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Systematics, Evolution, and Biodiversity

10-Minute Paper

SysEB: Evolution On-Demand Presentations

Indolergic odorant receptors are an ancient feature of dipteran olfactory systems

On-Demand
On-Demand
Hundreds of million years of complex chemical ecologies, diverging evolutionary paths, and ecological specializations have shaped the olfactory systems of dipteran flies. Despite their diversity, convergent principles underlie olfactory signaling in these insects. Throughout their evolution, mosquitoes have evolved and maintained the ability to selectively distinguish indole and skatole using olfactory Indolergic Odorant Receptors (indolORs). These IndolORs appeared to be absent in brachyceran flies but the primordial nature of these signaling molecules, used in the three biological domains of life, belied this assumption. Using sequence-based analogy and pharmacological approaches, we have identified and functionally characterized indolOR functional orthologs from the common house fly Musca domestica andthe vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster. Our findings suggest that indolORs are an ancient feature of dipteran olfactory systems and underscore the ecological significance of indoles in these insects.