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G‐protein gamma subunit 1 is required for sugar reception in Drosophila
Author(s) -
Ishimoto Hiroshi,
Takahashi Kuniaki,
Ueda Ryu,
Tanimura Teiichi
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.1038/sj.emboj.7600796
Subject(s) - library science , research center , drosophila (subgenus) , biological sciences , biology , genetics , political science , computational biology , computer science , gene , law
Though G‐proteins have been implicated in the primary step of taste signal transduction, no direct demonstration has been done in insects. We show here that a G‐protein gamma subunit, G γ 1 , is required for the signal transduction of sugar taste reception in Drosophila . The G γ 1 gene is expressed mainly in one of the gustatory receptor neurons. Behavioral responses of the flies to sucrose were reduced by the targeted suppression of neural functions of G γ 1 ‐expressing cells using neural modulator genes such as the modified Shaker K + channel (EKO), the tetanus toxin light chain or the shibire ( shi ts1 ) gene. RNA interference targeting to the G γ 1 gene reduced the amount of G γ 1 mRNA and suppressed electrophysiological response of the sugar receptor neuron. We also demonstrated that responses to sugars were lowered in G γ 1 null mutant, G γ 1 N159 . These results are consistent with the hypothesis that G γ 1 participates in the signal transduction of sugar taste reception.