolved species-specific expansions in select, noni-detecting olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) populations, through multigenic changes. Activation and inhibition of defined proportions of neurons demonstrate that OSN number increases contribute to stronger, more persistent, noni-odour tracking behaviour. These expansions result in increased synaptic connections of sensory neurons with their projection neuron (PN) partners, which

SUBMITTER: Takagi S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11327376 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature