serval:BIB_92745B75CD5B
A cnidarian homologue of an insect gustatory receptor functions in developmental body patterning.
10.1038/ncomms7243
000350202400007
25692633
Saina
M.
author
Busengdal
H.
author
Sinigaglia
C.
author
Petrone
L.
author
Oliveri
P.
author
Rentzsch
F.
author
Benton
R.
author
article
2015
Nature Communications
2041-1723
2041-1723
journal
6
6243
Insect gustatory and odorant receptors (GRs and ORs) form a superfamily of novel transmembrane proteins, which are expressed in chemosensory neurons that detect environmental stimuli. Here we identify homologues of GRs (Gustatory receptor-like (Grl) genes) in genomes across Protostomia, Deuterostomia and non-Bilateria. Surprisingly, two Grls in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis, NvecGrl1 and NvecGrl2, are expressed early in development, in the blastula and gastrula, but not at later stages when a putative chemosensory organ forms. NvecGrl1 transcripts are detected around the aboral pole, considered the equivalent to the head-forming region of Bilateria. Morpholino-mediated knockdown of NvecGrl1 causes developmental patterning defects of this region, leading to animals lacking the apical sensory organ. A deuterostome Grl from the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus displays similar patterns of developmental expression. These results reveal an early evolutionary origin of the insect chemosensory receptor family and raise the possibility that their ancestral role was in embryonic development.
eng
60_published
true
peer-reviewed
University of Lausanne
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