RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Nociceptor-enriched genes required for normal thermal nociception JF bioRxiv FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory SP 053413 DO 10.1101/053413 A1 Ken Honjo A1 Stephanie E. Mauthner A1 Yu Wang A1 J. H. Pate Skene A1 W. Daniel Tracey, Jr. YR 2016 UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/05/16/053413.abstract AB Summary Here, we describe a targeted reverse genetic screen for thermal nociception genes of Drosophila larvae. Using laser capture microdissection and microarray analyses of nociceptive and non-nociceptive neurons we identified 275 nociceptor-enriched genes. We then tested the function of the enriched genes with nociceptor-specific RNAi and thermal nociception assays. Tissue specific RNAi targeted against 14 genes caused insensitive thermal nociception while targeting of 22 genes caused hypersensitive thermal nociception. Previously uncategorized genes were named for heat resistance (ie. boilerman, fire dancer, oven mitt, trivet, thawb and bunker gear) or heat sensitivity (firelighter, black match, eucalyptus, primacord, jet fuel, detonator, gasoline, smoke alarm, and jetboil). Insensitive nociception phenotypes were often associated with severely reduced branching of nociceptor neurites and hyperbranched dendrites were seen in two of the hypersensitive cases. Many genes that we identified were not isolated in a prior genome-wide screen, and are evolutionarily conserved in mammals.HighlightsLaser capture microarray analyses identify 275 nociceptor-enriched genesNociceptor-specific RNAi screens implicate 36 genes in thermal nociceptionThe screens identify genes that are newly implicated in nociception signalingHomologues of nociception genes are enriched in mammalian nociceptorseTOC Blurb Using tissue-specific microarray analyses and nociceptor-specific RNAi screens in Drosophila, Honjo et al. identify genes that show enriched expression in nociceptors and with genetic screens find those that are functionally important for thermal nociception. Many of these genes are evolutionarily conserved and had previously unknown functions in nociception.