# Understanding the Molecular Mechanisms of Thermoreceptors

> **NIH NIH F31** · VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INST AND ST UNIV · 2024 · $45,503

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 Temperature significantly influences physiological processes and behaviors, impacting chemical
reactions, biomolecule activity, and species distribution. Mosquitoes, vectors of diseases like malaria and
dengue, are responsive to temperature cues, shaping survival, reproduction, and host-seeking behaviors. Fruit
flies and mosquitoes utilize the same receptors for innocuous thermosensation, which can be studied in fruit flies
due to the abundance of available genetic tools. Unraveling the cellular, molecular, and neural basis can offer
insights into controlling vector-borne disease transmission.
 Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies) is a model for studying insect thermosensory processes. Its
thermosensory systems rely on manipulable sensory neurons and a balance between high- and low-temperature
activated neurons. Specific neurons, including aristal heating and cooling cells, guide avoidance responses to
temperature shifts. The warm receptor GR28B(D), which is essential for avoiding high temperatures, is not well
understood.
 This proposal will uncover the precise molecular mechanism of GR28B(D) in sensing temperature
changes. I will utilize the CRISPR-Cas9 system to determine critical protein/amino acid domains necessary for
temperature sensing. Employing a top-down strategy, I will systematically identify the critical domains/amino
acids associated with the receptor. The successful execution of this project will reveal significant insight into the
molecular intricacies of temperature sensing in fruit flies. Our approach integrates genetic manipulations,
electrophysiology, advanced imaging, and behavioral analysis to uncover specific roles of Exon 1 and smaller
protein domains in GR28B(D), advancing our understanding of sensory processes in Drosophila melanogaster
and related insects.
 The approaches employed in this proposal offer a breadth of innovative in vitro and in vivo techniques to
the PI. Training for the expertise of these techniques will take place in the sponsor’s laboratory. Throughout the
fellowship, career professional development training will occur through journal clubs, seminars, and associations
at Virginia Tech, as well as at national and regional conferences to prepare the PI for a career as an independent
researcher.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10998428
- **Project number:** 1F31NS139648-01
- **Recipient organization:** VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INST AND ST UNIV
- **Principal Investigator:** Ainul Huda
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $45,503
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2025-01-23 → 2028-01-22

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10998428

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10998428, Understanding the Molecular Mechanisms of Thermoreceptors (1F31NS139648-01). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/10998428. Licensed CC0.

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