Abstract:
Sensory perception of chemical threats coming from an organism\'s environment relies on the coordination of numerous receptors and cell types. In many cases, the physiological processes responsible for driving behavioral responses to chemical cues are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the physiological response of fish to an unpalatable compound, formoside, which is employed as a chemical defense by marine sponges. Construction of fluorescent probe derivatives of formoside allowed visualization of this chemical defense molecule in vivo, interacting with the cells and tissues of the early larvae of a model predator, the zebrafish (Danio rerio). This revealed the precise chemosensory structures targeted by formoside to be in the taste buds and olfactory epithelium of developing zebrafish. Mechanosensory neuromasts were also targeted. This study supports the involvement of a previously identified co-receptor in detection of the chemical defense and provides a springboard for the long-term goal of identification of the cellular receptor of formoside. Extension of this approach to other predators and chemical defenses may provide insight into common mechanisms of chemoreception by predators as well as common strategies of chemical defense employed by prey.
摘要:
对来自生物体环境的化学威胁的感官感知依赖于许多受体和细胞类型的协调。在许多情况下,对驱动对化学线索的行为反应的生理过程知之甚少。这里,我们调查了鱼对一种难吃化合物的生理反应,Formoside,它被用作海洋海绵的化学防御。Formoside的荧光探针衍生物的构建允许该化学防御分子在体内可视化,与模型捕食者的早期幼虫的细胞和组织相互作用,斑马鱼(Daniorerio)。这揭示了Formoside靶向的精确化学感应结构位于发育中的斑马鱼的味蕾和嗅觉上皮中。机械感觉神经管也是目标。这项研究支持先前鉴定的共受体参与化学防御的检测,并为鉴定Formoside细胞受体的长期目标提供了跳板。将这种方法扩展到其他捕食者和化学防御系统,可以深入了解捕食者的化学接受的常见机制以及猎物采用的化学防御的常见策略。