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A cnidarian homologue of an insect gustatory receptor functions in developmental body patterning

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  • Michael Saina

    (Faculty of Biology and Medicine, Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Genopode Building, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland)

  • Henriette Busengdal

    (Sars Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen)

  • Chiara Sinigaglia

    (Sars Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen
    Present address: Developmental Biology Unit, Observatoire Océanologique, 06234 Villefranche-sur-mer, France)

  • Libero Petrone

    (Evolution and Environment, and Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London)

  • Paola Oliveri

    (Evolution and Environment, and Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London)

  • Fabian Rentzsch

    (Sars Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen)

  • Richard Benton

    (Faculty of Biology and Medicine, Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Genopode Building, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland)

Abstract

Insect gustatory and odorant receptors (GRs and ORs) form a superfamily of novel transmembrane proteins, which are expressed in chemosensory neurons that detect environmental stimuli. Here we identify homologues of GRs (Gustatory receptor-like (Grl) genes) in genomes across Protostomia, Deuterostomia and non-Bilateria. Surprisingly, two Grls in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis, NvecGrl1 and NvecGrl2, are expressed early in development, in the blastula and gastrula, but not at later stages when a putative chemosensory organ forms. NvecGrl1 transcripts are detected around the aboral pole, considered the equivalent to the head-forming region of Bilateria. Morpholino-mediated knockdown of NvecGrl1 causes developmental patterning defects of this region, leading to animals lacking the apical sensory organ. A deuterostome Grl from the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus displays similar patterns of developmental expression. These results reveal an early evolutionary origin of the insect chemosensory receptor family and raise the possibility that their ancestral role was in embryonic development.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Saina & Henriette Busengdal & Chiara Sinigaglia & Libero Petrone & Paola Oliveri & Fabian Rentzsch & Richard Benton, 2015. "A cnidarian homologue of an insect gustatory receptor functions in developmental body patterning," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-12, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms7243
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7243
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