Cold-sensing TRP channels and temperature preference modulate ovarian development in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Temperature is perceived primarily via Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels, which are integral to the molecular machinery sensing environmental and cellular signals. Functional evidence of TRP channels involvement in regulating cold-induced developmental/reproductive responses remains scarce. Here we show that mutations affecting cold-sensing TRP channels antagonize the reduction of ovarian development induced by low temperatures (reproductive dormancy) in Drosophila melanogaster. More specifically, mutants for brv1, trp, and trpl significantly lowered dormancy levels at 12{degrees}C, and exhibited well-developed oocytes characterized by advanced vitellogenesis. Similarly, functional knockouts for norpA, a gene encoding a phospholipase C acting downstream to Trp and Trpl, exhibited a reduced dormancy response, suggesting that Ca2+ signalling is key to relaying cold-sensing stimuli during dormancy induction and maintenance. Finally, mutants with altered temperature preference (i.e. exhibiting impaired cold or warm avoidance) differentially responded to cold, either lowering or increasing dormancy levels. In summary, our phenotypic analysis provides functional evidence of developmental/reproductive modulation by specific cold-sensing TRP channels in Drosophila melanogaster, and indicates that temperature preference affects developmental processes. As the studied genes are highly conserved and have mammalian homologues, the potential implications of our findings for human metabolism and drug development are also discussed.