Perception of chemical stimuli from the environment is essential to most animals; accordingly, they are equipped with a complex olfactory system capable of receiving a nearly unlimited number of odorous substances and pheromones. This enormous task is accomplished by olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) arranged in several chemosensory compartments in the nose. The sensitive and selective responsiveness of OSNs to odorous molecules and pheromones is based on distinct receptors in their chemosensory membrane; consequently, olfactory receptors play a key role for a reliable recognition and an accurate processing of chemosensory information. They are therefore considered as key elements for an understanding of the principles and mechanisms underlying the sense of smell. The repertoire of olfactory receptors in mammals encompasses hundreds of different receptor types which are highly diverse and expressed in distinct subcompartments of the nose. Accordingly, they are categorized into several receptor families, including odorant receptors (ORs), vomeronasal receptors (V1Rs and V2Rs), trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs), formyl peptide receptors (FPRs), and the membrane guanylyl cyclase GC-D. This large and complex receptor repertoire is the basis for the enormous chemosensory capacity of the olfactory system.

In locusts, olfaction plays a crucial role for initiating and controlling behaviours, including food seeking and aggregation with conspecifics, which underlie the agricultural pest capacity of the animals. In this context, the molecular basis of olfaction in these insects is of particular interest. Here, we have identified genes of two orthopteran species, Locusta migratoria and Schistocera gregaria, which encode the olfactory receptor co-receptor (Orco). It was found that the sequences of LmigOrco and SgreOrco share a high degree of identity to each other and also to Orco proteins from different insect orders. The Orco-expressing cells in the antenna of S. gregaria and L. migratoria were visualized by in situ hybridization. Orco expression could be assigned to clusters of cells in sensilla basiconica and few cells in sensilla trichodea, most likely representing olfactory sensory neurons. No Orco-positive cells were detected in sensilla coeloconica and sensilla chaetica. Orco expression was found already in all nymphal stages and was verified in some other tissues which are equipped with chemosensory hairs (mouthparts, tarsi, wings). Together, the results support the notion for a decisive role of Orco in locust olfaction.

Pheromone-responsive neurons of insects not only require specific receptors but in addition several auxiliary components, including the “sensory neuron membrane protein,” SNMP. Accordingly, SNMP is considered as a marker for neurons responding to pheromones. For the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria, it is known that the behavior, including aggregation behavior and courtship inhibition, is largely controlled by pheromones. However, little is known about pheromones, their receptors, and the pheromone-responsive cells in locusts. In this study, we have identified two SNMP subtypes, SNMP1 and SNMP2, and compared their phylogenetic relationship and primary structure motifs with SNMPs from other species. Both SNMPs were found in chemosensory tissues, especially the antennae. Employing double in situ hybridization, we identified and localized the SNMP-expressing cells in the antennae. Cells expressing SNMP1 were localized to sensilla trichodea but also to sensilla basiconica, which in locust respond to pheromones. One or a few cells express SNMP1 within the multineuron clusters from sensilla basiconica, whereas the SNMP2 subtype was expressed in cells surrounding the neuron clusters, possibly supporting cells. Based on the finding that SNMP1 is expressed in distinct neurons under chemosensory sensilla, it is conceivable that these cells may represent pheromone-responsive neurons of the desert locust.