title: Function of desiccate in gustatory sensilla of drosophila melanogaster.
abstract: Desiccate (Desi), initially discovered as a gene expressing in the epidermis of Drosophila larvae for protection from desiccation stress, was recently found to be robustly expressed in the adult labellum; however, the function, as well as precise expression sites, was unknown. Here, we found that Desi is expressed in two different types of non-neuronal cells of the labellum, the epidermis and thecogen accessory cells. Labellar Desi expression was significantly elevated under arid conditions, accompanied by an increase in water ingestion by adults. Desi overexpression also promoted water ingestion. In contrast, a knockdown of Desi expression reduced feeding as well as water ingestion due to a drastic decrease in the gustatory sensillar sensitivity for all tested tastants. These results indicate that Desi helps protect insects from desiccation damage by not only preventing dehydration through the integument but also accelerating water ingestion via elevated taste sensitivities of the sensilla.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Saga University, Saga 840-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawano
authors.affiliation: The Analytical Research Center for Experimental Sciences of Saga University, Saga 840-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Masasuke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ryuda
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Saga University, Saga 840-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.affiliation: Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0819, Japan.
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ochiai
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Saga University, Saga 840-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oda
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Graduate School of Sciences, Kyushu University, Hakozaki, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
authors.forename: Teiichi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Cell and Molecular Biology, Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Hungary, H-1117.
authors.forename: Gyorge
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Csikos
authors.affiliation: Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0819, Japan.
authors.forename: Megumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moriya
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Saga University, Saga 840-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayakawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002628:Chemoreceptor Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003681:Dehydration / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004326:Drinking / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004435:Eating / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007814:Larva / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D058618:Sensilla / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013649:Taste / Q000235:genetics; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; C554826:desi protein, Drosophila; D014867:Water