Association of polymorphisms in odorant-binding protein genes with variation in olfactory response to benzaldehyde in Drosophila.

ABSTRACT: Adaptive evolution of animals depends on behaviors that are essential for their survival and reproduction. The olfactory system of Drosophila melanogaster has emerged as one of the best characterized olfactory systems, which in addition to a family of odorant receptors, contains an approximately equal number of odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), encoded by a multigene family of 51 genes. Despite their abundant expression, little is known about their role in chemosensation, largely due to the lack of available mutations in these genes. We capitalized on naturally occurring mutations (polymorphisms) to gain insights into their functions. We analyzed the sequences of 13 Obp genes in two chromosomal clusters in a population of wild-derived inbred lines, and asked whether polymorphisms in these g

SUBMITTER: Wang P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2147940 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature