John Carlson

Oct 28, 2024 | cell.com | John Carlson

IntroductionThe identification of suitable mating partners is one of the most ancient problems in biology. The fruit fly D. melanogaster occupies a wide range of habitats and frequently encounters other fly species.1 Such cohabitation raises intriguing questions about the mechanisms by which D. melanogaster distinguishes conspecifics from heterospecifics. To identify mating partners, D.

Oct 16, 2024 | nature.com | John Carlson

Mar 20, 2024 | pnas.org | John Carlson |Amanda Giang |Morgan Edwards |Gaëlle J. S

SignificanceWe found exitrons (exonic introns) in four Odorant receptor (Or) genes of Drosophila. Exitrons are sequences that can be spliced from within a protein-coding exon, thereby altering the encoded protein. We are unaware of previous reports of exitrons in Drosophila. Removal of the exitron from the pheromone receptor gene Or88a creates a non-coding transcript.