A Conserved Role for Stomatin Domain Genes in Olfactory Behavior

Abstract

AbstractThe highly-conserved stomatin domain has been identified in genes throughout all classes of life. In animals, different stomatin domain-encoding genes have been implicated in the function of the kidney, red blood cells, and specific neuron types, although the underlying mechanisms remain unresolved. In one well-studied example of stomatin domain gene function, theCaenorhabditis elegansgenemec-2and its mouse homologStoml3are required for the function of mechanosensory neurons, where they modulate the activity of mechanosensory ion channels on the plasma membrane. Here, we identify an additional shared function formec-2andStoml3in a very different sensory context, that of olfaction. In worms, we find that a subset of stomatin domain genes are expressed in olfactory neurons, but onlymec-2is strongly required for olfactory behavior.mec-2acts cell-autonomously and multiple alternatively-spliced isoforms ofmec-2can be substituted for each other. We generate aStoml3knock-out (KO) mouse and demonstrate that, like its worm homologmec-2, it is required for olfactory behavior. In mice,Stoml3is not required for odor detection, but is required for odor discrimination. Therefore, in addition to their shared roles in mechanosensory behavior,mec-2andStoml3also have a shared role in olfactory behavior.