A novel Takeout-like protein expressed in the taste and olfactory organs of the blowfly, Phormia regina.
In insects, the functional molecules responsible for the taste system are still obscure. The gene for a 28.5 kDa protein purified from taste sensilla of the blowfly Phormia regina belongs to a gene family that includes takeout of Drosophila melanogaster. Molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Phormia Takeout-like protein is most similar to the protein encoded by a member of the Drosophila takeout gene family, CG14661, whose expression and function have not been identified yet. Western blot analyses revealed that Phormia Takeout-like protein was exclusively expressed in antennae and labellum of the adult blowfly in both sexes. Immunohistochemical experiments demonstrated that Takeout-like protein was localized around the lamella structure of the auxiliary cells and in the sensillar lymph of the labellar taste sensillum. In antennae, Takeout-like protein was distributed at the base of the olfactory sensilla as well. No significant differences in Takeout-like protein expression were found between the sexes. Our results suggest that Phormia Takeout-like protein is involved in some early events concerned with chemoreception in both the taste and olfactory systems.
Fujikawa
Kazuyo
K
Department of Applied Biology, Faculty of Textile Science, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
Seno
Keiji
K
Ozaki
Mamiko
M
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004175:Diptera / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012903:Smell / Q000235:genetics*; D013649:Taste / Q000235:genetics*
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; C411066:TO protein, Drosophila