title: The sensory neurone membrane protein SNMP1 contributes to the sensitivity of a pheromone detection system.
abstract: Male moths detect female-released sex pheromones with extraordinary sensitivity. The remarkable sensory ability is based on a cooperative interplay of pheromone binding proteins in the lymph of hair-like sensilla trichodea and pheromone receptors in the dendrites of sensory neurones. Here we examined whether in Heliothis virescens the so-called 'sensory neurone membrane protein 1' (SNMP1) may contribute to responsiveness to the pheromone component, (Z)-11-hexadecenal (Z11-16:Ald). By means of immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization we demonstrated that SNMP1 is in fact present in cells expressing the Z11-16:Ald receptor HR13 and the dendrites of sensory neurones. To assess a possible function of SNMP1 we monitored the responsiveness of cell lines that expressed HR13 alone or the combination SNMP1/HR13 to stimulation with Z11-16:Ald by calcium imaging. It was found that SNMP1/HR13 cells were 1000-fold more sensitive to pheromone stimulation compared with HR13 cells. In contrast, cells that expressed HR13 and the non-neuronal SNMP2-type showed no change in pheromone sensitivity. Overall, our reconstitution experiments demonstrate that the presence of SNMP1 significantly increases the HR13-based responsiveness of cells to Z11-16:Ald, suggesting that SNMP1 also contributes to the response of the antennal neurones and thus to the remarkable sensitivity of the pheromone detection system.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pregitzer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Greschista
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Breer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krieger
mesh_terms: D000447:Aldehydes / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D057506:Arthropod Antennae; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009036:Moths / Q000502:physiology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018034:Olfactory Receptor Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D043563:Receptors, Pheromone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D058618:Sensilla / Q000378:metabolism*; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000447:Aldehydes; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D043563:Receptors, Pheromone; D012724:Sex Attractants; C106308:sensory neuron membrane protein 1; C061128:11-hexadecenal
keywords: moth; olfaction; pheromone detection; sensilla trichodea; sensory neurone membrane protein