Conserved Molecular Mechanisms that Modulate Olfactory Information Processing and their relationship to Human Diseases

Abstract

Integration of olfactory system information aids in understanding how olfaction can be studied for humans through model organisms. Drosophila melanogaster is useful in representing the basic circuitry of the olfactory system in studying foraging behavior, comparable to humans, through molecules such as insulin, Neuropeptide F, and short Neuropeptide F. The main question was what model organism most appropriately represents similar olfactory modulation to humans in studying diabetes and obesity. Rodents were found to be most representative of human disease states. The molecular importance of leptin and high-sugar diets for diabetes and of leptin and Neuropeptide Y for obesity presents rodents as effective model organisms to studying diabetes and obesity. Further studies will focus on performing rodent research with nasal insulin as a treatment for type 2 diabetes.