High impact information on Or43a

• A subset of Or genes is found to be expressed in larval olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) [1].
• Analysis of a deletion mutant lacking Or22a, along with transgenic rescue experiments, confirms the mapping and demonstrates that an Or gene is required for olfactory function in vivo [2].
• The insect chemoreceptor superfamily in Drosophila melanogaster is predicted to consist of 62 odorant receptor (Or) and 68 gustatory receptor (Gr) proteins, encoded by families of 60 Or and 60 Gr genes through alternative splicing [3].
• Electroantennogram recordings from transformed and wild-type flies were used to identify cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone, benzaldehyde, and benzyl alcohol as ligands for the Or43a [4].
• To prove olfactory function of these proteins, we expressed a member of the putative Drosophila OR gene family, Or43a, in Xenopus laevis oocytes [5].

Biological context of Or43a

• In order to gain insight into the principles of olfactory processing in Drosophila, we misexpressed olfactory receptor Or43a in additional olfactory receptor neurons of the third antennal segment using enhancer trap line GH320 [6].
• The convergence of olfactory axons expressing particular odorant receptor (Or) genes on spatially invariant glomeruli in the brain is one of the most dramatic examples of precise axon targeting in developmental neurobiology [7].

Associations of Or43a with chemical compounds

• Or43a mRNA expression in the antenna of transformed and wild-type flies was visualized by in situ hybridization with a digoxigenin-labeled probe [4].
• An increased receptive field of olfactory receptor Or43a in the antennal lobe of Drosophila reduces benzaldehyde-driven avoidance behavior [6].

References