scholarly journals Identification of multiple odorant receptors essential for pyrethrum repellency in Drosophila melanogaster

PLoS Genetics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. e1009677
Author(s):  
Qiang Wang ◽  
Peng Xu ◽  
Felipe Andreazza ◽  
Yahui Liu ◽  
Yoshiko Nomura ◽  
...  

Pyrethrum extract from dry flowers of Tanacetum cinerariifolium (formally Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium) has been used globally as a popular insect repellent against arthropod pests for thousands of years. However, the mechanistic basis of pyrethrum repellency remains unknown. In this study, we found that pyrethrum spatially repels and activates olfactory responses in Drosophila melanogaster, a genetically tractable model insect, and the closely-related D. suzukii which is a serious invasive fruit crop pest. The discovery of spatial pyrethrum repellency and olfactory response to pyrethrum in D. melanogaster facilitated our identification of four odorant receptors, Or7a, Or42b, Or59b and Or98a that are responsive to pyrethrum. Further analysis showed that the first three Ors are activated by pyrethrins, the major insecticidal components in pyrethrum, whereas Or98a is activated by (E)-β-farnesene (EBF), a sesquiterpene and a minor component in pyrethrum. Importantly, knockout of Or7a, Or59b or Or98a individually abolished fly avoidance to pyrethrum, while knockout of Or42b had no effect, demonstrating that simultaneous activation of Or7a, Or59b and Or98a is required for pyrethrum repellency in D. melanogaster. Our study provides insights into the molecular basis of repellency of one of the most ancient and globally used insect repellents. Identification of pyrethrum-responsive Ors opens the door to develop new synthetic insect repellent mixtures that are highly effective and broad-spectrum.

Genetics ◽  
1982 ◽  
Vol 101 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-89
Author(s):  
Adelaide T C Carpenter ◽  
Bruce S Baker

ABSTRACT The effects of eight recombination-defective meiotic mutants on crossing over within the X heterochromatin were examined. Since none permit substantial frequencies of exchange within heterochromatin although six lessen or abolish constraints on the location of exchanges within euchromatin, the systems that prohibit exchange within heterochromatin and that govern where exchanges will occur in euchromatin are under separate genetic control.—A minor component of the effects of mei-218 is the production of nonhomologous exchanges; of mei-9 is the recovery of deleted chromatids; and of mei-41 is the recovery of deleted chromatids and/or a low frequency of heterochromatic exchanges.


2009 ◽  
Vol 74 (10) ◽  
pp. 1543-1557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herman P. Van Leeuwen ◽  
Raewyn M. Town

The degree of (de)protonation of aqueous metal species has significant consequences for the kinetics of complex formation/dissociation. All protonated forms of both the ligand and the hydrated central metal ion contribute to the rate of complex formation to an extent weighted by the pertaining outer-sphere stabilities. Likewise, the lifetime of the uncomplexed metal is determined by all the various protonated ligand species. Therefore, the interfacial reaction layer thickness, μ, and the ensuing kinetic flux, Jkin, are more involved than in the conventional case. All inner-sphere complexes contribute to the overall rate of dissociation, as weighted by their respective rate constants for dissociation, kd. The presence of inner-sphere deprotonated H2O, or of outer-sphere protonated ligand, generally has a great impact on kd of the inner-sphere complex. Consequently, the overall flux can be dominated by a species that is a minor component of the bulk speciation. The concepts are shown to provide a good description of experimental stripping chronopotentiometric data for several protonated metal–ligand systems.


1994 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 517-527 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duncan Pirrie

Late Cretaceous sedimentary rocks assigned to the Santa Marta (Herbert Sound Member) and López de Bertodano (Cape Lamb and Sandwich Bluff members) formations of the Marambio Group, crop out on Cape Lamb, Vega Island. Although previous studies have recognized that these sedimentary rocks were derived from the northern Antarctic Peninsula region, the work presented here allows the provenance and palaeogeographical evolution of the region to be described in detail. On the basis of both sandstone petrography and clay mineralogy, the Herbert Sound and Cape Lamb members reflect sediment input from a low relief source area, with sand grade sediment sourced from low grade metasediments, and clay grade sediment ultimately derived from the weathering of an andesitic source area. In contrast, the Sandwich Bluff Member reflects a switch to a predominantly andesitic volcaniclastic source. However, this sediment was largely derived from older volcanic suites due to renewed source area uplift, with only a minor component from coeval volcanism. Regional uplift of both the arc terrane and the western margin of the James Ross Basin was likely during the Maastrichtian.


1988 ◽  
Vol 254 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Rüstow ◽  
Y Nakagawa ◽  
H Rabe ◽  
K Waku ◽  
D Kunze

1. Phosphatidylinositol (PI) is a minor component of lung surfactant which may be able to replace the functionally important phosphatidylglycerol (PG) [Beppu, Clements & Goerke (1983) J. Appl. Physiol. 55, 496-502] without disturbing lung function. The dipalmitoyl species is one of the main species for both PI (14.4%) and PG (16.9%). Besides the C16:0--C16:0 species, the C16:0--C18:0, C16:0--C18:1, C16:0--C18:2 and C18:0--C18:1 species showed comparable proportions in the PG and PI fractions. These similarities of the species patterns and the acidic character of both phospholipids could explain why surfactant PG may be replaced by PI. 2. PI and PG were radiolabelled by incubation of microsomal fractions with [14C]glycerol 3-phosphate (Gro3P). For 11 out of 14 molecular species of PI and PG we measured comparable proportions of radioactivity. The radioactivity of these 11 species accounted together for more than 80% of the total. The addition of inositol to the incubation system decreased the incorporation in vitro of Gro3P into PG and CDP-DG (diacylglycerol) of lung microsomes (microsomal fractions), but did not change the distribution of radioactivity among the molecular species of PG. These results supported the idea that both acidic surfactant phospholipids may be synthesized de novo from a common CDP-DG pool in lung microsomes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 6215
Author(s):  
Matias Braccini ◽  
Eva Lai ◽  
Karina Ryan ◽  
Stephen Taylor

Sharks and rays are a global conservation concern with an increasing number of species considered at risk of extinction, mostly due to overfishing. Although the recreational harvest of sharks and rays is poorly documented and generally minimal, it can be comparable to the commercial harvest. In this study, we quantified the recreational harvest of sharks and rays in Western Australia, a region with a marine coastline greater than 20,000 km. A total of 33 species/taxonomic groups were identified, with the harvest dominated by dusky and bronze whalers, blacktip reef sharks, gummy sharks, Port Jackson sharks, wobbegongs, and rays and skates. Eighty-five percent of individuals were released with an unknown status (alive or dead). We found a latitudinal gradient of species composition, with tropical and subtropical species of the genus Carcharhinus dominating in the north and temperate species from a range of families dominating in the south. Overall, our findings showed that the recreational harvest was negligible when compared with commercial landings.


1971 ◽  
Vol 125 (4) ◽  
pp. 1039-1047 ◽  
Author(s):  
M J Arslanian ◽  
E Pascoe ◽  
J G Reinhold

Alcohol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.1) from the rat liver supernatant fraction has been purified 200-fold and partially characterized. The isolation procedure involved ammonium sulphate fractionation, DEAE-Sephadex chromatography and gel filtration. The purified enzyme behaved as a homogeneous preparation as evaluated by cellulose acetate and polyacrylamide-gel disc electrophoresis. Sulphoethyl-Sephadex chromatography and immunoelectrophoresis with rabbit antiserum indicated the presence of a minor component. Rat liver alcohol dehydrogenase appears to contain 4mol of zinc/mol, has an estimated molecular weight of 65000 and consists of two subunits of similar molecular weight. Heavy-metal ions, thiol-blocking reagents, urea at concentrations below 8m, low pH (5.5) and chelating agents deactivate the enzyme but do not dissociate it into subunits. Deactivated enzyme could not be reactivated. The enzyme is strictly specific for NAD+ and has a broad specificity for alcohols, which are bound at a hydrophobic site. Inhibition occurred with the enzyme equilibrated with Zn2+ at concentrations above 0.1mm.


1979 ◽  
Vol 179 (2) ◽  
pp. 341-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
B W Stewart ◽  
P H Huang ◽  
M J Brian

Rat liver DNA may be separated into two fractions by stepwise elution from benzoylated-DEAE-cellulose with NaCl and caffeine solutions respectively. Other studies using bacterical and yeast DNA suggested that the first fraction contains native DNA, whereas the second may exhibit some degree of single-stranded character. In the present experiments, chromatography of DNA was monitored by labelling in vivo with [methyl-3H]thymidine in rats previously subjected to partial hepatectomy. In animals killed up to 1 h after thymidine injection, radioactivity eluted in the second fraction was inversely related to the incorporation time, being greatest when animals were killed 10 min after radioisotope injection. However, for most experiments, animals were allowed to survive 2-4 weeks after surgery before use, analysis being made on non-dividing DNA. Under these conditions, the proportion of caffeine-eluted DNA was decreased by subjecting the preparation to shear, before chromatography. A procedure that resulted in 12% of the recovered radioactivity being eluted with caffeine was adopted for experiments involving comparisons of the two DNA fractions. Under these conditions, cross-contamination could be detected by rechromatography, but this did not preclude distinction being made between the two fractions in terms of DNA structure. NaCl-eluted DNA did not bind to nitrocellulose filters. Caffeine-eluted DNA was retained by the filters and released by washing with 3mM-Tris/HCl, pH9.4. The fractions did not differ in terms of isopycnic centrifugation in CsCl. The NaCl-eluted fraction migrated as a single band in polyacrylamide gels, and this pattern was not modified by prior digestion with Neurospora crassa endonuclease. In contrast, caffeine-eluted DNA contained a minor component having a wide molecular-weight distribution and was subject to limited digestion by the endonuclease. The kinetics of denaturation of NaCi-eluted DNA in the presence of formaldehyde, in common with unfractionated DNA, were consistent with double-stranded structure. The same analysis of caffeine-eluted DNA revealed structural abnormality equivalent to two defects per 10000 base-pairs. The data are consistent with the minor fraction of rat liver DNA, separated by using benzoylated-DEAE-cellulose, containing regions of local denaturation. We previously showed that administration of the hepatocarcinogen dimethylnitrosamine is associated with an increase in the proportion of caffeine-eluted DNA. In terms of most analysis, differences between DNA fraction from nitrosamine-treated rats were similar to differences exhibited by preparations from control animals. However, structural analysis using denaturation kinetics indicated defects in both the NaCl- and caffeine-eluted DNA isolated from nitrosamine-treated rats. The two fractions differed from each other in that caffeine-eluted DNA exhibited a degree of structural damage far greater than that detected in any preparation from control animals...


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