Molecular Cell Biochemistry
Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Research program

I. Function of the Ebony protein in synaptic transmission of the compound eye of Drosophila (Dr. rer. nat. Arnd Richardt)

The Drosophila mutant ebony (e) has been detected, as the name implies, due to the dark color of its cuticle. Later it has been shown that, besides melanization and sclerotization of cuticle, the nervous system is affected as well. This becomes apparent in abnormalities of behaviour and vision, especially in a reduction of the visual abilities of the flies. The underlying defect has been located at the site of the first synaptic transmission from the retinula cells of the compound eye to the large monopolar cells of the lamina. Ebony expression has been localized to glial cells, which surround the cartridge structure of the retinula cell axonal endings in the lamina. Our recent in vitro investigations on the enzymatic activity of Ebony showed that it conjugates in a two step reaction mechanism beta-alanine to biogenic amines. This finding might reflect the pleiotropic effect of the ebony mutation.

II. Smell perception in Drosophila (PD Dr. rer. nat. Klemens Störtkuhl)

Volatile odorants are mediators of information over long distances. These chemicals are essential for insects to detect food, mating partners or navigating towards suitable oviposition sites. How do insects smell? We analyze olfactory receptors that have been isolated recently based on their 7 transmembrane domain protein structure. For the first time we succeeded in demonstrating that one of these receptors indeed has olfactory function. This olfactory receptor recognizes four different odorants. The aim of our project is to elucidate the function of olfactory receptors and to understand the principals of olfactory coding.