Population-level morphological analysis of paired CO<sub>2</sub>- and odor-sensing olfactory neurons in <i>D. melanogaster</i> via volume electron microscopy.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40709917.
- Also identified by DOI 10.7554/eLife.106389 and PMC identifier 12296258.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Dendritic morphology is a defining characteristic of neuronal subtypes. In <i>Drosophila</i>, heterotypic olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) expressing different receptors display diverse dendritic morphologies, but whether such diversity exists among homotypic ORNs remains unclear. Using serial block-face scanning electron microscopy on cryofixed tissues, we analyzed the majority of CO<sub>2</sub>-sensing neurons (ab1C) and their odor-sensing neighbors (ab1D) in the <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> antenna. Surprisingly, ab1C neurons featured flattened, sheet-like dendrites-distinct from the cylindrical branches typical of odor-sensing neurons-and displayed remarkable diversity, ranging from plain sheets to tube-like structures that enclose several neighboring dendrites, forming 'dendrite-within-dendrite' structures. Similarly, ab1D dendrites varied from simple, unbranched forms to numerously branched morphologies. These findings suggest that morphological heterogeneity is common even among homotypic ORNs, potentially expanding their functional adaptability and ranges of sensory physiological properties.
Medical subject headings
- Drosophila melanogaster
- Olfactory Receptor Neurons
- Carbon Dioxide