Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA.
Department of Entomology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.
Insect Biochem Mol Biol. 2021 Dec;139:103653. doi: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2021.103653. Epub 2021 Sep 30.
In mosquitoes, indolic compounds are detected by a group of olfactory indolergic Odorant Receptors (indolORs). The ancient origin of indole and 3-methylindole as chemical signals suggest that they may be detected by insects outside the Culicidae clade. To test this hypothesis, we have identified potential indolOR genes in brachyceran flies based on sequence homology. Because of the crucial roles of indolic compounds in oviposition and foraging, we have focused our attention on the housefly Musca domestica. Using a heterologous expression system, we have identified indolOR transcript expression in the female antennae, and have characterized MdomOR30a and MdomOR49b as 3-methylindole and indole receptors, respectively. We have identified a set of 92 putative indolOR genes encoded in the genomes of Culicoidea, Psychodidae and brachycera, described their phylogenetic relationships, and exon/intron structures. Further characterization of indolORs will impact our understanding of insect chemical ecology and will provide targets for the development of novel odor-based tools that can be integrated into existing vector surveillance and control programs.
在蚊子中，一组嗅觉吲哚能受体（indolOR）检测到吲哚类化合物。吲哚和 3-甲基吲哚作为化学信号的古老起源表明，它们可能被半翅目以外的昆虫检测到。为了验证这一假设，我们基于序列同源性在双翅目蝇类中鉴定了潜在的吲哚 OR 基因。由于吲哚类化合物在产卵和觅食中的关键作用，我们将注意力集中在家蝇 Musca domestica 上。使用异源表达系统，我们在雌性触角中鉴定了 indolOR 转录本的表达，并将 MdomOR30a 和 MdomOR49b 分别鉴定为 3-甲基吲哚和吲哚受体。我们在 Culicoidea、Psychodidae 和双翅目昆虫的基因组中鉴定了一组 92 个推定的 indolOR 基因，描述了它们的系统发育关系和外显子/内含子结构。进一步鉴定 indolOR 将影响我们对昆虫化学生态学的理解，并为开发新型基于气味的工具提供目标，这些工具可以整合到现有的媒介监测和控制计划中。
