Receptor sequence divergence, gain, loss, duplication, and neofunctionalization drive olfactory adaptation in Drosophila suzukii - PubMed
5 hours ago
- #olfactory adaptation
- #gene duplication
- #Drosophila suzukii
- The study examines how olfactory adaptation in Drosophila suzukii drives its shift to preferring ripe fruit over overripe fruit.
- Changes in odorant tuning are linked to modifications in a few olfactory receptor neurons, with some shared with D. biarmipes and others unique to D. suzukii.
- Mechanisms include receptor sequence divergence, coexpression of distinct odorant receptors, amino acid substitutions, gene duplication, and neofunctionalization.
- Four gene duplicates from an ancestral receptor mediate tuning shifts, with two maintaining original responses and two conferring new responses after loss of the ancestral receptor.
- Two receptors involved in these innovations are necessary for attraction to ripe fruit but not for egg-laying preference.