An oxygen sensor enables the fly brain to control its size

What is it about?

Throughout the history of our planet, insects have experienced surprising changes in size. In times when the atmosphere contained more oxygen, these tiny beings reached dimensions that would seem gigantic to us today. But how does oxygen influence the size of these animals? We have identified a subunit (Gyc89Db) of the atypical soluble guanylyl cyclase that plays a crucial role in this process. This protein measures the amount of oxygen available and, in response, produces a small signaling molecule called cyclic GMP inside cells. Cyclic GMP acts as a messenger that controls the number of neuroblasts, stem cells that develop into neurons and glia. Thus, the amount of oxygen available seems to directly influence the formation and size of the brain of these insects.

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Photo by Milad Fakurian on Unsplash

Photo by Milad Fakurian on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This study has unraveled a fascinating molecular mechanism that explains how ambient oxygen can regulate the size of the insect brain. We propose that atypical soluble guanylyl cyclase acts as a molecular signal transducer between the environment and developing brain cells.