CO2 is an important source of information for insects.
CO2 is an important source of information for insects. And the receptors that help them to detect it might also be useful for completely different applications.
Mosquitoes in search of blood as well as fruit flies looking for a place to lay their eggs navigate using CO2, which is produced during respiration or in fermentation processes. A complex of various odor receptors that can detect CO2 has already been identified in mosquitoes. Researchers at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, have now shown that individual receptors found in fruit flies can also detect CO2. They also identified molecules that blocked the CO2 receptors. The team headed by Dr. Paul Ziemba, Alina Mück and Professor Klemens Störtkuhl from the Sensory Neuroscience research group reported their findings in the journal PLOS ONE, published online on December 29, 2023.
Individual Receptors Are Also Bble to Detect CO2
In mosquitoes, a receptor complex containing among others the receptors Gr21a and Gr63a is responsible for CO2 detection. However, it was unclear whether CO2 binds directly to the receptors or whether CO2 sensitivity results from the interaction with other proteins. The Bochum-based team was determined to find the answer. To this end, the researchers employed a measuring system that has been established at Ruhr University Bochum for many years. It can be used to examine individual receptors without animal testing and to quickly screen for various odorants.
Read more at Ruhr-University Bochum
Image: Tiny, but revealing: researchers use fruit flies to investigate how insects orientate themselves. (Credit: © RUB, Kramer)
