Olfactory neurons expressing identified receptor genes project to subsets of glomeruli within the antennal lobe of Drosophila melanogaster

2003/01/28 by Sheetal Bhalerao, Anindya Sen, Reinhard F. Stocker +1 · 2 citations
Neuroscience · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research #Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies #Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior

paper · doi:10.1002/neu.10175

openalex publication_date 2003/01/28 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21

Abstract

We have used green fluorescent protein to trace the projection patterns of olfactory neurons expressing identified candidate odorant receptors to the brain of Drosophila. At the periphery, receptor expression correlates with specific sense-organ subtype, independent of location on the antennal surface. The majority of neurons expressing a given receptor converge onto one or two major glomeruli as described previously. However, we detected a few additional glomeruli, which are less intensely innervated and also tend to be somewhat variable. This means that functionally similar olfactory neurons connect to small subsets of glomeruli rather than to a single glomerulus as believed previously. This finding has important implications for our understanding of odor coding and the generation of olfactory behavior.

Citations

• Overexpression of Math1 induces robust production of extra hair cells in postnatal rat inner ears
• Neuronal architecture of the antennal lobe in Drosophila melanogaster
• Functional Specialization of Olfactory Glomeruli in a Moth
• Targeted gene expression as a means of altering cell fates and generating dominant phenotypes

Cited by

• Glomerular Maps without Cellular Redundancy at Successive Levels of the Drosophila Larval Olfactory Circuit
• Reinhard F. Stocker [wikipedia]