scholarly journals Exploring the Terminal Pathway of Sex Pheromone Biosynthesis and Metabolism in the Silkworm

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1062
Author(s):  
Qing-Hai Wang ◽  
Xing Gao ◽  
Hong-Song Yu ◽  
Ze Zhang ◽  
Quan-You Yu
Keyword(s):  
Sex Pheromone ◽  
Sex Pheromones ◽  
Sexual Communication ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Aldehyde Oxidase ◽  
Pheromone Biosynthesis ◽  
Pheromone Production ◽  
Spatiotemporal Expression ◽  
Sex Pheromone Gland ◽  
Pheromone Blend

Sex pheromones are vital to sexual communication and reproduction in insects. Although some key enzymes in pheromone production have been well studied, information on genes involved in the terminal pathway is limited. The domestic silkworm employs a pheromone blend containing (E,Z)-10,12-hexadecadienol (bombykol) and analogous (E,Z)-10,12-hexadecadienal (bombykal); whereas, its wild ancestor B. mandarina uses only bombykol. The two closely related moths might be a good model for exploring the genes involved in aldehyde pheromone synthesis and metabolism. By deep sequencing and analyzing the sex pheromone gland (PG) transcriptomes; we identified 116 candidate genes that may be related to pheromone biosynthesis, metabolism, and chemoreception. Spatiotemporal expression profiles and differentially expressed analysis revealed that four alcohol oxidases (BmorAO1; 2; 3; and 4); one aldehyde reductase (BmorAR1); and one aldehyde oxidase (BmorAOX5) might be involved in the terminal pathway. Phylogenetic analysis showed that, except for BmorAO3 and MsexAO3, AOs did not show a conversed orthologous relationship among moths; whereas, ARs and AOXs were phylogenetically conserved. This study provides crucial candidates for further functional elucidation, and which may be utilized as potential targets to disrupt sexual communication in other moth pests.

scholarly journals Transcriptome analysis identifies candidate genes in the biosynthetic pathway of sex pheromones from a zygaenid moth, Achelura yunnanensis (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae)

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e12641
Author(s):  
Shu-Mei Nuo ◽  
An-Jin Yang ◽  
Gen-Ceng Li ◽  
Hai-Yan Xiao ◽  
Nai-Yong Liu
Keyword(s):  
Sex Pheromones ◽  
Sex Expression ◽  
Fatty Acyl ◽  
Pheromone Biosynthesis ◽  
Pheromone Production ◽  
Sequencing Data ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Moth Species ◽  
First Time

In most moth species, sex pheromones responsible for mating and communication of both sexes are primarily produced by the pheromone glands (PGs) of female moths. Although the PG transcriptomes and pheromone production related genes from 24 moth species have been characterized, studies on the related information remain unknown in the Zygaenidae family. Here, we sequenced the PG transcriptome of a zygaenid moth, Achelura yunnanensis. Such the sequencing resulted in the yields of 47,632,610 clean reads that were assembled into 54,297 unigenes, coupled with RNA sequencing data from 12 other tissues. Based on the transcriptome, a total of 191 genes encoding pheromone biosynthesis and degradation enzymes were identified, 161 of which were predicted to have full-length sequences. A comparative analysis among 24 moth species of nine families indicated that the numbers of the genes were variable, ranging from 14 in two Grapholita species to 191 in A. yunnanensis. Phylogenetic analysis in parallel with the expression data highlighted some key genes, including three △9 and four △11 desaturases, four fatty acyl-CoA reductases (FARs) clustering in the pgFAR clade, and three significantly antennae-enriched aldehyde oxidases. An extensive tissue- and sex- expression profile revealed a broad distribution of the genes, in which 128 relatives were detected in the PGs and 127 in the antennae. This study reports, for the first time, the gene repertoires associated with the pheromone production in Zygaenidae, and provides a valuable resource for exploring putative roles of the PG-enriched genes in A. yunnanensis.

scholarly journals Plant odour and sex pheromone are integral elements of specific mate recognition in an insect herbivore

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felipe Borrero-Echeverry ◽  
Marie Bengtsson ◽  
Peter Witzgall
Keyword(s):  
Sex Pheromone ◽  
Host Plant ◽  
Plant Volatiles ◽  
Sexual Communication ◽  
Mate Recognition ◽  
Pheromone Biosynthesis ◽  
Olfactory Communication ◽  
Plant Host ◽  
Male Response ◽  
Terrestrial Habitats

SummarySpecific mate recognition strongly relies on the chemical senses in many animals, and especially in nocturnal insects. Two signal types lend to premating olfactory communication in terrestrial habitats: sex signals blend into an atmosphere of habitat odorants, where plant volatiles prevail. We show for the first time that males of the African cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis perceive female sex pheromone and volatiles of its plant host cotton as a unit, rather than as independent messages. In clean air, S. littoralis males are attracted to flawed pheromone signals, such as single synthetic pheromone components or even the pheromone of a sibling species, Oriental leafworm S. litura. Presence of host plant volatiles, however, strongly reduces the male response to deficient or heterospecific pheromone signals. That plant cues enhance discrimination of sex pheromone quality confirms the idea that specific mate recognition in noctuid moths has evolved in concert with host plant adaptation. A participation of host plant odour in sexual communication suggests that mate recognition is under natural and sexual selection. Moreover, shifts in either female host preference or sex pheromone biosynthesis give rise to new communication channels that have the potential to initiate or contribute to reproductive isolation.

DAILY ACTIVITY PATTERNS AND SEX PHEROMONE SPECIFICITY AS SEXUAL ISOLATING MECHANISMS IN TWO SPECIES OF CHORISTONEURA (LEPIDOPTERA: TORTRICIDAE)

1971 ◽  
Vol 103 (4) ◽  
pp. 498-502 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. Sanders
Keyword(s):  
Sex Pheromone ◽  
Sex Pheromones ◽  
Choristoneura Fumiferana ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Sexual Isolation ◽  
Isolating Mechanisms ◽  
Sex Pheromone Gland ◽  
Pheromone Specificity ◽  
The Times ◽  
Daily Activity Patterns

AbstractThe roles of adult activity patterns and sex pheromones were investigated in the sexual isolation of Choristoneura fumiferana and C. pinus, species which hybridize in cages but not in the field. Female C. fumiferana started calling (extruding the sex pheromone gland) earlier (50% of the females started calling by sunset) than female C. pinus (50% by 11/2 hours after sunset). Male C. fumiferana were also attracted to traps by the females earlier, although the times of the peak catches were approximately the same in both species. Males, both in the laboratory and the field, responded only to the sex pheromone of their own species. It is therefore concluded that while C. pinus adults normally appear about 2 weeks later than those of C. fumiferana, which reduces the possibility of hybridization, when the adults do overlap, the ultimate barrier is the specificity of the sex pheromones.

scholarly journals Identification and Expression Profiles of Sex Pheromone Biosynthesis and Transport Related Genes in Spodoptera litura

PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. e0140019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ya-Nan Zhang ◽  
Xiu-Yun Zhu ◽  
Li-Ping Fang ◽  
Peng He ◽  
Zhi-Qiang Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Pheromone ◽  
Spodoptera Litura ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Pheromone Biosynthesis ◽  
Sex Pheromone Biosynthesis
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