scholarly journals Oxytocin/vasopressin-like peptide inotocin regulates cuticular hydrocarbon synthesis and water balancing in ants

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (12) ◽  
pp. 5597-5606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akiko Koto ◽  
Naoto Motoyama ◽  
Hiroki Tahara ◽  
Sean McGregor ◽  
Minoru Moriyama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cuticular Hydrocarbons ◽  
Task Allocation ◽  
Cuticular Hydrocarbon ◽  
Social Recognition ◽  
Pharmacological Treatments ◽  
Hydrocarbon Synthesis ◽  
Camponotus Fellah ◽  
Homologous Peptide ◽  
Dsrna Injection

Oxytocin/vasopressin-like peptides are important regulators of physiology and social behavior in vertebrates. However, the function of inotocin, the homologous peptide in arthropods, remains largely unknown. Here, we show that the level of expression of inotocin and inotocin receptor are correlated with task allocation in the antCamponotus fellah. Both genes are up-regulated when workers age and switch tasks from nursing to foraging. in situ hybridization revealed thatinotocin receptoris specifically expressed in oenocytes, which are specialized cells synthesizing cuticular hydrocarbons which function as desiccation barriers in insects and for social recognition in ants. dsRNA injection targetinginotocin receptor, together with pharmacological treatments using three identified antagonists blocking inotocin signaling, revealed that inotocin signaling regulates the expression ofcytochrome P450 4G1(CYP4G1) and the synthesis of cuticular hydrocarbons, which play an important role in desiccation resistance once workers initiate foraging.

scholarly journals Cuticular hydrocarbons discriminate cryptic Macrolophus species (Hemiptera: Miridae)

2012 ◽  
Vol 102 (6) ◽  
pp. 624-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Gemeno ◽  
N. Laserna ◽  
M. Riba ◽  
J. Valls ◽  
C. Castañé ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Cuticular Hydrocarbons ◽  
Cross Validation ◽  
Molecular Genetic ◽  
Cuticular Hydrocarbon ◽  
Hydrocarbon Composition ◽  
Dark Spot ◽  
Prediction Errors ◽  
Control Activity ◽  
Genetic Studies

AbstractMacrolophus pygmaeus is commercially employed in the biological control of greenhouse and field vegetable pests. It is morphologically undistinguishable from the cryptic species M. melanotoma, and this interferes with the evaluation of the biological control activity of M. pygmaeus. We analysed the potential of cuticular hydrocarbon composition as a method to discriminate the two Macrolophus species. A third species, M. costalis, which is different from the other two species by having a dark spot at the tip of the scutellum, served as a control. Sex, diet and species, all had significant effects in the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles, but the variability associated to sex or diet was smaller than among species. Discriminant quadratic analysis of cuticular hydrocarbons confirmed the results of previous molecular genetic studies and showed, using cross-validation methods, that M. pygmaeus can be discriminated from M. costalis and M. melanotoma with prediction errors of 6.75% and 0%, respectively. Therefore, cuticular hydrocarbons can be used to separate M. pygmaeus from M. melanotoma reliably.

scholarly journals Time flies: time of day and social environment affect cuticular hydrocarbon sexual displays in Drosophila serrata

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1792) ◽  
pp. 20140821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan N. Gershman ◽  
Ethan Toumishey ◽  
Howard D. Rundle
Keyword(s):  
Recent Work ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Cuticular Hydrocarbons ◽  
Cuticular Hydrocarbon ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Temporal Changes ◽  
Temporal Patterning ◽  
Drosophila Serrata

Recent work on Drosophila cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) challenges a historical assumption that CHCs in flies are largely invariant. Here, we examine the effect of time of day and social environment on a suite of sexually selected CHCs in Drosophila serrata . We demonstrate that males become more attractive to females during the time of day that flies are most active and when most matings occur, but females become less attractive to males during the same time of day. These opposing temporal changes may reflect differences in selection among the sexes. To evaluate the effect of social environment on male CHC attractiveness, we manipulated male opportunity for mating: male flies were housed either alone, with five females, with five males or with five males and five females. We found that males had the most attractive CHCs when with females, and less attractive CHCs when with competitor males. Social environment mediated how male CHC attractiveness cycled: males housed with females and/or other males showed temporal changes in CHC attractiveness, whereas males housed alone did not. In total, our results demonstrate temporal patterning of male CHCs that is dependent on social environment, and suggest that such changes may be beneficial to males.

scholarly journals The megamouth shark, Megachasma pelagios, is not a luminous species

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0242196
Author(s):  
Laurent Duchatelet ◽  
Victoria C. Moris ◽  
Taketeru Tomita ◽  
Jacques Mahillon ◽  
Keiichi Sato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Light Emission ◽  
Histological Study ◽  
Social Recognition ◽  
White Band ◽  
Light Organs ◽  
The World ◽  
Megamouth Shark ◽  
Upper Jaw ◽  
Species Specific

Despite its five meters length, the megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios Taylor, Compagno & Struhsaker, 1983) is one of the rarest big sharks known in the world (117 specimens observed and documented so far). This filter-feeding shark has been assumed to be a luminous species, using its species-specific white band to produce bioluminescence as a lure trap. Another hypothesis was the use of the white band reflectivity to attract prey or for social recognition purposes. However, no histological study has ever been performed to confirm these assumptions so far. Two hypotheses about the megamouth shark's luminescence arose: firstly, the light emission may be intrinsically or extrinsically produced by specific light organs (photophores) located either on the upper jaw white band or inside the mouth; secondly, the luminous appearance might be a consequence of the reflection of prey luminescence on the white band during feeding events. Aims of the study were to test these hypotheses by highlighting the potential presence of specific photophores responsible for bioluminescence and to reveal and analyze the presence of specialized light-reflective structures in and around the mouth of the shark. By using different histological approaches (histological sections, fluorescent in situ hybridization, scanning electron microscopy) and spectrophotometry, this study allows to unravel these hypotheses and strongly supports that the megamouth shark does not emit bioluminescence, but might rather reflect the light produced by bioluminescent planktonic preys, thanks to the denticles of the white band.

scholarly journals Hydrothermal synthesis of long-chain hydrocarbons up to C24 with NaHCO3-assisted stabilizing cobalt

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (51) ◽  
pp. e2115059118
Author(s):  
Daoping He ◽  
Xiaoguang Wang ◽  
Yang Yang ◽  
Runtian He ◽  
Heng Zhong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Hydrothermal Synthesis ◽  
Co Adsorption ◽  
Hydrothermal Systems ◽  
Hydrothermal Conditions ◽  
Hydrocarbon Synthesis ◽  
Emergence Of Life ◽  
Long Chain ◽  
Chain Hydrocarbon

Abiotic CO2 reduction on transition metal minerals has been proposed to account for the synthesis of organic compounds in alkaline hydrothermal systems, but this reaction lacks experimental support, as only short-chain hydrocarbons (<C5) have been synthesized in artificial simulation. This presents a question: What particular hydrothermal conditions favor long-chain hydrocarbon synthesis? Here, we demonstrate the hydrothermal bicarbonate reduction at ∼300 °C and 30 MPa into long-chain hydrocarbons using iron (Fe) and cobalt (Co) metals as catalysts. We found the Co0 promoter responsible for synthesizing long-chain hydrocarbons to be extraordinarily stable when coupled with Fe−OH formation. Under these hydrothermal conditions, the traditional water-induced deactivation of Co is inhibited by bicarbonate-assisted CoOx reduction, leading to honeycomb-native Co nanosheets generated in situ as a new motif. The Fe−OH formation, confirmed by operando infrared spectroscopy, enhances CO adsorption on Co, thereby favoring further reduction to long-chain hydrocarbons (up to C24). These results not only advance theories for an abiogenic origin for some petroleum accumulations and the hydrothermal hypothesis of the emergence of life but also introduce an approach for synthesizing long-chain hydrocarbons by nonnoble metal catalysts for artificial CO2 utilization.

scholarly journals Birth-and-death evolution of the fatty acyl-CoA reductase (FAR) gene family and diversification of cuticular hydrocarbon synthesis in Drosophila

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cédric Finet ◽  
Kailey Slavik ◽  
Jian Pu ◽  
Sean B. Carroll ◽  
Henry Chung
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Gene Family ◽  
Cuticular Hydrocarbon ◽  
Evolutionary Model ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
Single Copy ◽  
Fatty Acyl ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
Hydrocarbon Synthesis ◽  
Functional Studies

AbstractThe birth-and-death evolutionary model proposes that some members of a multigene family are phylogenetically stable and persist as a single copy over time whereas other members are phylogenetically unstable and undergo frequent duplication and loss. Functional studies suggest that stable genes are likely to encode essential functions, while rapidly evolving genes reflect phenotypic differences in traits that diverge rapidly among species. One such class of rapidly diverging traits are insect cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), which play dual roles in chemical communications as short-range recognition pheromones as well as protecting the insect from desiccation. Insect CHCs diverge rapidly between related species leading to ecological adaptation and/or reproductive isolation. Because the CHC and essential fatty acid biosynthetic pathways share common genes, we hypothesized that genes involved in the synthesis of CHCs would be evolutionary unstable, while those involved in fatty acid-associated essential functions would be evolutionary stable. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the evolutionary history of the fatty acyl-CoA reductases (FARs) gene family that encodes enzymes in CHC synthesis. We compiled a unique dataset of 200 FAR proteins across 12 Drosophila species. We uncovered a broad diversity in FAR content which is generated by gene duplications, subsequent gene losses, and alternative splicing. We also show that FARs expressed in oenocytes and presumably involved in CHC synthesis are more unstable than FARs from other tissues. We suggest that a comparative approach investigating the birth-and-death evolution of gene families can identify candidate genes involved in rapidly diverging traits between species.

scholarly journals Intrasexual cuticular hydrocarbon dimorphism in a wasp sheds light on hydrocarbon biosynthesis genes in Hymenoptera

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria C. Moris ◽  
Lars Podsiadlowski ◽  
Sebastian Martin ◽  
Jan Philip Oeyen ◽  
Alexander Donath ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Acid Amide ◽  
Cuticular Hydrocarbon ◽  
Amide Hydrolase ◽  
Gene Orthologs ◽  
First Time ◽  
Colonization Of Land ◽  
Hydrocarbon Biosynthesis

Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) cover the cuticle of insects and serve as desiccation barrier and for chemical communication. While the main enzymatic steps of CHC biosynthesis are well understood, few of the underlying genes have been identified. Here we show how exploitation of intrasexual CHC dimorphism in a mason wasp, Odynerus spinipes, in combination with whole-genome sequencing and comparative transcriptomics facilitated identification of such genes. RNAi-mediated knockdown of twelve candidate gene orthologs in honey bees, Apis mellifera, confirmed nine genes impacting CHC profile composition. Most of them have predicted functions consistent with current knowledge of CHC metabolism. However, we found first-time evidence for a fatty acid amide hydrolase also influencing CHC profile composition. In situ hybridization experiments furthermore suggest trophocytes participating in CHC biosynthesis. Our results set the base for experimental CHC profile manipulation in Hymenoptera and imply that the evolutionary origin of CHC biosynthesis predates the arthropods' colonization of land.

Effets d'un élevage en isolement sur le développement gonadotrope, la production d'hydrocarbures cuticulaires et le comportement sexuel de Calliphora vomitoria (Diptères, Calliphoridae)

1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (6) ◽  
pp. 1175-1181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taoufiq Benziane ◽  
Mireille Campan
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Behavior ◽  
Cuticular Hydrocarbons ◽  
Cuticular Hydrocarbon ◽  
Hydrocarbon Production ◽  
Comportement Sexuel ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Physiological Variables ◽  
Rate Of Growth ◽  
Lack Of Exercise ◽  
Lower Frequencies

Isolated rearing (during the first gonadotropic cycle) was found to modify physiological variables (gonadotropic development, cuticular hydrocarbon production) as well as behavioral modalities of the courtship of male and female Calliphora vomitoria. In males, slower development and a decrease in the volume of the testes and the annex glands were noticed; in females, there was only a reduction in the volume of the terminal follicle without modification of the rate of growth. In contrast, cuticular hydrocarbon production was more disturbed in the female than in the male. Isolated rearing of males did not change either the number or the relative proportions and concentrations of cuticular hydrocarbons. In females, isolation was accompanied by a slight increase in both the relative proportions of cuticular hydrocarbons, namely monomethyalkanes, dimethylalkanes, and alkenes, and the concentrations of all hydrocarbons. Finally, isolated rearing was found to modify the sexual behavior of both partners. Isolated males showed later and scarcer sexual behavior than grouped males. They courted females later and more briefly, with lower frequencies and shorter durations of each stage of courtship; therefore, courtship was reduced with many interruptions. Isolated females appeared more permissive, with lower frequencies and durations of the stages of courtship, and shorter courtship. These differences were emphasized when both partners were reared in isolation. The lack of exchanges during imaginal development led, owing to lack of exercise and (or) nervous maturation, to sex-specific alterations: decreased gonadotropic development in males, modified cuticular hydrocarbon production in females, and reduced sexual behavior in both sexes.

Blochmannia endosymbionts and their host, the ant Camponotus fellah: Cuticular hydrocarbons and melanization

2011 ◽  
Vol 334 (10) ◽  
pp. 737-741 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danival José de Souza ◽  
Séverine Devers ◽  
Alain Lenoir
Keyword(s):  
Cuticular Hydrocarbons ◽  
Camponotus Fellah

scholarly journals Distinct chemical blends produced by different reproductive castes in the subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre-André Eyer ◽  
Jared Salin ◽  
Anjel M. Helms ◽  
Edward L. Vargo
Keyword(s):  
Cuticular Hydrocarbons ◽  
Social Insect ◽  
Cuticular Hydrocarbon ◽  
Reticulitermes Flavipes ◽  
Reproductive Status ◽  
Social Regulation ◽  
Complete Understanding ◽  
Termite Species ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Primary Reproductives

AbstractThe production of royal pheromones by reproductives (queens and kings) enables social insect colonies to allocate individuals into reproductive and non-reproductive roles. In many termite species, nestmates can develop into neotenics when the primary king or queen dies, which then inhibit the production of additional reproductives. This suggests that primary reproductives and neotenics produce royal pheromones. The cuticular hydrocarbon heneicosane was identified as a royal pheromone in Reticulitermes flavipes neotenics. Here, we investigated the presence of this and other cuticular hydrocarbons in primary reproductives and neotenics of this species, and the ontogeny of their production in primary reproductives. Our results revealed that heneicosane was produced by most neotenics, raising the question of whether reproductive status may trigger its production. Neotenics produced six additional cuticular hydrocarbons absent from workers and nymphs. Remarkably, heneicosane and four of these compounds were absent in primary reproductives, and the other two compounds were present in lower quantities. Neotenics therefore have a distinct ‘royal’ blend from primary reproductives, and potentially over-signal their reproductive status. Our results suggest that primary reproductives and neotenics may face different social pressures. Future studies of these pressures should provide a more complete understanding of the mechanisms underlying social regulation in termites.

scholarly journals A Chemotaxonomic Study of Cuticular Hydrocarbons on Epilachna indica (Family: Coccinellidae) from Sarawak

1970 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-18
Author(s):  
Rizoh Bosorang ◽  
Zaini Assim ◽  
Sulaiman Hanapi
Keyword(s):  
Cuticular Hydrocarbons ◽  
Cross Validation ◽  
Function Analysis ◽  
Cuticular Hydrocarbon ◽  
Hydrocarbon Composition ◽  
Ladybird Beetles ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Peak Areas ◽  
Chemotaxonomic Study ◽  
Chain Lengths

The chemical composition of cuticular hydrocarbons of adult Epilacnha indica (ladybird beetles), collected fromKota Samarahan, Kota Padawan and Lanjak-Entimau, Sarawak were analyzed by using a capillary gaschromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). Cuticular hydrocarbons extracted from 18 samples of adult E.indica (comprise of 90 individuals). Over 95% of the hydrocarbon peak areas consist of chain lengths from C18to C38 . The proportions of n-alkanes between three different localities are significantly difference, except for ndotriacontaneand n-tetratriacontane. Comparison between Kota Samarahan and Kota Padawan samples revealedthe significant different in hydrocarbon composition for even-numbered carbon n-alkanes ranging from n-C18 ton-C38 except for n-C32 and n-C34 . Several odd-numbered carbon n-alkanes such as n-C25 , n-C27 , n-C33 and n-C35 also showed significant difference in the composition between Kota Samarahan and Kota Padawan.Examination on components contributing to the differentiation of localities showed that n-C29 , n-C33 and n-C36were important in discriminating three different localities. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) successfullyclassified all samples into three correct groups in 100% of cases, with cross-validation resulted in an error of7.7%. Individuals from each locality were grouped in the range of 2.10 - 9.16% differences, with average of43% different reflected between localities. E. indica samples collected from the forests containing simplerhydrocarbon pattern than samples collected around housing or industrial areas. Result showed that differences inmicroenvironment have influenced the composition and proportion of insect cuticular hydrocarbon. The findingreveals the potential of cuticular hydrocarbons profile to separate subpopulations of species.

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