title: Scribble is essential for olfactory behavior in Drosophila melanogaster.
abstract: The ability to discriminate and respond to chemical signals from the environment is an almost universal prerequisite for survival. Here, we report that the scaffold protein Scribble is essential for odor-guided behavior in Drosophila. Previously, we identified a P-element insert line with generalized sexually dimorphic smell impairment, smi97B. We found that the transposon in this line is located between the predicted promoter region and the transcription initiation site of scrib. A deficiency in this region, Df(3R)Tl-X, and two scrib null alleles fail to complement the smell-impaired phenotype of smi97B. Wild-type behavior is restored by precise excision of the P element, scrib mRNA levels correspond with mutant and wild-type phenotypes, and introduction of a full-length scrib transgene in the smi97B mutant rescues the olfactory deficit. Expression of Scrib is widespread in olfactory organs and the central nervous system. Finally, alternative splicing of scrib generates transcripts that differ in the number of leucine-rich repeats and PDZ domains.
authors.affiliation: The W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
authors.forename: Indrani
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ganguly
authors.forename: Trudy F C
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Mackay
authors.forename: Robert R H
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Anholt
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001547:Benzaldehydes / Q000494:pharmacology; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D017344:Genes, Insect; D006720:Homozygote; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D007930:Leucine / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D009812:Odorants; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020449:Repetitive Sequences, Amino Acid; D012737:Sex Factors; D012903:Smell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D019076:Transgenes
chemical_list: D001547:Benzaldehydes; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C404683:Scrib protein, Drosophila; D007930:Leucine