A conditional Orco requirement in the somatic cyst cells for maintaining spermatids in a tight bundle in Drosophila testis.
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Date
2016-06
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Abstract
Odorant receptors (OR) heterodimerizes with the OR co-receptor (Orco), forming specific odorant-gated cation
channels, which are key to odor reception at the olfactory sensory neurons (OSN). Mammalian ORs are expressed
in many other tissues, including testis. However, their biological implications are yet to be fully ascertained. In the
mosquito, Orco is localized along the sperm tail and is indicated to maintain fidelity. Here, we show that orco
expresses in Drosophila testis. The levels are higher in the somatic cyst cells. The orco-null mutants are perfectly
fertile at 25°C. At 28°C, the coiled spermatid bundles are severely disrupted. The loss of Orco also disrupts the actin
cap, which forms inside the head cyst cell at the rostral ends of the spermatid nuclei after coiling, and plays a key role
in preventing the abnormal release of spermatids from the cyst enclosure. Both the defects are rescued by the somatic
cyst cell-specific expression of the UAS-orco transgene. These results highlight a novel role of Orco in the somatic
tissue during sperm release.
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Keywords
Actin cap, Drosophila, odorant receptor, Orco, somatic cyst cell, spermiation, testis
Citation
Dubey Pankaj, Joti Prakash, Ray Krishanu. A conditional Orco requirement in the somatic cyst cells for maintaining spermatids in a tight bundle in Drosophila testis. Journal of Biosciences. 2016 June; 41(2): 219-227.