[Press Release] Keep the cool feeling: a lipid enzyme for maintaining cool temperature sensation and avoidance
bishu-1 synthesizes diacylglycerol and maintains the expression of the transcription factor broad. broad binds to the regulatory region of cool receptors IR25a and IR21a to maintain their expression. In wild-type larvae, this mechanism preserves cold avoidance behavior. Disruption of bishu-1 leads to reduced responsiveness of cooling-sensitive neurons (DOCCs) through decreased expression of broad and IRs, causing larva to remain at cool temperatures. Based on this mutant phenotype, we named the gene bishu, which is a Chinese word for “summering”.（Credit ：Takaaki Sokabe／Restriction：none）
Release Summary
Researchers from the National Institute for Physiological Sciences/the Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS)/the Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI) in Japan have identified a monoacylglycerol acyltransferase-coding gene named bishu-1. It is involved in the thermal responsiveness of cool temperature-sensing neurons by regulating ionotropic receptor expression, thereby maintaining the cool temperature avoidance behaviors in Drosophila larvae.
