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Genetic atlas of hygro-and thermosensory cells in the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster

Corthals, Kristina LU ; Andersson, Vilma ; Churcher, Allison ; Reimegård, Johan and Enjin, Anders LU orcid (2023) In Scientific Reports 13(1).
Abstract

The ability of animals to perceive and respond to sensory information is essential for their survival in diverse environments. While much progress has been made in understanding various sensory modalities, the sense of hygrosensation, which involves the detection and response to humidity, remains poorly understood. In this study, we focused on the hygrosensory, and closely related thermosensory, systems in the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster to unravel the molecular profile of the cells of these senses. Using a transcriptomic analysis of over 37,000 nuclei, we identified twelve distinct clusters of cells corresponding to temperature-sensing arista neurons, humidity-sensing sacculus neurons, and support cells relating to these... (More)

The ability of animals to perceive and respond to sensory information is essential for their survival in diverse environments. While much progress has been made in understanding various sensory modalities, the sense of hygrosensation, which involves the detection and response to humidity, remains poorly understood. In this study, we focused on the hygrosensory, and closely related thermosensory, systems in the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster to unravel the molecular profile of the cells of these senses. Using a transcriptomic analysis of over 37,000 nuclei, we identified twelve distinct clusters of cells corresponding to temperature-sensing arista neurons, humidity-sensing sacculus neurons, and support cells relating to these neurons. By examining the expression of known and novel marker genes, we validated the identity of these clusters and characterized their gene expression profiles. We found that each cell type could be characterized by a unique expression profile of ion channels, GPCR signaling molecules, synaptic vesicle cycle proteins, and cell adhesion molecules. Our findings provide valuable insights into the molecular basis of hygro- and thermosensation. Understanding the mechanisms underlying hygro- and thermosensation may shed light on the broader understanding of sensory systems and their adaptation to different environmental conditions in animals.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Scientific Reports
volume
13
issue
1
article number
15202
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • pmid:37709909
  • scopus:85171379140
ISSN
2045-2322
DOI
10.1038/s41598-023-42506-2
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2023, Springer Nature Limited.
id
0266be65-69fb-48f3-bf89-95cff2bf24c9
date added to LUP
2023-12-04 15:25:17
date last changed
2024-04-17 12:19:57
@article{0266be65-69fb-48f3-bf89-95cff2bf24c9,
  abstract     = {{<p>The ability of animals to perceive and respond to sensory information is essential for their survival in diverse environments. While much progress has been made in understanding various sensory modalities, the sense of hygrosensation, which involves the detection and response to humidity, remains poorly understood. In this study, we focused on the hygrosensory, and closely related thermosensory, systems in the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster to unravel the molecular profile of the cells of these senses. Using a transcriptomic analysis of over 37,000 nuclei, we identified twelve distinct clusters of cells corresponding to temperature-sensing arista neurons, humidity-sensing sacculus neurons, and support cells relating to these neurons. By examining the expression of known and novel marker genes, we validated the identity of these clusters and characterized their gene expression profiles. We found that each cell type could be characterized by a unique expression profile of ion channels, GPCR signaling molecules, synaptic vesicle cycle proteins, and cell adhesion molecules. Our findings provide valuable insights into the molecular basis of hygro- and thermosensation. Understanding the mechanisms underlying hygro- and thermosensation may shed light on the broader understanding of sensory systems and their adaptation to different environmental conditions in animals.</p>}},
  author       = {{Corthals, Kristina and Andersson, Vilma and Churcher, Allison and Reimegård, Johan and Enjin, Anders}},
  issn         = {{2045-2322}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Scientific Reports}},
  title        = {{Genetic atlas of hygro-and thermosensory cells in the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-42506-2}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/s41598-023-42506-2}},
  volume       = {{13}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}