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ABSTRACT The ability to detect variations in humidity is critical for many animals. Birds, reptiles and insects all show preferences for specific humidities that influence their mating,

reproduction and geographic distribution1,2. Because of their large surface area to volume ratio, insects are particularly sensitive to humidity, and its detection can influence their

survival3,4,5,6,7. Two types of hygroreceptors exist in insects: one responds to an increase (moist receptor) and the other to a reduction (dry receptor) in humidity4,6,8. Although previous

data indicated that mechanosensation might contribute to hygrosensation6,9, the cellular basis of hygrosensation and the genes involved in detecting humidity remain unknown. To understand

better the molecular bases of humidity sensing, we investigated several genes encoding channels associated with mechanosensation, thermosensing or water transport. Here we identify two

_Drosophila melanogaster_ transient receptor potential channels needed for sensing humidity: CG31284, named by us _water witch_ (_wtrw_), which is required to detect moist air, and

_nanchung_ (_nan_), which is involved in detecting dry air. Neurons associated with specialized sensory hairs in the third segment of the antenna express these channels, and neurons

expressing _wtrw_ and _nan_ project to central nervous system regions associated with mechanosensation. Construction of the hygrosensing system with opposing receptors may allow an organism

to very sensitively detect changes in environmental humidity. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS

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institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS HUMIDITY RESPONSE IN _DROSOPHILA_ OLFACTORY SENSORY NEURONS REQUIRES THE

MECHANOSENSITIVE CHANNEL TMEM63 Article Open access 02 July 2022 GENETIC ATLAS OF HYGRO-AND THERMOSENSORY CELLS IN THE VINEGAR FLY _DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER_ Article Open access 14 September

2023 G PROTEIN-COUPLED RECEPTOR-BASED THERMOSENSATION DETERMINES TEMPERATURE ACCLIMATIZATION OF _CAENORHABDITIS ELEGANS_ Article Open access 23 February 2024 REFERENCES * Sayeed, O. &

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2000) Google Scholar  Download references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We thank T. O. Moninger for help with scanning electron microscopy, Y. Ben-Shahar for discussions, and K. Knudtson and the

University of Iowa DNA Core Facility for assistance with sequencing, oligonucleotide synthesis and real-time PCR experiments. Supported in part by an NRL grant (C.K.). M.J.W. is an

Investigator of the HHMI. AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS L.L. was responsible for molecular cloning, behavioural tests, extracellular electrophysiology, statistical analysis and preparation of the

manuscript. Y.L. performed molecular cloning, transgenic generation, fly genetics and _in situ_ hybridization. R.W. and Q.D. did _in vitro_ _wtrw_ cDNA expression and electrophysiology (data

not shown in manuscript). C.Y. and H.H. were responsible for immunohistochemistry of _wtrw_ and _nan_ promoter expression in the brain. C.K. provided _nan_ mutant, promoter and rescue

flies. M.J.W. supervised the work and wrote the manuscript. AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Departments of Internal Medicine,, Lei Liu, Yuhong Li, Runping Wang, Qian Dong &

 Michael J. Welsh * Departments of Physiology and Biophysics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242,

USA, Runping Wang, Qian Dong & Michael J. Welsh * Department of Cell and Structure Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA, Chong Yin & Huey

Hing * Hormone Research Center, School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Korea Changsoo Kim Authors * Lei Liu View author publications You

can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Yuhong Li View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Runping Wang View author

publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Chong Yin View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Qian Dong View

author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Huey Hing View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Changsoo

Kim View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Michael J. Welsh View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google

Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Michael J. Welsh. ETHICS DECLARATIONS COMPETING INTERESTS The authors declare no competing financial interests. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The file contains Supplementary Footnotes with additional references and Supplementary Figures S1-S9 with Legends. (PDF 5338 kb) RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and

permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Liu, L., Li, Y., Wang, R. _et al._ _Drosophila_ hygrosensation requires the TRP channels water witch and nanchung. _Nature_ 450, 294–298

(2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06223 Download citation * Received: 25 June 2007 * Accepted: 03 September 2007 * Issue Date: 08 November 2007 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06223

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