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Juteršek M, Gerasymenko IM, Petek M, Haumann E, Vacas S, Kallam K, Gianoglio S, Navarro-Llopis V, Heethoff M, Fuertes IN, Patron N, Orzáez D, Gruden K, Warzecha H, Baebler Š. Transcriptome-informed identification and characterization of Planococcus citri cis- and trans-isoprenyl diphosphate synthase genes. iScience 2024; 27:109441. [PMID: 38523795 PMCID: PMC10960109 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Insect physiology and reproduction depend on several terpenoid compounds, whose biosynthesis is mainly unknown. One enigmatic group of insect monoterpenoids are mealybug sex pheromones, presumably resulting from the irregular coupling activity of unidentified isoprenyl diphosphate synthases (IDSs). Here, we performed a comprehensive search for IDS coding sequences of the pest mealybug Planococcus citri. We queried the available genomic and newly generated short- and long-read P. citri transcriptomic data and identified 18 putative IDS genes, whose phylogenetic analysis indicates several gene family expansion events. In vitro testing confirmed regular short-chain coupling activity with five gene products. With the candidate with highest IDS activity, we also detected low amounts of irregular coupling products, and determined amino acid residues important for chain-length preference and irregular coupling activity. This work therefore provides an important foundation for deciphering terpenoid biosynthesis in mealybugs, including the sex pheromone biosynthesis in P. citri.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojca Juteršek
- National Institute of Biology, Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Iryna M. Gerasymenko
- Plant Biotechnology and Metabolic Engineering, Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 4, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 4, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Marko Petek
- National Institute of Biology, Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Elisabeth Haumann
- Plant Biotechnology and Metabolic Engineering, Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 4, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 4, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Sandra Vacas
- Instituto Agroforestal del Mediterráneo-CEQA, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, Valencia, Spain
| | - Kalyani Kallam
- Engineering Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Silvia Gianoglio
- Institute for Plant Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMCP), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) - Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Valencia, Spain
| | - Vicente Navarro-Llopis
- Instituto Agroforestal del Mediterráneo-CEQA, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, Valencia, Spain
| | - Michael Heethoff
- Animal Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 4, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | | | - Nicola Patron
- Engineering Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Diego Orzáez
- Institute for Plant Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMCP), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) - Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Valencia, Spain
| | - Kristina Gruden
- National Institute of Biology, Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Heribert Warzecha
- Plant Biotechnology and Metabolic Engineering, Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 4, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 4, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Špela Baebler
- National Institute of Biology, Department of Biotechnology and Systems Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Tabata J, Yasui H. Sex Pheromone of the Azalea Mealybug With a Non-Terpene Structure. J Chem Ecol 2022; 48:609-617. [PMID: 35945405 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-022-01376-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Mealybug females release sex pheromones to attract conspecific males for mating. It is critical for mealybug males, which are fragile and short-lived, to respond to the pheromone of their species without time- and energy-consuming cross-attractions to other species. Thus, mealybug pheromone systems are considered to have evolved to be species-specific with unique structures in each species and offer an opportunity to study the diversity of pheromone chemistry that mediates intersexual courtship signals. More than 20 mealybug pheromones are reported to be monoterpenes in general, with only one exception, a hemiterpene alcohol esterified with a medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA), found in the Matsumoto mealybug, Crisicoccus matsumotoi. However, it is unknown whether this is truly exceptional, or if similar compounds are used in other related mealybugs. In this study, we isolated and characterized the pheromone of an allied species, the azalea mealybug C. azaleae. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and bioassays with synthetics, the pheromone was shown to be composed of isopropyl (E)-7-methyl-4-nonenoate, isopropyl (E)-7-methyl-4-octenoate, and ethyl (E)-7-methyl-4-nonenoate. Surprisingly, the structures of these compounds do not include hemiterpene nor monoterpene motifs but have methyl-branched MCFA parts that are similar to an acid moiety of the C. matsumotoi pheromone. This study implies irregular events for the divergence of pheromone structures in ancestors of the genus Crisicoccus and other mealybugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Tabata
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8572, Japan. .,National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, 3-1-3 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8604, Japan.
| | - Hiroe Yasui
- National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, 3-1-3 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8604, Japan
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Hall DR, Zarbin PHG, Ando T, Schulz S. Tribute to Professor Kenji Mori and his contribution to Chemical Ecology. J Chem Ecol 2022; 48:475-476. [PMID: 35900656 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-022-01375-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David R Hall
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, Kent, ME4 4TB, UK.
| | - Paulo H G Zarbin
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Caixa Postal 19081, Curitiba, PR, 81531-990, Brazil
| | - Tetsu Ando
- Graduate School of BASE, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, 184-0012, Japan
| | - Stefan Schulz
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, TU Braunschweig, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
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