Hh signalling regulates odorant receptor cilia localization in Drosophila

• 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.

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

ovr (subject category)