Monoacylglycerol acyltransferase maintains ionotropic receptor expression for cool temperature sensing and avoidance in Drosophila

Sensory inputs of temperature dynamics in the environment are essential for appropriate physiological outputs. The responsiveness of sensory neurons is maintained by functional thermosensor expression. However, the mechanism by which their expression is regulated is unclear. In this study, we identified a monoacylglycerol acyltransferase-coding gene named bishu-1 that contributes to maintaining the responsiveness of cool temperature sensing neurons in Drosophila. bishu-1 mutation led to abnormal thermal avoidance in a cool temperature range. Cooling-induced responses in dorsal organ cool cells were weakened by the absence of bishu-1, and this was associated with reduced transcription of the ionotropic receptors IR25a and IR21a through the transcription factor broad. Our findings unveil a novel link between lipid metabolism and thermosensor function, thus providing new insights into mechanisms underlying the appropriate maintenance of sensory inputs.