Factor analysis of olfactory responses in Drosophila melanogaster enhancer-trap lines as a method for ascertaining common reception components for different odorants.
Olfactory information is transmitted to the brain using combinatorial receptor codes; consequently, a single reception element can be activated by different odorants. Several methods have been applied to describe from a functional point of view those odorants sharing olfactory reception components. A genetic approach in Drosophila melanogaster used correlation between behavioral responses to different odorants for deducing common olfactory pathway-genes. A factor analysis applied to behavioral responses to five odorants of 27 antennal enhancer-trap lines revealed three components, explaining 82.1% of the total observed variance. A first factor affects simultaneously the response to ethyl acetate, propionaldehyde, and acetone. A second factor was related to responses to ethyl acetate, ethyl alcohol, and acetone, and, finally, the third factor associates responses to acetic acid and ethyl acetate. They contribute by 35.1%, 36.9%, and 28%, respectively, to the explained variance.
Martin
Fernando
F
Department of Functional Biology (Genetics), University of Oviedo, Spain.
Kim
Min-Su
MS
Hovemann
Bernard
B
Alcorta
Esther
E
D000818:Animals; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008957:Models, Genetic; D005810:Multigene Family / Q000235:genetics; D009812:Odorants; D009833:Olfactory Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D018035:Receptors, Odorant / Q000235:genetics*; D012903:Smell / Q000235:genetics*
D018035:Receptors, Odorant