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Journal articles on the topic 'Pheromones'
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1
Fowler, Thomas J., Susan M. DeSimone, Michael F. Mitton, Janet Kurjan, and Carlene A. Raper. "Multiple Sex Pheromones and Receptors of a Mushroom-producing Fungus Elicit Mating in Yeast." Molecular Biology of the Cell 10, no. 8 (August 1999): 2559–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1091/mbc.10.8.2559.
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The mushroom-producing fungus Schizophyllum communehas thousands of mating types defined, in part, by numerous lipopeptide pheromones and their G protein-linked receptors. Compatible combinations of pheromones and receptors encoded by different mating types regulate a pathway of sexual development leading to mushroom formation and meiosis. A complex set of pheromone–receptor interactions maximizes the likelihood of outbreeding; for example, a single pheromone can activate more than one receptor and a single receptor can be activated by more than one pheromone. The current study demonstrates that the sex pheromones and receptors of Schizophyllum, when expressed inSaccharomyces cerevisiae, can substitute for endogenous pheromone and receptor and induce the yeast pheromone response pathway through the yeast G protein. Secretion of activeSchizophyllum pheromone requires some, but not all, of the biosynthetic machinery used by the yeast lipopeptide pheromonea-factor. The specificity of interaction among pheromone–receptor pairs in Schizophyllum was reproduced in yeast, thus providing a powerful system for exploring molecular aspects of pheromone–receptor interactions for a class of seven-transmembrane-domain receptors common to a wide range of organisms.
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Mazzatenta, Andrea, Serena Fiorito, Roberto Guadagnini, Salvatore Genovese, Alberto Valentini, Federica Bonadiman, Sofia Guadagnini, Francesco Epifano, and Adriano Mollica. "The Evanescent Bouquet of Individual Bear Fingerprint." Animals 13, no. 2 (January 6, 2023): 220. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani13020220.
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The evanescent and invisible communication carried by chemical signals, pheromones, or signature mixtures or, as we prefer, the pheromonal individual fingerprint, between members of the same species is poorly studied in mammals, mainly because of the lack of identification of the molecules. The difference between pheromones and the pheromonal individual fingerprint is that the former generate stereotyped innate responses while the latter requires learning, i.e., different receivers can learn different signature mixtures from the same individual. Furthermore, pheromones are usually produced by a particular gland, while the pheromonal individual fingerprint is the entire bouquet produced by the entire secreting gland of the body. In the present study, we aim to investigate the pheromonal individual fingerprint of brown bears in northern Italy. We collected the entire putative pheromone bouquet from all production sites in free-ranging bears and analyzed the entire crude extract to profile the individual fingerprint according to species-, sex- and subjective-specific characteristics. We were able to putatively characterize the brown bears’ pheromonal individual fingerprints and compare them with the partial pheromone identifications published by other studies. This work is a step forward in the study of the complexity of chemical communication, particularly in a solitary endangered species.
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Tirindelli, Roberto, Michele Dibattista, Simone Pifferi, and Anna Menini. "From Pheromones to Behavior." Physiological Reviews 89, no. 3 (July 2009): 921–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00037.2008.
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In recent years, considerable progress has been achieved in the comprehension of the profound effects of pheromones on reproductive physiology and behavior. Pheromones have been classified as molecules released by individuals and responsible for the elicitation of specific behavioral expressions in members of the same species. These signaling molecules, often chemically unrelated, are contained in body fluids like urine, sweat, specialized exocrine glands, and mucous secretions of genitals. The standard view of pheromone sensing was based on the assumption that most mammals have two separated olfactory systems with different functional roles: the main olfactory system for recognizing conventional odorant molecules and the vomeronasal system specifically dedicated to the detection of pheromones. However, recent studies have reexamined this traditional interpretation showing that both the main olfactory and the vomeronasal systems are actively involved in pheromonal communication. The current knowledge on the behavioral, physiological, and molecular aspects of pheromone detection in mammals is discussed in this review.
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Koyama, Sachiko, Helena A. Soini, John Foley, Milos V. Novotny, and Cary Lai. "Pheromone-induced cell proliferation in the murine subventricular zone." Biochemical Society Transactions 42, no. 4 (August 1, 2014): 882–85. http://dx.doi.org/10.1042/bst20140112.
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Enhancement of adult neurogenesis in female mice was previously demonstrated through exposure to soiled bedding from males, although the identity of relevant chemosignals has remained unknown. The farnesenes and SBT (2-sec-butyl-4,5-dihydrothiazole) are male murine pheromones that dominant males secrete at higher levels. Previous studies have shown that they induce oestrus in female mice. We have recently shown that these pheromones strongly increase cell proliferation in the SVZ (subventricular zone) of adult female mice. In addition, we found that a female murine pheromone, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, facilitates similar changes in males. 2,5-dimethylpyrazine is a female pheromone that is secreted when females are housed in large groups and it was originally found to suppress oestrus in females. We found that it does not have suppressive effect on the cell proliferation in the SVZ of females. Similarly, male murine pheromones, SBT and the farnesenes, do not show a suppressive effect on the cell proliferation in the SVZ of males. Our results demonstrated that pheromonal communication between males and females has strong stimulatory effect on both the reproductive physiology and brain cell proliferation, but intrasex pheromonal exchanges do not reduce progenitor proliferation in these brain regions.
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Jumean, Zaid, Eloise Rowland, Gary J. R. Judd, and Gerhard Gries. "Male and female Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Olethreutidae) larvae produce and respond to aggregation pheromone." Canadian Entomologist 136, no. 6 (December 2004): 871–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.4039/n04-050.
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Insect aggregation pheromones are defined as chemical substances produced by members of one or both sexes that induce members of both sexes to form aggregations (Borden 1984). Aggregation pheromones are typically emitted by and attract adult insects. Interestingly, larvae of the codling moth, Cydia pomonella L. (Lepidoptera: Olethreutidae), seeking pupation sites will aggregate in response to pheromone produced by cocoon-spinning conspecific larvae (Duthie et al. 2003). Such aggregations may be part of a mating strategy in which protandrous males are arrested by sex pheromone emanating from mature female pupae, thus allowing mating to ensue as soon as a female moth ecloses (Duthie et al. 2003). The cocoon-derived pheromone also attracts the specialist prepupal parasitoid Mastrus ridibundus Gravenhorst (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), which “eavesdrops” on pheromonal communication of cocoon-spinning larvae (Jumean et al. 2004).
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Balykina, E. B., V. E. Glebov, D. A. Korzh, N. I. Kulakova, A. E. Nesterenkova, V. M. Rastegaeva, N. N. Trikoz, and A. K. Sharmagiy. "Development of a pheromone preparation for the detection and monitoring of boxwood moth Cydalima perspectalis Walker." Bulletin of the State Nikitsky Botanical Gardens, no. 134 (April 9, 2020): 138–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.36305/0513-1634-2020-134-138-143.
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The results of field tests of different variants of synthetic pheromone blends and pheromone dispenser developed by the Department of synthesis and application of pheromones of the FSFI " All-Russia Plant Quarantine Center" for identification and monitoring boxwood moth is a dangerous invasive pest of boxwood in the Republic of the Crimea; the optimal material of the pheromone’s carrier is determined, the effective ratio and dosage are proposed.
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Wu, Chunyan, Feng Zhang, Youssef Dewer, Jinping Zhang, and Fengqi Li. "Exploration of Candidate Genes Involved in the Biosynthesis, Regulation and Recognition of the Male-Produced Aggregation Pheromone of Halyomorpha halys." Insects 14, no. 2 (February 8, 2023): 163. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects14020163.
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The aggregation pheromone of the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål), is produced by adult males, and plays an important role in the behavioral regulation of H. halys. However, information on the molecular mechanisms underlying this pheromone’s biosynthesis is limited. In this study, HhTPS1, a key candidate synthase gene in the aggregation pheromone biosynthesis pathway of H. halys, was identified. Then, through weighted gene co-expression network analysis, the candidate P450 enzyme genes in the biosynthetic downstream of this pheromone and the related candidate transcription factor in this pathway were also identified. In addition, two olfactory-related genes, HhCSP5 and HhOr85b, involved in the recognition of the aggregation pheromone of H. halys, were detected. We further identified the key amino acid sites of HhTPS1 and HhCSP5 that interact with substrates by using molecular docking analysis. This study provides basic information for further investigations into the biosynthesis pathways and recognition mechanisms of aggregation pheromones in H. halys. It also provides key candidate genes for bioengineering bioactive aggregation pheromones necessary for the development of technologies for the monitoring and control of H. halys.
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Rajchard, J. "Sex pheromones in amphibians: a review ." Veterinární Medicína 50, No. 9 (March 28, 2012): 385–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.17221/5637-vetmed.
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Amphibians are interesting animals, very often kept by aquarists and vivarists. Their ability of intraspecific chemical signalization belongs to very interesting biological features. The skin glands of anurans secrete various biologically active compounds. The pheromones are peptides consisting of various numbers of amino acid residues and their synthesis is regulated by hormones (e.g. prolactin and androgens). Similarly, the responsiveness of the vomeronasal epithelium to some of these compounds is enhanced by some hormonal substances (prolactin and oestrogen). Hypophyseal hormones, arginine vasotocin and gonadotropin-releasing hormone are involved in the humoral regulation of pheromone discharge. The storage of some compounds with pheromonal activity in a biologically inactive form was also proved. The pheromones have an important role in sexual relationships. These chemosignals increase female receptivity and are probably involved in the mate choice. The courtship pheromone signals may be conserved across related species. Chemosignals play an important role in female attraction and/or territorial announcement. In addition to sex pheromones, various neuropeptides, antimicrobial and other biologically active peptides were found in skin glands of these amphibians. The infochemical system can be disturbed by a chemical influence in the environment.
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Chalissery, Jaime M., Asim Renyard, Regine Gries, Danielle Hoefele, Santosh Kumar Alamsetti, and Gerhard Gries. "Ants Sense, and Follow, Trail Pheromones of Ant Community Members." Insects 10, no. 11 (November 1, 2019): 383. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects10110383.
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Ants deposit trail pheromones that guide nestmates to food sources. We tested the hypotheses that ant community members (Western carpenter ants, Camponotus modoc; black garden ants, Lasius niger; European fire ants, Myrmica rubra) (1) sense, and follow, each other’s trail pheromones, and (2) fail to recognize trail pheromones of allopatric ants (pavement ants, Tetramorium caespitum; desert harvester ants, Novomessor albisetosus; Argentine ants, Linepithema humilis). In gas chromatographic-electroantennographic detection analyses of a six-species synthetic trail pheromone blend (6-TPB), La. niger, Ca. modoc, and M. rubra sensed the trail pheromones of all community members and unexpectedly that of T. caespitum. Except for La. niger, all species did not recognize the trail pheromones of N. albisetosus and Li. humilis. In bioassays, La. niger workers followed the 6-TPB trail for longer distances than their own trail pheromone, indicating an additive effect of con- and hetero-specific pheromones on trail-following. Moreover, Ca. modoc workers followed the 6-TPB and their own trail pheromones for similar distances, indicating no adverse effects of heterospecific pheromones on trail-following. Our data show that ant community members eavesdrop on each other’s trail pheromones, and that multiple pheromones can be combined in a lure that guides multiple species of pest ants to lethal food baits.
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Pham, Hieu T., Kathryn B. McNamara, and Mark A. Elgar. "Socially cued anticipatory adjustment of female signalling effort in a moth." Biology Letters 16, no. 12 (December 2020): 20200614. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2020.0614.
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Juvenile population density has profound effects on subsequent adult development, morphology and reproductive investment. Yet, little is known about how the juvenile social environment affects adult investment into chemical sexual signalling. Male gumleaf skeletonizer moths, Uraba lugens, facultatively increase investment into antennae (pheromone receiving structures) when reared at low juvenile population densities, but whether there is comparable adjustment by females into pheromone investment is not known. We investigate how juvenile population density influences the ‘calling' (pheromone-releasing) behaviour of females and the attractiveness of their pheromones. Female U. lugens adjust their calling behaviour in response to socio-sexual cues: adult females reared in high juvenile population densities called earlier and for longer than those from low juvenile densities. Juvenile density also affected female pheromonal attractiveness: Y-maze olfactometer assays revealed that males prefer pheromones produced by females reared at high juvenile densities. This strategic investment in calling behaviour by females, based on juvenile cues that anticipate the future socio-sexual environment, likely reflects a response to avoid mating failure through competition with neighbouring signallers.
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Mori, Kenji. "Recent results in the synthesis of ecologically important bioregulators." Pure and Applied Chemistry 73, no. 3 (January 1, 2001): 601–6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1351/pac200173030601.
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Absolute configuration was established for the following semiochemicals: (S)-polyzonimine (1), (S)-9-methylgermacrene-B (2) and (1S,3S,7R)-3-methyl-a-himachalene (3). The stereoisomers of 2,6-dimethylheptane-1,7-diol monotetrahydropyranyl ether served as useful building blocks for the synthesis of syn- or anti-1,5-dimethylated aliphatic pheromones such as 4 and 5. Synthesis of analogs of the Israeli pine bast scale pheromone 6, which exhibits both pheromonal and kairomonal activities, enabled us to find a strong pheromone mimic 7 without any kairomonal activity.
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Rahman-Soad, Asifur, Norbert Bittner, and Monika Hilker. "Pine Response to Sawfly Pheromones: Effects on Sawfly’s Oviposition and Larval Growth." Insects 15, no. 6 (June 19, 2024): 458. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects15060458.
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Insect pheromones have been intensively studied with respect to their role in insect communication. However, scarce knowledge is available on the impact of pheromones on plant responses, and how these in turn affect herbivorous insects. A previous study showed that exposure of pine (Pinus sylvestris) to the sex pheromones of the pine sawfly Diprion pini results in enhanced defenses against the eggs of this sawfly; the egg survival rate on pheromone-exposed pine needles was lower than that on unexposed pine. The long-lasting common evolutionary history of D. pini and P. sylvestris suggests that D. pini has developed counter-adaptations to these pine responses. Here, we investigated by behavioral assays how D. pini copes with the defenses of pheromone-exposed pine. The sawfly females did not discriminate between the odor of pheromone-exposed and unexposed pine. However, when they had the chance to contact the trees, more unexposed than pheromone-exposed trees received eggs. The exposure of pine to the pheromones did not affect the performance of larvae and their pupation success. Our findings indicate that the effects that responses of pine to D. pini sex pheromones exert on the sawfly eggs and sawfly oviposition behavior do not extend to effects on the larvae.
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Park, Joo, Park, and Paik. "Ascaroside Pheromones: Chemical Biology and Pleiotropic Neuronal Functions." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 20, no. 16 (August 9, 2019): 3898. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms20163898.
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Pheromones are neuronal signals that stimulate conspecific individuals to react to environmental stressors or stimuli. Research on the ascaroside (ascr) pheromones in Caenorhabditis elegans and other nematodes has made great progress since ascr#1 was first isolated and biochemically defined in 2005. In this review, we highlight the current research on the structural diversity, biosynthesis, and pleiotropic neuronal functions of ascr pheromones and their implications in animal physiology. Experimental evidence suggests that ascr biosynthesis starts with conjugation of ascarylose to very long-chain fatty acids that are then processed via peroxisomal β-oxidation to yield diverse ascr pheromones. We also discuss the concentration and stage-dependent pleiotropic neuronal functions of ascr pheromones. These functions include dauer induction, lifespan extension, repulsion, aggregation, mating, foraging and detoxification, among others. These roles are carried out in coordination with three G protein-coupled receptors that function as putative pheromone receptors: SRBC-64/66, SRG-36/37, and DAF-37/38. Pheromone sensing is transmitted in sensory neurons via DAF-16-regulated glutamatergic neurotransmitters. Neuronal peroxisomal fatty acid β-oxidation has important cell-autonomous functions in the regulation of neuroendocrine signaling, including neuroprotection. In the future, translation of our knowledge of nematode ascr pheromones to higher animals might be beneficial, as ascr#1 has some anti-inflammatory effects in mice. To this end, we propose the establishment of pheromics (pheromone omics) as a new subset of integrated disciplinary research area within chemical ecology for system-wide investigation of animal pheromones.
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Zeng, Fangfang, Haixin Jiang, Haoqi Xu, Ruotong Shen, and Dianxuan Wang. "Comparative Transcriptomics Analysis Reveals Rusty Grain Beetle’s Aggregation Pheromone Biosynthesis Mechanism in Response to Starvation." Insects 15, no. 2 (February 19, 2024): 137. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects15020137.
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Pheromones are the basis of insect aggregation, mating, and other behaviors. Cucujoid grain beetles produce macrocyclic lactones as aggregation pheromones, yet research on their biosynthesis at the molecular level remains limited. The rusty grain beetle, C. ferrugineus, is an important economic species in China. Although two aggregation pheromone components have been identified, their suspected biosynthesis via the MVA pathway and the FAS pathway lacks molecular elucidation. Previous evidence supports that starvation affects the production of aggregation pheromones. Therefore, we constructed comparative transcriptome libraries of pheromone production sites in C. ferrugineus under starvation stress and identified genes related to pheromone biosynthesis and hormone regulation. A total of 2665 genes were significantly differentially expressed, of which 2029 genes were down-regulated in starved beetles. Putative C. ferrugineus genes directly involved in pheromone biosynthesis were identified, as well as some genes related to the juvenile hormone (JH) pathway and the insulin pathway, both of which were depressed in the starved beetles, suggesting possible functions in pheromone biosynthesis and regulation. The identification of genes involved in macrolide lactone biosynthesis in vivo holds great significance, aiding in the elucidation of the synthesis and regulatory mechanisms of cucujoid grain beetle pheromones.
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Riga, Ekaterini, and Barbara M. MacKinnon. "Chemical communication in Heligmosomoides polygyrus (Nematoda: Trichostrongylida): the effect of age and sexual status of attracting and responding worms and localization of the sites of pheromone production in the female." Canadian Journal of Zoology 66, no. 9 (September 1, 1988): 1943–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z88-284.
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Pheromones, specifically sex and aggregation pheromones, have been found in both immature and mature male and female Heligmosomoides polygyrus. "Heterosexual" (male–female and female–male in responder–target positions) experiments using mature, 12-day-old worms showed a significantly greater attraction to target worms than did similar experiments using immature, 9-day-old worms. "Homosexual" (male–male and female–female) experiments using mature worms were not significantly different from similar experiments using immature worms. The strength of the pheromonal system influencing heterosexual interactions appears to be dependent on the maturity of worms in both the target and responder positions, mature worms being both more attractive and more responsive than immature worms. To determine the site of pheromone production in female worms, various homogenized tissues from females were tested for their attractiveness to males. Male nematodes responded more rapidly toward homogenized uterus containing fertilized eggs than toward homogenates of fertilized eggs only, unfertilized oocytes, or the intestinal tract of female worms. The source of the female-produced pheromone seems to be the uterine epithelium.
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Khandayataray, P., M. K. Murthy, D. Samal, and G. Gurusubramanian. "Sustainable Integrated Pest Management using Pheromones: Types, Synthesis, Mechanism of Action and Applications." Research Journal of Biotechnology 19, no. 2 (December 28, 2023): 140–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.25303/1902rjbt1400157.
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Integrated pest management (IPM) strategies have been developed to combat the health, environmental and organismal adverse effects of conventional pesticides. It is possible to control agricultural and forestry pests by using insect pheromones. Recently, pheromone research has been influenced significantly by advances in agriculture as well as in technical aspects. Pheromone research is discussed in this review including synthesis, mechanism and application in integrated pest management. Moreover, the synthesis of certain chiral, racemic, monoolefinic and poly-olefinic pheromones has evolved a standard method for the manufacture of similar compounds. IPM is concluded with an in-depth discussion of pheromones' role in IPM. Further, it provides faster directions to organic chemists and entomologists in the development of eco-friendly tools. Future green agriculture will depend heavily on pheromones for its sustainability.
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Jacobs, Katherine C., and Daniel J. Lew. "Pheromone Guidance of Polarity Site Movement in Yeast." Biomolecules 12, no. 4 (March 26, 2022): 502. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/biom12040502.
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Cells’ ability to track chemical gradients is integral to many biological phenomena, including fertilization, development, accessing nutrients, and combating infection. Mating of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae provides a tractable model to understand how cells interpret the spatial information in chemical gradients. Mating yeast of the two different mating types secrete distinct peptide pheromones, called a-factor and α-factor, to communicate with potential partners. Spatial gradients of pheromones are decoded to guide mobile polarity sites so that polarity sites in mating partners align towards each other, as a prerequisite for cell-cell fusion and zygote formation. In ascomycetes including S. cerevisiae, one pheromone is prenylated (a-factor) while the other is not (α-factor). The difference in physical properties between the pheromones, combined with associated differences in mechanisms of secretion and extracellular pheromone metabolism, suggested that the pheromones might differ in the spatial information that they convey to potential mating partners. However, as mating appears to be isogamous in this species, it is not clear why any such signaling difference would be advantageous. Here we report assays that directly track movement of the polarity site in each partner as a way to understand the spatial information conveyed by each pheromone. Our findings suggest that both pheromones convey very similar information. We speculate that the different pheromones were advantageous in ancestral species with asymmetric mating systems and may represent an evolutionary vestige in yeasts that mate isogamously.
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Hefetz, Abraham. "The critical role of primer pheromones in maintaining insect sociality." Zeitschrift für Naturforschung C 74, no. 9-10 (September 25, 2019): 221–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/znc-2018-0224.
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Abstract Primer pheromones play a pivotal role in the biology and social organization of insect societies. Despite their importance, they have been less studied because of the complexity of the required bioassays and, consequently, only a few of them have been chemically identified to date. The major primer pheromones are that of the queen pheromones that regulate reproductive skew and maintain colony cohesion and function. From a theoretical viewpoint, several features regarding the chemistry of queen pheromones can be predicted. They should be generally nonvolatile in order to avoid saturation of the colony space, which might otherwise hamper their perception because of sensory habituation. Accordingly, they should be actively dispersed throughout the colony by workers. The queen pheromone should also be caste-specific, qualitatively different from any worker pheromone, and preferably multicomponent, to allow unequivocal identification of the queen. The bi-potency of the female larvae in social Hymenoptera to become queen or worker necessitates strict regulation over pheromone production. Indeed, in the honeybee, the biosynthetic pathways as well as the genomic expressions are completely disparate between queens and workers. Future advances in chemical analyses, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics will enrich our understanding of the chemistry, mechanisms, and crucial role that primer pheromones play in social evolution.
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Tabata, Jun, Ryoko T. Ichiki, Chie Moromizato, and Kenji Mori. "Sex pheromone of a coccoid insect with sexual and asexual lineages: fate of an ancestrally essential sexual signal in parthenogenetic females." Journal of The Royal Society Interface 14, no. 128 (March 2017): 20170027. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2017.0027.
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Sex pheromones play a central role in intersexual communication for reproduction in many organisms. Particularly in insects, reproductive isolation that leads to speciation is often achieved by shifts of pheromone chemistries. However, the divergence and evolution of pheromones remain largely unknown. This study reveals a unique evolutionary consequence for terpenoid pheromones in coccoid insects. Coccoids, such as mealybugs, show clear sexual dimorphism: males are dwarf and short-lived, whereas females are wingless and almost immobile. Female pheromones are therefore indispensable for males to navigate for sexual reproduction, but some females can reproduce asexually. Interestingly, a derived asexual lineage that reproduces by parthenogenesis coexists with its ancestral lineage that reproduces sexually in a population of the pineapple mealybug, Dysmicoccus brevipes . Here, we isolated, characterized and synthesized a novel monoterpene, (−)-( anti -1,2-dimethyl-3-methylenecyclopentyl)acetaldehyde, as a pheromone of the sexual females of D . brevipes . This monoterpene aldehyde, with an irregular linkage of isoprene units, is notable, because all mealybug pheromones previously reported are carboxylic esters of terpenols. This compound was, however, never produced by the asexual females. As a consequence of acquiring parthenogenetic reproduction, the asexual females appear to have abandoned the production of the sex pheromone, which had been essential to attracting males in their ancestors.
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Brenes-Torres, Juan Carlos, Francisco Blanes, and José Simo. "Magnetic Trails: A Novel Artificial Pheromone for Swarm Robotics in Outdoor Environments." Computation 10, no. 6 (June 15, 2022): 98. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/computation10060098.
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Swarm robotics finds inspiration in nature to model behaviors, such as the use of pheromone principles. Pheromones provide an indirect and decentralized communication scheme that have shown positive experimental results. Real implementations of pheromones have suffered from slow sensors and have been limited to controlled environments. This paper presents a novel technology to implement real pheromones for swarm robotics in outdoor environments by using magnetized ferrofluids. A ferrofluid solution, with its deposition and magnetization system, is detailed. The proposed substance does not possess harmful materials for the environment and can be safely handled by humans. Validation demonstrates that the substance represents successfully pheromone characteristics of locality, diffusion and evaporation on several surfaces in outdoor conditions. Additionally, the experiments show an improvement over the chemical representation of pheromones by using magnetic substances and existing magnetometer sensor technologies, which provide better response rates and recovery periods than MOX chemical sensors. The present work represents a step toward swarm robotics experimentation in uncontrolled outdoor environments. In addition, the presented pheromone technology may be use by the broad area of swarm robotics for robot exploration and navigation.
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Na, Su-Mi, Gue-Il Im, Woon-Seok Lee, and Dong-Gun Kim. "Assessment of Attractant Combinations for the Management of Red Palm Weevils (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) in the United Arab Emirates." Insects 15, no. 4 (March 22, 2024): 218. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects15040218.
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This study examined red palm weevil ecology in the United Arab Emirates to develop effective food baits, pheromone, and eco-friendly trapping methods. Three phases of investigation were conducted (from June to December 2023) on date palm farms in Ras Al Khaimah and Abu Dhabi. The first two phases, each 15 days long, were conducted in Ras Al Khaimah, whereas the third phase, 18 days long, was conducted in Abu Dhabi. Chemical attractants, such as existing pheromones and ethyl acetate, a newly synthesized ferruginol pheromone, and food baits, such as original dates, date paste, coconut water, and date palm syrup, were used to attract the weevils. Multi-funnel traps containing various attractant mixes were tested. The main activity of the red palm weevils was observed from 3:00 to 6:00 a.m., with 85.72 ± 3.39% being captured during this period, coinciding with cooler temperatures. When pheromones were added to the food bait, the capture rate increased by 6.95 ± 1.81 times. Combining food bait, ethyl acetate, and pheromones improved the capture rates by 3.14 ± 0.69 times compared to pheromones alone. The newly synthesized pheromone achieved capture rates 2.69 ± 0.07 times higher than those of the commercially available pheromone, confirming its suitability as a red palm weevil attractant.
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Li, X., S. Geng, Z. Zhang, J. Zhang, W. Li, J. Huang, W. Lin, Y. Bei, and Y. Lu. "Species-specific aggregation pheromones contribute to coexistence in two closely related thrips species." Bulletin of Entomological Research 109, no. 1 (May 21, 2018): 119–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0007485318000366.
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AbstractPheromones play an important role in mediating interspecific interactions in insects. In an insect community, pheromones can reveal information about the senders, which could be used by other members of the food web (competitor, natural enemies, etc.) to their own advantage. The aggregation pheromones of two closely related thrips species,Frankliniella occidentalisandFrankliniella intonsa, have been identified with the same major compounds, (R)-lavandulyl acetate and neryl (S)-2-methylbutanoate, but in different ratios. However, the roles of the aggregation pheromones in the interspecific interactions between these two closely related species are unknown. Here, we investigated the roles of major aggregation pheromone compounds in interspecific interactions betweenF. occidentalisandF. intonsafor both long and short ranges. The results showed that, at tested doses, neither aggregation pheromone-induced long range cross-attraction nor short range cross-mating was detected betweenF. occidentalisandF. intonsa. Field-trapping trials showed that the species-specificity in aggregation pheromones was regulated by the ratio of two major compounds. However, species-specific blends of the two major compounds had no effect on short-range interactions between these two species. Our data from the thrips species provide support for the ‘aggregation model of coexistence’, explaining the species-specific pheromone-mediated coexistence of closely related species. Thus, species-specific pheromones could be one of the factors affecting population dynamics and community structure in closely related insects with similar niches.
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Harari, Ally R., and Hadass Steinitz. "The evolution of female sex pheromones." Current Zoology 59, no. 4 (August 1, 2013): 569–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/czoolo/59.4.569.
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Abstract The role of female sex pheromones in natural selection, particularly as a means for species recognition to avoid the generation of hybrid offspring with low fitness, has been widely explored and is generally accepted by scholars. However, the significance of sex pheromones in shaping mate choice (sexual selection) and in competition over breeding resources (social selection) has been largely ignored. The effect of sexual selection on sex pheromones as a sexually dimorphic signaling trait has been discounted because the amount of pheromone released by females is typically minute, while the role of sex pheromones in competition over breeding resources (other than mates) has not yet been considered. As a result of natural selection, variation in sex pheromones among females is expected to be low, and males are not expected to choose their mates among phero-mone-releasing conspecific females. Sexual selection, on the other hand, should drive the increase in pheromone variance among females, and males are expected to choose females based on this variation. Moreover, social selection resulting from more general social interactions, for example competition among females for breeding sites and food, should also promote variance among female sex pheromones. Here, we review the current evidence for each of the three selection processes acting on sex pheromones of female moths as an advertising trait. We suggest that the three selection types are not mutually exclusive but rather act together to promote different fitness components in diverse ecological situations.
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Haniotakis, G. E., and Α. Vassiliou-Waite. "Effect of Combining Food and Sex Attractants on the Capture of Dacus oleae Flies." ENTOMOLOGIA HELLENICA 5 (May 31, 2017): 27. http://dx.doi.org/10.12681/eh.13944.
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Sex pheromonal compounds i.e. the most potent male attractants, and ammonia, one of the most potent female attractants available today for Dacus oleae (Gmelin), were combined on the same trap. This combination resulted in an overall increase of female captures as compared to those of ammonia alone, but a decrease of male captures as compared to those of pheromone alone. Deviations from this overall effect were observed during certain periods of the year and are caused by varying environmental and biological factors which influence insect response to pheromones. Explanations for these results based on recent findings concerning the pheromone system of D. oleae are presented here.
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Jaffe, Klaus, Solange Issa, and Cristina Sainz-Borgo. "Chemical Recruitment for Foraging in Ants (Formicidae) and Termites (Isoptera): A Revealing Comparison." Psyche: A Journal of Entomology 2012 (2012): 1–11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/694910.
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All termites secrete trail pheromones from their sternal gland, whereas ants use a variety of glands for this purpose. This and the diversity of chemical compounds that serve as trail pheromones among ants, and the uniformity of chemicals among termite trails, suggest a different evolutionary historical dynamics for the development of chemical mass recruitment in both taxa. Termites in addition show pheromonal parsimony. This suggest a single evolutionary origin of pheromone trails in Isoptera, whereas chemical mass recruitment among Formicidae seems to have evolved many times and in different ways. Despite these very different evolutionary histories, both taxa evolved chemical recruitment systems involving attractants and orientation signals, and at least two divergent decision making system for recruitment. This evolutionary analogy suggests that chemical mass recruitment is constraint by fundamental physical dynamic laws. Artificial intelligence including “mass intelligence” and “ant intelligence”, emulates mass recruitment in interacting virtual agents in search of optimal solutions. This approach, however, has copied only the “Democratic” recruitment dynamics with a single compound pheromone. Ant and termite evolution shows more sophisticated recruitment dynamics which, if understood properly, will improve our understanding of nature and applications of artificial “swarm intelligence”.
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Fowler, Thomas J., Michael F. Mitton, Lisa J. Vaillancourt, and Carlene A. Raper. "Changes in Mate Recognition Through Alterations of Pheromones and Receptors in the Multisexual Mushroom FungusSchizophyllum commune." Genetics 158, no. 4 (August 1, 2001): 1491–503. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/genetics/158.4.1491.
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AbstractSchizophyllum commune has thousands of mating types defined in part by numerous lipopeptide pheromones and their G-protein-coupled receptors. These molecules are encoded within multiple versions of two redundantly functioning B mating-type loci, Bα and Bβ. Compatible combinations of pheromones and receptors, produced by individuals of different B mating types, trigger a pathway of fertilization required for sexual development. Analysis of the Bβ2 mating-type locus revealed a large cluster of genes encoding a single pheromone receptor and eight different pheromones. Phenotypic effects of mutations within these genes indicated that small changes in both types of molecules could significantly alter their specificity of interaction. For example, a conservative amino acid substitution in a pheromone resulted in a gain of function toward one receptor and a loss of function with another. A two-amino-acid deletion from a receptor precluded the mutant pheromone from activating the mutant receptor, yet this receptor was activated by other pheromones. Sequence comparisons provided clues toward understanding how so many variants of these multigenic loci could have evolved through duplication and mutational divergence. A three-step model for the origin of new variants comparable to those found in nature is presented.
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Andiko, Fendi, Muhammad Indar Pramudi, and Samharinto Soedijo. "Efektivitas Beberapa Jenis Feromon Organik Sebagai Atraktan Lalat Buah Pada Tanaman Cabai." JURNAL PROTEKSI TANAMAN TROPIKA 6, no. 1 (January 27, 2023): 589–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.20527/jptt.v6i1.1695.
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Red chili (Capsicum annuum L.) is a commodity that has high economic value, but the potential loss experienced in chili cultivation is also quite high, because chili is quite vulnerable to fruit fly pests. This study aims to determine the response of fruit flies to the use of pheromones derived from various kinds of fruit peels and flesh added with yeast (organic pheromones). This research took place on chili farmers' land located in the village of Tambak Langsat, West Ulin Platform, Banjarbaru City. This study used a randomized block design (RBD) with 11 treatments including the control. The results showed that the treatment given organic pheromones was able to trap fruit flies. Of all the pheromones that were most effective at getting lots of fruit flies was the chili pheromone (0.2 ml) with a catch of 25 individuals and for organic pheromones that were less effective was the mango pheromone (0.2 ml) with a catch of 4 individuals. The type of fruit fly B. dorsalis dominates of the four species with the Diversity Index (H´) of fruit flies being classified as moderate, namely 1.1082, the Dominance Index (D) being high 1 and for fruit flies dominating B. dorsalis.
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Lyons-Yerion, Claudia D., James D. Barbour, Judith A. Mongold-Diers, Christopher J. Williams, and Stephen P. Cook. "Identification of a Male-Produced Volatile Pheromone for Phymatodes dimidiatus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) and Seasonal Flight Phenology of Four Phymatodes Species Endemic to the North American Intermountain West." Environmental Entomology 49, no. 5 (September 4, 2020): 1077–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvaa092.
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Abstract Research over the last 15 yr has shown widespread pheromone parsimony within the coleopteran family Cerambycidae, with a number of highly conserved pheromone motifs, often shared within and across subfamilies, tribes, and genera. Our goals were to increase our understanding of the evolution of volatile pheromones within the Cerambycidae, their role in reproductive isolation and to identify pheromones for use in the development of lures for monitoring cerambycids. Over 3 yr, we tested 12 compounds known to be cerambycid pheromones as possible attractants at sites across Idaho. This study focused on species within the cerambycine genus Phymatodes (Tribe: Callidiini). We also collected and analyzed headspace volatiles of captured Phymatodes dimidiatus (Kirby). Our results demonstrate that (R)-2-methylbutan-1-ol is a male-produced volatile pheromone for P. dimidiatus. These results are consistent with prior research suggesting that (R)-2-methylbutan-1-ol and (R)-3-hydroxyhexan-2-one, individually or in a blend of both compounds, commonly serve as pheromones for Phymatodes spp. We captured Phymatodes starting in mid-May, continuing through mid-August. Our data indicate that flight periods of Phymatodes spp. in Idaho overlap. These species may be utilizing various mechanisms to ensure reproductive isolation, such as the production of different volatile pheromones, minor components, and/or proportions of components, utilizing different host species and/or host volatiles, differing daily activity periods, and/or occupying different heights in the tree canopy. Our results contribute to the basic understanding of the chemical and behavioral ecology of the Cerambycidae and can be applied to the development of pheromone lures for monitoring of economically important or endangered species.
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Widemo, Fredrik, and Björn G. Johansson. "Male–male pheromone signalling in a lekking Drosophila." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 273, no. 1587 (December 6, 2005): 713–17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2005.3379.
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Interest in sex pheromones has mainly been focused on mate finding, while relatively little attention has been given to the role of sex pheromones in mate choice and almost none to competition over mates. Here, we study male response to male pheromones in the lekking Drosophila grimshawi , where males deposit long-lasting pheromone streaks that attract males and females to the leks and influence mate assessment. We used two stocks of flies and both stocks adjusted their pheromone depositing behaviour in response to experimental manipulation, strongly indicating male ability to distinguish between competitors from qualitative differences in pheromone streaks alone. This is the first example of an insect distinguishing between individual odour signatures. Pheromone signalling influenced competition over mates, as males adjusted their investment in pheromone deposition in response to foreign pheromone streaks. Both sexes adapt their behaviour according to information from olfactory cues in D. grimshawi , but the relative benefits from male–female, as compared to male–male signalling, remain unknown. It seems likely that the pheromone signalling system originally evolved for attracting females to leks. The transition to a signalling system for conveying information about individuals may well, however, at least in part have been driven by benefits from male–male signalling.
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Macias-Samano, Jorge E., David Wakarchuk, Jocelyn G. Millar, and Lawrence M. Hanks. "2-Undecyloxy-1-ethanol in combination with other semiochemicals attracts three Monochamus species (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in British Columbia, Canada." Canadian Entomologist 144, no. 6 (October 11, 2012): 764–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.4039/tce.2012.77.
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AbstractTwo species in the genus Monochamus Dejean (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) have recently been shown to have the same male-produced sex pheromone, 2-undecyloxy-1-ethanol (monochamol), suggesting that other congeners may share the same pheromone. We tested that hypothesis by conducting field bioassays of monochamol, in combination with bark-beetle pheromones and the host plant volatiles ethanol and α-pinene, in southern British Columbia, Canada. We captured 603 Monochamus clamator (LeConte), 63 Monochamus obtusus Casey, 245 Monochamus scutellatus (Say) (tribe Monochamini), and 42 Acanthocinus princeps (Walker) (tribe Acanthocinini). All three Monochamus species were significantly attracted to the combination of monochamol and host plant volatiles, whereas bark-beetle pheromones plus plant volatiles and plant volatiles alone were minimally attractive. Adding bark-beetle pheromones to the monochamol plus plant volatiles treatment synergised attraction of M. clamator, but not the other two Monochamus species. Acanthocinus princeps was most strongly attracted to the combination of bark-beetle pheromones and plant volatiles, and did not appear to be affected by the presence or absence of monochamol in baits. We conclude that monochamol is a likely pheromone component for the three Monochamus species, and that monochamol plus host plant volatiles is an effective attractant for these and perhaps other North American Monochamus species.
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Czaczkes, Tomer J., Christoph Grüter, Sam M. Jones, and Francis L. W. Ratnieks. "Synergy between social and private information increases foraging efficiency in ants." Biology Letters 7, no. 4 (February 16, 2011): 521–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2011.0067.
Full textAbstract:
Insect societies integrate many information sources to organize collective activities such as foraging. Many ants use trail pheromones to guide foragers to food sources, but foragers can also use memories to find familiar locations of stable food sources. Route memories are often more accurate than trail pheromones in guiding ants, and are often followed in preference to trail pheromones when the two conflict. Why then does the system expend effort in producing and acquiring seemingly redundant and low-quality information, such as trail pheromones, when route memory is available? Here we show that, in the ant Lasius niger , trail pheromones and route memory act synergistically during foraging; increasing walking speed and straightness by 25 and 30 per cent, respectively, and maintaining trail pheromone deposition, but only when used together. Our results demonstrate a previously undescribed major role of trail pheromones: to complement memory by allowing higher confidence in route memory. This highlights the importance of multiple interacting information sources in the efficient running of complex adaptive systems.
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Chen, Lian, Zhong Tian, Jin Hu, Xiao-Yun Wang, Man-Qun Wang, Wen Lu, Xiao-Ping Wang, and Xia-Lin Zheng. "Molecular Characterization and Expression Patterns of Two Pheromone-Binding Proteins from the Diurnal Moth Phauda flammans (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Zygaenoidea: Phaudidae)." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 24, no. 1 (December 26, 2022): 385. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms24010385.
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Sex pheromone-binding proteins (PBPs) play an important role in sex pheromone recognition in Lepidoptera. However, the mechanisms of chemical communication mediating the response to sex pheromones remain unclear in the diurnal moths of the superfamily Zygaenoidea. In this study, Phauda flammans (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Zygaenoidea: Phaudidae) was used as a model insect to explore the molecular mechanism of sex pheromone perception in the superfamily Zygaenoidea. Two novel pheromone-binding proteins (PflaPBP1 and PflaPBP2) from P. flammans were identified. The two pheromone-binding proteins were predominantly expressed in the antennae of P. flammans male and female moths, in which PflaPBP1 had stronger binding affinity to the female sex pheromones Z-9-hexadecenal and (Z, Z, Z)-9, 12, 15-octadecatrienal, PflaPBP2 had stronger binding affinity only for (Z, Z, Z)-9, 12, 15-octadecatrienal, and no apparent binding affinity to Z-9-hexadecenal. The molecular docking results indicated that Ile 170 and Leu 169 are predicted to be important in the binding of the sex pheromone to PflaPBP1 and PflaPBP2. We concluded that PflaPBP1 and PflaPBP2 may be responsible for the recognition of two sex pheromone components and may function differently in female and male P. flammans. These results provide a foundation for the development of pest control by exploring sex pheromone blocking agents and the application of sex pheromones and their analogs for insect pests in the superfamily Zygaenoidea.
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Chamberlain, D. J., B. R. Critchley, D. G. Campion, M. R. Attique, M. Rafique, and M. I. Arif. "Use of a multi-component pheromone formulation for control of cotton bollworms (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae and Noctuidae) in Pakistan." Bulletin of Entomological Research 82, no. 4 (December 1992): 449–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0007485300042504.
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AbstractA hand-applied ‘twist-ti’ pheromone formulation containing the combined pheromones of Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Gelechiidae), Earias vittella (Fabricius) and E. insulana (Boisduval) (Noctuidae) was used in trials conducted in Pakistan from 1986 to 1988. In plots of cotton ranging in area from 2.8 to 6.0 ha, season-long control of the bollworm complex was achieved using the pheromone formulation applied alone or together with one conventional insecticide treatment, with the conventional insecticide spray programme requring up to five applications of insecticide to achieve a similar level of control. No significant differences were found in yield estimates from plots treated with pheromones compared with plots receiving conventional insecticide treatments. Significantly higher levels of boll infestation and lower yield estimates occurred in control plots where neither pheromones nor insecticides were applied.
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Bender, A., and G. F. Sprague. "Pheromones and pheromone receptors are the primary determinants of mating specificity in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae." Genetics 121, no. 3 (March 1, 1989): 463–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/genetics/121.3.463.
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Abstract Saccharomyces cerevisiae has two haploid cell types, a and alpha, each of which produces a unique set of proteins that participate in the mating process. We sought to determine the minimum set of proteins that must be expressed to allow mating and to confer specificity. We show that the capacity to synthesize alpha-factor pheromone and a-factor receptor is sufficient to allow mating by mat alpha 1 mutants, mutants that normally do not express any alpha- or a-specific products. Likewise, the capacity to synthesize a-factor receptor and alpha-factor pheromone is sufficient to allow a ste2 ste6 mutants, which do not produce the normal a cell pheromone and receptor, to mate with wild-type a cells. Thus, the a-factor receptor and alpha-factor pheromone constitute the minimum set of alpha-specific proteins that must be produced to allow mating as an alpha cell. Further evidence that the pheromones and pheromone receptors are important determinants of mating specificity comes from studies with mat alpha 2 mutants, cells that simultaneously express both pheromones and both receptors. We created a series of strains that express different combinations of pheromones and receptors in a mat alpha 2 background. These constructions reveal that mat alpha 2 mutants can be made to mate as either a cells or as alpha cells by causing them to express only the pheromone and receptor set appropriate for a particular cell type. Moreover, these studies show that the inability of mat alpha 2 mutants to respond to either pheromone is a consequence of two phenomena: adaptation to an autocrine response to the pheromones they secrete and interference with response to alpha factor by the a-factor receptor.
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Song, Xue, Yabei Xu, Sainan Zhang, Meng Li, Yu Xing, Jing Tao, and Fengying Han. "Identification and Expression Analysis of the FAD Gene Family in Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Based on Genome-Wide Data." Forests 15, no. 4 (April 11, 2024): 690. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/f15040690.
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Pheromones play an important role in mate choice in insects, and pheromone synthesis pathways are potential targets for the control of harmful insects, among which desaturation is of great significance in pheromone structural diversity. However, little is known about the desaturase genes regulating pheromone synthesis in Coleoptera. In this study, taking the internationally significant pest Anoplophora glabripennis as a research object, we identified 6 AglaFAD genes, all of which were mapped to the endoplasmic reticulum and shared a highly similar distribution of conserved domains. A phylogenetic analysis showed that AglaFAD1–2 and AglaFAD3–6 exerted desaturation at different positions of the acyl chain, respectively. In regard to the expression levels of these six AglaFADs in both sexes, six tissues and three developmental stages were analyzed by qPCR. Combined with the chemical composition of the female pheromones that have been identified, two candidate genes, AglaFAD2 and AglaFAD5, which are specifically expressed in females, were screened, showing higher expression levels before mating and significantly decreasing after mating. It is speculated that they may be involved in the biosynthesis of contact pheromones in females. These results provide a basis for detailed functional studies of candidate genes in insect pheromone synthesis.
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Wang, Zhengwei, and Ken Tan. "Honey Bee Alarm Pheromone Mediates Communication in Plant–Pollinator–Predator Interactions." Insects 10, no. 10 (October 21, 2019): 366. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects10100366.
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Honey bees play a crucial role in pollination, and in performing this critical function, face numerous threats from predators and parasites during foraging and homing trips. Back in the nest, their defensive behavior drives some individuals to sacrifice themselves while fighting intruders with their stingers or mandibles. During these intense conflicts, bees release alarm pheromone to rapidly communicate with other nest mates about the present danger. However, we still know little about why and how alarm pheromone is used in plant–pollinator–predator interactions. Here, we review the history of previously detected bee alarm pheromones and the current state of the chemical analyses. More new components and functions have been confirmed in honey bee alarm pheromone. Then, we ask how important the alarm pheromones are in intra- and/or inter-species communication. Some plants even adopt mimicry systems to attract either the pollinators themselves or their predators for pollination via alarm pheromone. Pheromones are honest signals that evolved in one species and can be one of the main driving factors affecting co-evolution in plant–pollinator–predator interactions. Our review intends to stimulate new studies on the neuronal, molecular, behavioral, and evolutionary levels in order to understand how alarm pheromone mediates communication in plant–pollinator–predator interactions.
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Gao, Yongyong, Qiuying Huang, and Huan Xu. "Silencing Orco Impaired the Ability to Perceive Trail Pheromones and Affected Locomotion Behavior in Two Termite Species." Journal of Economic Entomology 113, no. 6 (October 31, 2020): 2941–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jee/toaa248.
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Abstract Sophisticated social behaviors in termite colonies are mainly regulated via chemical communication of a wide range of pheromones. Trail pheromones play important roles in foraging behavior and building tunnels and nests in termites. However, it is almost unclear how termites perceive trail pheromones. Here, we cloned and sequenced of olfactory co-receptor (Orco) genes from the two termites Reticulitermes chinensis Snyder (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) and Odontotermes formosanus (Shiraki) (Isoptera: Termitidae), and then examined their responses to trail pheromones after silencing Orco through RNA interference (RNAi). We found that Orco knockdown impaired their ability to perceive trail pheromones and resulted in the disability of following pheromone trails in the two termite species. Our locomotion behavior assays further showed that Orco knockdown significantly decreased the distance and velocity in the two termite species, but significantly increased the angular velocity and turn angle in the termite R. chinensis. These findings strongly demonstrated that Orco is essential for termites to perceive their trail pheromones, which provides a potential way to control termite pests by damaging olfactory system.
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Amo, Luisa, and Irene Saavedra. "Attraction to Smelly Food in Birds: Insectivorous Birds Discriminate between the Pheromones of Their Prey and Those of Non-Prey Insects." Biology 10, no. 10 (October 8, 2021): 1010. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/biology10101010.
Full textAbstract:
Natural selection has favored the evolution of different capabilities that allow animals to obtain food—e.g., the development of senses for improving prey/food detection. Among these senses, chemical sense is possibly the most ancient mechanism used by organisms for environmental assessment. Comparative studies suggest the prime role of foraging ecology in the evolution of the olfactory apparatus of vertebrates, including birds. Here, we review empirical studies that have shown birds’ abilities to detect prey/food via olfaction and report the results of a study aiming to analyze the specificity of eavesdropping on prey pheromones in insectivorous birds. In a field study, we placed artificial larvae and a dispenser with one of three treatments—prey (Operopthera brumata) pheromones, non-prey (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) pheromones, or a control unscented dispenser—on the branches of Pyrenean oak trees (Quercus pyrenaica). We then measured the predation rate of birds on artificial larvae. Our results show that more trees had larvae with signs of avian predation when they contained a prey pheromone dispenser than when they contained a non-prey pheromone dispenser or an unscented dispenser. Our results indicate that insectivorous birds can discriminate between the pheromones emitted by their prey and those emitted by non-prey insects and that they only exhibit attraction to prey pheromones. These results highlight the potential use of insectivorous birds in the biological control of insect pests.
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Obeng-Ofori, D., and T. H. Coaker. "Some factors affecting responses of four stored product beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae & Bostrichidae) to pheromones." Bulletin of Entomological Research 80, no. 4 (December 1990): 433–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0007485300050690.
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AbstractMales of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), T. confusum (Duval) (Tenebrionidae), Rhyzopertha dominica (Fabricius) and Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) (Bostrichidae) secrete aggregation pheromones attractive to both sexes. Responses of the four species to synthetic aggregation pheromones were investigated in relation to age, habituation, time of day, sex and previous mating experience in an olfactometer in which odour gradients were set up in moving air. Habituation reduced pheromone response in all the species tested but all recovered to pre-habituation levels after 48 h except Tribolium spp. males. Both sexes of T. castaneum and T. confusum were responsive to pheromone immediately upon eclosion, males reaching maximum response after 19 and 21 days and females after 21 and 16 days, respectively. Pheromone response was linearly related to age of the Tribolium spp. and T. castaneum males showed a greater response than the females. Sex or having mated did not affect the responses of T. confusum, P. truncatus and R. dominica. All the pheromones evoked periodicity of response, peaking between 10.00 and 18.00 h.
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Fraichard, Stéphane, Arièle Legendre, Philippe Lucas, Isabelle Chauvel, Philippe Faure, Fabrice Neiers, Yves Artur, Loïc Briand, Jean-François Ferveur, and Jean-Marie Heydel. "Modulation of Sex Pheromone Discrimination by a UDP-Glycosyltransferase in Drosophila melanogaster." Genes 11, no. 3 (February 25, 2020): 237. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/genes11030237.
Full textAbstract:
The detection and processing of chemical stimuli involve coordinated neuronal networks that process sensory information. This allows animals, such as the model species Drosophila melanogaster, to detect food sources and to choose a potential mate. In peripheral olfactory tissues, several classes of proteins are acting to modulate the detection of chemosensory signals. This includes odorant-binding proteins together with odorant-degrading enzymes (ODEs). These enzymes, which primarily act to eliminate toxic compounds from the whole organism also modulate chemodetection. ODEs are thought to neutralize the stimulus molecule concurrently to its detection, avoiding receptor saturation thus allowing chemosensory neurons to respond to the next stimulus. Here, we show that one UDP-glycosyltransferase (UGT36E1) expressed in D. melanogaster antennal olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) is involved in sex pheromone discrimination. UGT36E1 overexpression caused by an insertion mutation affected male behavioral ability to discriminate sex pheromones while it increased OSN electrophysiological activity to male pheromones. Reciprocally, the decreased expression of UGT36E1, controlled by an RNAi transgene, improved male ability to discriminate sex pheromones whereas it decreased electrophysiological activity in the relevant OSNs. When we combined the two genotypes (mutation and RNAi), we restored wild-type-like levels both for the behavioral discrimination and UGT36E1 expression. Taken together, our results strongly suggest that this UGT plays a pivotal role in Drosophila pheromonal detection.
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Korine, Carmi, Yuval Cohen, and Idan Kahnonitch. "Insect Pest Pheromone Lures May Enhance the Activity of Insectivorous Bats in Mediterranean Vineyards and Apple Orchards." Sustainability 14, no. 24 (December 10, 2022): 16566. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su142416566.
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Insectivorous bats may play a significant role in regulating populations of agricultural pests. Currently, few methods are available to enhance the activity of bats in agroecosystems. We asked whether synthetic sex pheromones, used in integrated pest management (IPM) to impede the mating success of major moth pests in vineyards and apple orchards, could also enhance the activity and richness of insectivorous bats, their natural enemies. We hypothesized that applying concentrated sex pheromones of pest moths will alter the movement patterns of male moths, indirectly affecting bat richness and activity. We compared the effect of sex pheromones on bats under two different agricultural management systems: conventional farming and IPM. We used synthetic sex pheromones of Lobesia botrana or Cydia pomonella; both are among the most destructive moth pests in vineyards and apple orchards, respectively. Using passive acoustic monitoring, we compared species richness and bat activity in plots without and with additional pheromones. In both IPM vineyards and IPM apple orchards, total bat activity and species richness significantly increased after applying the pheromone treatment, with a positive correlation between total bat activity and the numbers of moth pests in the vineyards. In conventional vineyards, bat species richness increased significantly, but not total bat activity. IPM vineyards had significantly higher species richness than conventional vineyards, both before and after the pheromone treatment. Our study shows that moth pheromone lures, commonly used as a pest control method, may also attract insectivorous bats, which in turn may further suppress the pests. These findings highlight the potential of insectivorous bats as pest control agents and call for further research directed at integrating them in IPM practices.
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Rice, Marlin E., Yunfan Zou, Jocelyn G. Millar, and Lawrence M. Hanks. "Complex Blends of Synthetic Pheromones are Effective Multi-Species Attractants for Longhorned Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)." Journal of Economic Entomology 113, no. 5 (July 22, 2020): 2269–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jee/toaa157.
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Abstract The wood-boring larvae of longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) can be important pests of woody plants, particularly as invasive species introduced by international commerce. Previous research has revealed that cerambycid species native to different parts of the world often share the same aggregation-sex pheromones and that pheromones of different species can be combined to create multi-species attractants that would be advantageous for surveillance monitoring for a number of species simultaneously. To explore the extent to which these chemicals can be combined into single lures, we developed four different blends of six to eight compounds and tested their effects as attractants for a community of longhorned beetle species in Iowa. The blends included known pheromones of species native to the study site, as well as pheromones identified from cerambycid species native to other parts of the world. The experiment confirmed that several cerambycid species were attracted by specific blends, in accordance with their known pheromone chemistry, and despite the presence of pheromone components of heterospecifics. This finding lends further support to developing multi-component blends that can effectively monitor for new incursions of multiple exotic species concurrently.
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Nieberding, Caroline M., Patrícia Beldade, Véronique Baumlé, Gilles San Martin, Alok Arun, Georges Lognay, Nicolas Montagné, et al. "Mosaic Evolution of Molecular Pathways for Sex Pheromone Communication in a Butterfly." Genes 13, no. 8 (July 31, 2022): 1372. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/genes13081372.
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Unraveling the origin of molecular pathways underlying the evolution of adaptive traits is essential for understanding how new lineages emerge, including the relative contribution of conserved ancestral traits and newly evolved derived traits. Here, we investigated the evolutionary divergence of sex pheromone communication from moths (mostly nocturnal) to butterflies (mostly diurnal) that occurred ~119 million years ago. In moths, it is the females that typically emit pheromones to attract male mates, but in butterflies males emit pheromones that are used by females for mate choice. The molecular bases of sex pheromone communication are well understood in moths, but they have remained relatively unexplored in butterflies. We used a combination of transcriptomics, real time qPCR, and phylogenetics to identify genes involved in the different steps (i.e., production, regulation, and reception) of sex pheromone communication of the butterfly Bicyclus anynana. Our results show that the biosynthesis and reception of sex pheromones relies both on moth-specific gene families (reductases) and on more ancestral insect gene families (desaturases, olfactory receptors, odorant binding proteins). Interestingly, B. anynana appears to use what was believed to be the moth-specific neuropeptide Pheromone Biosynthesis Activating Neuropeptide (PBAN) for regulating sex pheromone production. Altogether, our results suggest that a mosaic pattern best explains how sex pheromone communication evolved in butterflies, with some molecular components derived from moths, and others conserved from more ancient insect ancestors. This is the first large-scale investigation of the genetic pathways underlying sex pheromone communication in a butterfly.
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Aldrich, Jeffrey R., José C. Zanuncio, Evaldo F. Vilela, Jorge B. Torres, and Ronald D. Cave. "Field tests of predaceous pentatomid pheromones and semiochemistry of Podisus and Supputius species (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Asopinae)." Anais da Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil 26, no. 1 (April 1997): 1–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s0301-80591997000100001.
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Traps baited with synthetic pheromones for either Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas) or Supputius cincticeps (Stäl) were field tested at the Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, beginning September 7, 1995. No P. nigrispinus were caught but, in September and October, several adult males and females of P. distinctus (Stäl) were caught along with a few adults of S. cincticeps and two females of a tachinid fly parasitoid, Cylindromyia atra Roeder. Chemical analysis of the pheromone gland extract of P. distinctus males indicated that this species produces a pheromone containing the major compounds of P. nigrispinus and S. cincticeps. Therefore, on November 6 a set of traps was baited with the pheromones of both P. nigrispinus and S. cincticeps, and monitored in the field until February 6, 1996. During this second phase of the study, six times more P. distinctus were caught in the combined pheromone treatment than in traps baited only with the P. nigrispinus pheromone. The phenology of these neotropical asopines is like that for P. maculiventris (Say) in temperate North América, although fewer predators and host-seeking parasitoids were caught. Suspected pheromones were also identified for P. rostralis (Stäl) from Goiás, Brazil, and P. sagitta (Fabricius) from Honduras. In addition, the chemistry of other exocrine secretions from these neotropical species was investigated.
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Funaro, Colin F., Katalin Böröczky, Edward L. Vargo, and Coby Schal. "Identification of a queen and king recognition pheromone in the subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 115, no. 15 (March 19, 2018): 3888–93. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1721419115.
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Chemical communication is fundamental to success in social insect colonies. Species-, colony-, and caste-specific blends of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) and other chemicals have been well documented as pheromones, mediating important behavioral and physiological aspects of social insects. More specifically, royal pheromones used by queens (and kings in termites) enable workers to recognize and care for these vital individuals and maintain the reproductive division of labor. In termites, however, no royal-recognition pheromones have been identified to date. In the current study, solvent extracts of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes were analyzed to assess differences in cuticular compounds among castes. We identified a royal-specific hydrocarbon—heneicosane—and several previously unreported and highly royal enriched long-chain alkanes. When applied to glass dummies, heneicosane elicited worker behavioral responses identical to those elicited by live termite queens, including increased vibratory shaking and antennation. Further, the behavioral effects of heneicosane were amplified when presented with nestmate termite workers’ cuticular extracts, underscoring the importance of chemical context in termite royal recognition. Thus, heneicosane is a royal-recognition pheromone that is active in both queens and kings of R. flavipes. The use of heneicosane as a queen and king recognition pheromone by termites suggests that CHCs evolved as royal pheromones ∼150 million years ago, ∼50 million years before their first use as queen-recognition pheromones in social Hymenoptera. We therefore infer that termites and social Hymenoptera convergently evolved the use of these ubiquitous compounds in royal recognition.
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Mbata, G. N., S. Shu, and S. B. Ramaswamy. "Sex pheromones of Callosobruchus subinnotatus and C. maculatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae): congeneric responses and role of air movement." Bulletin of Entomological Research 90, no. 2 (April 2000): 147–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0007485300000250.
Full textAbstract:
Females of Callosobruchus spp. are known to produce sex pheromones that attract males. These sex pheromones cannot be adopted for use in pest management without first investigating the responses of the males in the windless conditions of storage environments. Consequently, behavioural bioassays of Callosobruchus subinnotatus Pic males were conducted in an olfactometer in the absence of air-flow. Under these conditions males were found to be able to follow odour trails to the source. However, the latency period was longer in diffusional bioassays than for insects in a Y-tube olfactometer that provided directional wind cues. The highest percentage of males reached the pheromone source when components of the pheromones, (E)-3-methyl-2-heptenoic acid (E32A) and (Z)-3-methyl-2-heptenoic acid (Z32A), were formulated in a 50:50 or 25:75 ratio. Males of C. maculatus (Fabricius) responded to sex pheromone of C. subinnotatus, but males of C. subinnotatus did not respond to that of C. maculatus. The two sex pheromone components of C. subinnotatus are also constituents of C. maculatus sex pheromone. These two components may be potentially useful in monitoring the populations of both species in stored beans. It is postulated that (Z)-3-methyl-3-heptenoic acid (Z33A), the major component of the sex pheromone of C. maculatus, must have acted as an antagonist inhibiting response of C. subinnotatus to the sex pheromone of C. maculatus.
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Muller, Héloïse, Christophe Hennequin, Julien Gallaud, Bernard Dujon, and Cécile Fairhead. "The Asexual Yeast Candida glabrata Maintains Distinct a and α Haploid Mating Types." Eukaryotic Cell 7, no. 5 (March 28, 2008): 848–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/ec.00456-07.
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ABSTRACT The genome of the type strain of Candida glabrata (CBS138, ATCC 2001) contains homologs of most of the genes involved in mating in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, starting with the mating pheromone and receptor genes. Only haploid cells are ever isolated, but C. glabrata strains of both mating types are commonly found, the type strain being MATα and most other strains, such as BG2, being MAT a. No sexual cycle has been documented for this species. In order to understand which steps of the mating pathway are defective, we have analyzed the expression of homologs of some of the key genes involved as well as the production of mating pheromones and the organism's sensitivity to artificial pheromones. We show that cells of opposite mating types express both pheromone receptor genes and are insensitive to pheromones. Nonetheless, cells maintain specificity through regulation of the α1 and α2 genes and, more surprisingly, through differential splicing of the a 1 transcript.
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Adams, Seira Ashley, and Neil Durie Tsutsui. "The evolution of species recognition labels in insects." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 375, no. 1802 (May 18, 2020): 20190476. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2019.0476.
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The evolution of pre-zygotic reproductive isolation is a key step in the process of speciation. In many organisms, particularly insects, chemical labels are used as pheromones for species-specific mate recognition. Although an enormous body of knowledge exists regarding the patterns of pheromone chemical ecology, much less is known about the evolutionary processes that underlie the origin of new mating pheromones. Here, we examine case studies that have illuminated the origins of species-specific mating pheromones and suggest future directions for productive research. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Signal detection theory in recognition systems: from evolving models to experimental tests’.
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Trhlin, M., and J. Rajchard. " Chemical communication in the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.): a review." Veterinární Medicína 56, No. 6 (July 19, 2011): 265–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.17221/1543-vetmed.
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An important area of physiology of the honeybee (Apis mellifera) is chemical communication between individuals and castes in the swarm, which maintains its integrity and function. The highly complex social organization of honeybees is mediated through pheromones. Releaser pheromones cause rapid changes in the behaviour of the recipient, while primer pheromones have relatively slow and long-term effects on the physiology and behaviour of the recipient. Queen retinue pheromone (QRP) is a blend of the nine compounds (9-oxo-(E)-2-decenoic acid, (R)- and (S)-9-hydroxy-(E)-2-decenoic acid, methyl p-hydroxybenzoate, 4-hydroxy-3-methyoxyphenylethanol, methyl oleate, coniferyl alcohol, palmityl alcohol, and linolenic acid) and acts as a releaser pheromone by attracting worker bees to the queen. QRP also acts as a primer pheromone by physiologically inhibiting the ovary development of worker bees. An essential component of QRP, 9-oxo-(E)-2-decenoic acid, acts as a long-distance sex pheromone. Defensive behaviour of honeybees is induced and modulated by alarm pheromones. The essential alarm pheromone component is isopentyl acetate (IPA). The unsaturated derivative of IPA, 3-methyl-2-buten-1-yl acetate, was found in colonies of Africanized honeybees. The Nasanov gland of worker bees produces a pheromone (a blend of nerol, geraniol, (E)- and (Z)-citral, nerolic acid, geranic acid and (E,E)-farnesol) that acts as an attracting signal. This pheromone is used for aggregation (during swarming). Adult worker bees also produce a substance, ethyl oleate, that has a priming effect. Ethyl oleate is produced by adult forager bees and acts as a chemical inhibitory factor to delay age at onset of foraging (the presence of older worker bees causes a delayed onset of foraging in younger individuals). Chemical cues on the surface of larvae called a brood pheromone (ethyl and methyl esters of palmitic, linoleic, linolenic, stearic, and oleic acids, E-β-ocimene) are important in the communication between brood and worker bees. This pheromone modulates the feeding behaviour of worker bees, inhibits the activation of the worker ovary, induces worker bees to cap brood cells, increases the activity of the hypopharyngeal glands of nurse bees and modulates the behavioural maturation of worker bees.
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Darragh, Kathy, Sohini Vanjari, Florian Mann, Maria F. Gonzalez-Rojas, Colin R. Morrison, Camilo Salazar, Carolina Pardo-Diaz, et al. "Male sex pheromone components in Heliconius butterflies released by the androconia affect female choice." PeerJ 5 (November 7, 2017): e3953. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3953.
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Sex-specific pheromones are known to play an important role in butterfly courtship, and may influence both individual reproductive success and reproductive isolation between species. Extensive ecological, behavioural and genetic studies of Heliconius butterflies have made a substantial contribution to our understanding of speciation. Male pheromones, although long suspected to play an important role, have received relatively little attention in this genus. Here, we combine morphological, chemical and behavioural analyses of male pheromones in the Neotropical butterfly Heliconius melpomene. First, we identify putative androconia that are specialized brush-like scales that lie within the shiny grey region of the male hindwing. We then describe putative male sex pheromone compounds, which are largely confined to the androconial region of the hindwing of mature males, but are absent in immature males and females. Finally, behavioural choice experiments reveal that females of H. melpomene, H. erato and H. timareta strongly discriminate against conspecific males which have their androconial region experimentally blocked. As well as demonstrating the importance of chemical signalling for female mate choice in Heliconius butterflies, the results describe structures involved in release of the pheromone and a list of potential male sex pheromone compounds.