Recognition of environmental cues is essential for the survival of all organisms Transcriptional changes occur to enable the generation and function of the neural circuits underlying sensory perception To gain insight into these changes, we generated single-cell transcriptomes of Drosophila olfactory- (ORNs), thermo-, and hygro-sensory neurons at an early developmental and adult stage using single-cell and single-nucleus RNA sequencing We discovered that ORNs maintain expression of the same olfactory receptors across development Using receptor expression and computational approaches, we matched transcriptomic clusters corresponding to anatomically and physiologically defined neuron types across multiple developmental stages We found that cell-type-specific transcriptomes partly reflected axon trajectory choices in development and sensory modality in adults We uncovered stage-specific genes that could regulate the wiring and sensory responses of distinct ORN types Collectively, our data reveal transcriptomic features of sensory neuron biology and provide a resource for future studies of their development and physiology

Single-cell transcriptomes of developing and adult olfactory receptor neurons in Drosophila .

Drosophila melanogaster olfactory neurons have long been thought to express only one chemosensory receptor gene family. There are two main olfactory receptor gene families in Drosophila , the odorant receptors (ORs) and the ionotropic receptors (IRs). The dozens of odorant-binding receptors in each family require at least one co-receptor gene in order to function: Orco for ORs, and Ir25a , Ir8a , and Ir76b for IRs. Using a new genetic knock-in strategy, we targeted the four co-receptors representing the main chemosensory families in D. melanogaster ( Orco, Ir8a, Ir76b, Ir25a ). Co-receptor knock-in expression patterns were verified as accurate representations of endogenous expression. We find extensive overlap in expression among the different co-receptors. As defined by innervation into antennal lobe glomeruli, Ir25a is broadly expressed in 88% of all olfactory sensory neuron classes and is co-expressed in 82% of Orco+ neuron classes, including all neuron classes in the maxillary palp. Orco , Ir8a , and Ir76b expression patterns are also more expansive than previously assumed. Single sensillum recordings from Orco-expressing Ir25a mutant antennal and palpal neurons identify changes in olfactory responses. We also find co-expression of Orco and Ir25a in Drosophila sechellia and Anopheles coluzzii olfactory neurons. These results suggest that co-expression of chemosensory receptors is common in insect olfactory neurons. Together, our data present the first comprehensive map of chemosensory co-receptor expression and reveal their unexpected widespread co-expression in the fly olfactory system. 

Chemoreceptor co-expression in Drosophila melanogaster olfactory neurons

Differential mosquito attraction to humans is associated with skin-derived carboxylic acid levels

Human attractive cues and mosquito host-seeking behavior

There are 3559 species of mosquitoes in the world (Harbach 2018) but, so far, only a handful of them have been a focus of olfactory neuroscience and neurobiology research. Here we discuss mosquito olfactory anatomy and function and connect these to mosquito ecology. We highlight the least well-known and thus most interesting aspects of mosquito olfactory systems and discuss promising future directions. We hope this review will encourage the insect neuroscience community to work more broadly across mosquito species instead of focusing narrowly on the main disease vectors.

/pdf/olfactory-systems-across-mosquito-species-3re9bsv59a.pdf

Olfactory systems across mosquito species.

Female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes show strong innate attraction to humans. This chemosensory behavior is critical to species survival because females require a blood-meal to reproduce. Humans, the preferred host of Ae. aegypti, produce a complex blend of odor cues along with carbon dioxide (CO2) that attracts females ready to bite. Mosquitoes detect these cues with heteromeric ligand-gated ion channels encoded by three different chemosensory receptor gene families. A common theme in other species is that olfactory neurons express a single receptor that defines their chemical specificity and that they extend axons that converge upon dedicated glomeruli in the first sensory processing center in the brain. Such an organization permits the brain to segregate olfactory information and monitor activity of individual glomeruli to interpret what smell has been encountered. We have discovered that Ae. aegypti uses an entirely different organizational principle for its olfactory system. Using genetic strains that label subpopulations of olfactory neurons, we found that many neurons co-express multiple members of at least two of the chemosensory receptor families. This unexpected co-expression is functional, as assessed by in vivo calcium imaging showing that a given glomerulus is activated by multiple ligands detected by different receptor families. This has direct functional consequences for mosquito behavior. Mutant mosquitoes that cannot sense CO2 can be behaviorally activated by a volatile amine that stimulates the CO2 glomerulus. This non-canonical olfactory system organization featuring overlapping receptor expression may explain the female mosquito9s robust and unbreakable attraction to humans.

pdf/non-canonical-odor-coding-ensures-unbreakable-mosquito-3lp8lt1hwg.pdf

Non-canonical odor coding ensures unbreakable mosquito attraction to humans

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Non-canonical odor coding ensures unbreakable mosquito attraction to humans