SNMP1 is critical for sensitive detection of the desert locust aromatic courtship inhibition pheromone phenylacetonitrile.

Background: Accurate detection of pheromones is crucial for chemical communication and reproduction in insects. In holometabolous flies and moths, the sensory neuron membrane protein 1 (SNMP1) is essential for detecting long-chain aliphatic pheromones by olfactory neurons. However, its function in hemimetabolous insects and its role for detecting pheromones of a different chemical nature remain elusive.

A Subset of Odorant Receptors from the Desert Locust Is Co-Expressed with the Sensory Neuron Membrane Protein 1.

In the desert locust (), pheromones are considered to be crucial for governing important behaviors and processes, including phase transition, reproduction, aggregation and swarm formation. The receptors mediating pheromone detection in olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) on the antenna of are unknown. Since pheromone receptors in other insects belong to the odorant receptor (OR) family and are typically co-expressed with the "sensory neuron membrane protein 1" (SNMP1), in our search for putative pheromone receptors of , we have screened the OR repertoire for receptor types that are expressed in SNMP1-positive OSNs.

Access to the odor world: olfactory receptors and their role for signal transduction in insects.

The sense of smell enables insects to recognize and discriminate a broad range of volatile chemicals in their environment originating from prey, host plants and conspecifics. These olfactory cues are received by olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) that relay information about food sources, oviposition sites and mates to the brain and thus elicit distinct odor-evoked behaviors. Research over the last decades has greatly advanced our knowledge concerning the molecular basis underlying the reception of odorous compounds and the mechanisms of signal transduction in OSNs.

A semiquantitative MRI-Score can predict loss of lung function in patients with cystic fibrosis: Preliminary results.

Objectives: To evaluate the applicability of a semiquantitative MRI scoring system (MR-CF-S) as a prognostic marker for clinical course of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease.

Methods: This observational study of a single-centre CF cohort included a group of 61 patients (mean age 12.9 ± 4.