| 1. |
- Alkhori, Liza
(författare)
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Mechanisms of sensory neuron diversification during development and in the adult Drosophila : How to make a difference
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The nervous system contains a vast number of neurons and displays a great diversity in cell types and classes. Even though this has been known for a long time, the exact mechanism of cell specification is still poorly understood. How does a cell know what type of neuron to which it should be specified? It is important to understand cellular specification, not only for our general understanding of biological processes, but also to allow us to develop treatments for patients with destructive diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson, cancer or stroke. To address how neuronal specification and thereby diversification is evolved, we have chosen to study a complex but defined set of neurons, the Drosophila olfactory system. Olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) detect an enormous variety of small volatile molecules with extremely high specificity and sensitivity. The adult Drosophila olfactory system contains 34 OSN classes each defined by their expression of a specific odorant receptor (OR). In both insects and vertebrates, each OSN expresses only one OR. In mouse there are approximately 1200 and in Drosophila 60 different OR genes. Despite the range of mechanisms known to determine cell identity and that the olfactory system is remarkably conserved across the phyla, it is still unclear how an OSN chooses to express a particular OR from a large genomic repertoire. In this thesis, the specification and diversification of the final steps establishing an OSN identity is addressed. We find seven transcription factors that are continuously required in different combinations for the expression of all ORs. The TFs can in different gene context both activate and repress OR expression, making the regulation more economical and indicating that repression is crucial for correct gene expression. We further identified a repressor complex that is able to segregate OR expression between OSN classes and propose a mechanism on how one single co-repressor can specify a large number of neuron classes.Exploring the OSN we found the developmental Hh signalling pathway is expressed in the postmitotic neuron. We show several fundamental similarities between the canonical Drosophila Hh pathway and the cilia mediated Hh transduction in component function. Further investigation revealed a function of cilia mediated Hh signalling in sensory neuron modulator. The results generated here will create a greater in vivo understanding of how postmitotic processes generate neurons with different fates and contribute to the maintaining of neuron function.
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| 2. |
- Moberg, Christina, et al.
(författare)
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De unga gör helt rätt när de stämmer staten
- 2022
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Ingår i: Aftonbladet. - 1103-9000.
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Tidskriftsartikel (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- 1 620 forskare och lärare i forskarvärlden: Vi ställer oss bakom Auroras klimatkrav
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| 3. |
- Zhao, Yunpo, et al.
(författare)
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Hedgehog-mediated gut-taste neuron axis controls sweet perception in Drosophila
- 2022
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Ingår i: Nature Communications. - : Nature Research. - 2041-1723. ; 13:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dietary composition affects food preference in animals. High sugar intake suppresses sweet sensation from insects to humans, but the molecular basis of this suppression is largely unknown. Here, we reveal that sugar intake in Drosophila induces the gut to express and secrete Hedgehog (Hh) into the circulation. We show that the midgut secreted Hh localize to taste sensilla and suppresses sweet sensation, perception, and preference. We further find that the midgut Hh inhibits Hh signalling in the sweet taste neurons. Our electrophysiology studies demonstrate that the midgut Hh signal also suppresses bitter taste and some odour responses, affecting overall food perception and preference. We further show that the level of sugar intake during a critical window early in life, sets the adult gut Hh expression and sugar perception. Our results together reveal a bottom-up feedback mechanism involving a “gut-taste neuron axis” that regulates food sensation and preference. © 2022, The Author(s).
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| 4. |
- Alenius, Mattias, et al.
(författare)
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Differential function of RNCAM isoforms in precise target selection of olfactory sensory neurons
- 2003
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Ingår i: Development. - : Company of Biologists Ltd. - 0950-1991 .- 1477-9129. ; 130:5, s. 917-927
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) are individually specified to express one odorant receptor (OR) gene among similar to1000 different and project with precision to topographically defined convergence sites, the glomeruli, in the olfactory bulb. Although ORs partially determine the location of convergence sites, the mechanism ensuring that axons with different OR identities do not co-converge is unknown. RNCAM (OCAM, NCAM2) is assumed to regulate a broad zonal segregation of projections by virtue of being a homophilic cell adhesion molecule that is selectively expressed on axons terminating in a defined olfactory bulb region. We have identified NADPH diaphorase activity as being an independent marker for RNCAM-negative axons. Analyses of transgenic mice that ectopically express RNCAM in NADPH diaphorasepositive OSNs show that the postulated function of RNCAM in mediating zone-specific segregation of axons is unlikely. Instead, analyses of one OR-specific OSN subpopulation (P2) reveal that elevated RNCAM levels result in an increased number of P2 axons that incorrectly co-converge with axons of other OR identities. Both Gpianchored and transmembrane-bound RNCAM isoforms are localized on axons in the nerve layer, while the transmembrane-bound RNCAM is the predominant isoform on axon terminals within glomeruli. Overexpressing transmembrane-bound RNCAM results in co-convergence events close to the correct target glomeruli. By contrast, overexpression of Gpi-anchored RNCAM results in axons that can bypass the correct target before co-converging on glomeruli located at a distance. The phenotype specific for Gpi-anchored RNCAM is suppressed in mice overexpressing both isoforms, which suggests that two distinct RNCAM isoform-dependent activities influence segregation of OR-defined axon subclasses.
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| 5. |
- Alenius, Mattias, et al.
(författare)
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Identification of a novel neural cell adhesion molecule-related gene with a potential role in selective axonal projection
- 1997
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Ingår i: Journal of Biological Chemistry. - : The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. - 0021-9258 .- 1083-351X. ; 272:42, s. 26083-26086
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We describe here the cloning of mouse complementary DNAs encoding a novel protein, Rb-8 neural cell adhesion molecule (RNCAM), with a predicted extracellular region of five immunoglobulin Ca-type domains followed by two fibronectin type III domains, Alternative splicing is likely to generate two RNCAM isoforms, which are differently attached to the cell membrane, These structural features and overall sequence identity identify this protein as a novel member of a cell adhesion molecule subgroup together with vertebrate neural cell adhesion molecule, Aplysia cell adhesion molecule, and Drosophila fasciclin II, In insects, fasciclin II is present on a restricted subset of embryonic central nervous system axons where it controls selective axon fasciculation. Intriguingly, RNCAM likewise is expressed in subsets of olfactory and vomeronasal neurons with topographically defined axonal projections, The spatial expression RNCAM corresponds precisely to that of certain odorant receptor expression zones of the olfactory epithelium. These expression patterns thus render RNCAM the first described cell adhesion molecule with a potential regulatory role in formation of selective axonal projections important for olfactory sensory information coding.
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| 6. |
- Alkhori, Liza, et al.
(författare)
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Hh signalling regulates odorant receptor cilia localization in Drosophila
- 2014
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is a key regulatory pathway during development. Here, we show that in adult OSNs the Hh pathway regulate ?dorant receptor transport to cilia and put forward a novel non-developmental function of the pathway as a neuromodulator. We demonstrate that the level of Hh signal modulate the OSNs response to odors. We show that knock down of Hh and Smoothened (Smo), a transmembrane protein that transduce the signal, are required for receptor transport. We further show that the coreceptor, Orco, has an Hh independent transport path and that knock down of Smo segregate OR and Orco to different vesicular compartments. Last, we show that the odor response to the second receptor type in Drosophila olfaction, the ionotropic receptors (IRs), also require Hh signalling. Thus, Hh signalling is a general regulator of the odorant response that fulfils the criteria of being a potential player in Drosophila odorant adaptation.
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| 7. |
- Alkhori, Liza, et al.
(författare)
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The corepressor Atrophin specifies odorant receptor expression in Drosophila
- 2014
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Ingår i: The FASEB Journal. - : Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. - 0892-6638 .- 1530-6860. ; 28:3, s. 1355-1364
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In both insects and vertebrates, each olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) expresses one odorant receptor (OR) from a large genomic repertoire. How a receptor is specified is a tantalizing question addressing fundamental aspects of cell differentiation. Here, we demonstrate that the corepressor Atrophin (Atro) segregates OR gene expression between OSN classes in Drosophila. We show that the knockdown of Atro result in either loss or gain of a broad set of ORs. Each OR phenotypic group correlated with one of two opposing Notch fates, Notch responding, Nba (N(on)), and nonresponding, Nab (N(off)) OSNs. Our data show that Atro segregates ORs expressed in the Nba OSN classes and helps establish the Nab fate during OSN development. Consistent with a role in recruiting histone deacetylates, immunohistochemistry revealed that Atro regulates global histone 3 acetylation (H3ac) in OSNs and requires Hdac3 to segregate OR gene expression. We further found that Nba OSN classes exhibit variable but higher H3ac levels than the Nab OSNs. Together, these data suggest that Atro determines the level of H3ac, which ensures correct OR gene expression within the Nba OSNs. We propose a mechanism by which a single corepressor can specify a large number of neuron classes.-Alkhori, L., Öst, A., Alenius, M. The corepressor Atrophin specifies odorant receptor expression in Drosophila.
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| 8. |
- Couto, Africa, et al.
(författare)
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Molecular, anatomical, and functional organization of the Drosophila olfactory system
- 2005
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Ingår i: Current Biology. - : Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam.. - 0960-9822 .- 1879-0445. ; 15:17, s. 1535-1547
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) convey chemical information into the brain, producing internal representations of odors detected in the periphery. A comprehensive understanding of the molecular and neural mechanisms of odor detection and processing requires complete maps of odorant receptor (Or) expression and ORN connectivity, preferably at singlecell resolution. Results: We have constructed near-complete maps of Or expression and ORN targeting in the Drosophila olfactory system. These maps confirm the general validity of the "one neuron-one receptor" and "one glomerulus-one receptor" principles and reveal several additional features of olfactory organization. ORNs in distinct sensilla types project to distinct regions of the antenna[ lobe, but neighbor relations are not preserved. ORNs grouped in the same sensilla do not express similar receptors, but similar receptors tend to map to closely appositioned glomeruli in the antennal lobe. This organization may serve to ensure that odor representations are dispersed in the periphery but clustered centrally. Integrated with electrophysiological data, these maps also predict glomerular representations of specific odorants. Representations of aliphatic and aromatic compounds are spatially segregated, with those of aliphatic compounds arranged topographically according to carbon chain length. Conclusions: These Or expression and ORN connectivity maps provide further insight into the molecular, anatomical, and functional organization of the Drosophila olfactory system. Our maps also provide an essential resource for investigating how internal odor representations are generated and how they are further processed and transmitted to higher brain centers.
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| 9. |
- Dzaki, Najat, et al.
(författare)
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A cilia-bound unconventional secretory pathway for Drosophila odorant receptors
- 2024
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Ingår i: BMC Biology. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1741-7007. ; 22:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Post-translational transport is a vital process which ensures that each protein reaches its site of function. Though most do so via an ordered ER-to-Golgi route, an increasing number of proteins are now shown to bypass this conventional secretory pathway.Results: In the Drosophila olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs), odorant receptors (ORs) are trafficked from the ER towards the cilia. Here, we show that Or22a, a receptor of various esters and alcoholic compounds, reaches the cilia partially through unconventional means. Or22a frequently present as puncta at the somatic cell body exit and within the dendrite prior to the cilia base. These rarely coincide with markers of either the intermediary ER-Golgi-intermediate-compartment (ERGIC) or Golgi structures. ERGIC and Golgi also displayed axonal localization biases, a further indication that at least some measure of OR transport may occur independently of their involvement. Additionally, neither the loss of several COPII genes involved in anterograde trafficking nor ERGIC itself affected puncta formation or Or22a transport to the cilium. Instead, we observed the consistent colocalization of Or22a puncta with Grasp65, the sole Drosophila homolog of mammalian GRASP55/Grh1, a marker of the unconventional pathway. The numbers of both Or22a and Grasp65-positive puncta were furthermore increased upon nutritional starvation, a condition known to enhance Golgi-bypassing secretory activity.Conclusions: Our results demonstrate an alternative route of Or22a transport, thus expanding the repertoire of unconventional secretion mechanisms in neurons.
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| 10. |
- Gonzalez Bosca, Alejandra, et al.
(författare)
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Thermodynamic model of gene regulation for the Or59b olfactory receptor in Drosophila
- 2019
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Ingår i: PloS Computational Biology. - : PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE. - 1553-734X .- 1553-7358. ; 15:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Complex eukaryotic promoters normally contain multiple cis-regulatory sequences for different transcription factors (TFs). The binding patterns of the TFs to these sites, as well as the way the TFs interact with each other and with the RNA polymerase (RNAp), lead to combinatorial problems rarely understood in detail, especially under varying epigenetic conditions. The aim of this paper is to build a model describing how the main regulatory cluster of the olfactory receptor Or59b drives transcription of this gene in Drosophila. The cluster-driven expression of this gene is represented as the equilibrium probability of RNAp being bound to the promoter region, using a statistical thermodynamic approach. The RNAp equilibrium probability is computed in terms of the occupancy probabilities of the single TFs of the cluster to the corresponding binding sites, and of the interaction rules among TFs and RNAp, using experimental data of Or59b expression to tune the model parameters. The model reproduces correctly the changes in RNAp binding probability induced by various mutation of specific sites and epigenetic modifications. Some of its predictions have also been validated in novel experiments.
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