1
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Cheng JQ, Tao YM, Li J, Chen YZ, Hu HY. Characterization of male-biased fatty acid desaturase in the jewel wasp Nasonia vitripennis and its role in pheromone production. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART B, MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2022; 338:421-429. [PMID: 34995007 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.23120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Linoleic acid is the material for biosynthesis of sex attracting and blocking (postmating) pheromones in Nasonia vitripennis, it is synthesized from oleic acid by a male-biased fatty acid desaturase (SCD5a). In this study, we developed a specific antibody and further characterized the expression patterns of SCD5a in males at different mating stages by western blot. SCD5a was mainly expressed in male heads rather than in abdomens. Along with the aging process (from Day 1 to Day 3), SCD5a increased significantly. Compared with virgin males, mated males showed higher levels of SCD5a. Likewise, abdomen dipping frequency, during which males release attracting pheromone, increased with age and mating. Moreover, real-time quantitative PCR revealed that genes responsible for the first three steps of attracting pheromone biosynthesis were more highly expressed in head than in abdomen, but the final gene for transformation of attracting pheromone was more highly expressed in abdomen than in head. These results suggest that linoleic acid for biosynthesis of attracting pheromones may also originate from the head rather than only synthesized at the rectal vesicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Qiu Cheng
- School of Ecology and Environment, Collaborative Innovation Center of Recovery and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Wanjiang Basin Co-founded by Anhui Province and Ministry of Education, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Yu-Mei Tao
- School of Ecology and Environment, Collaborative Innovation Center of Recovery and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Wanjiang Basin Co-founded by Anhui Province and Ministry of Education, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Jing Li
- School of Ecology and Environment, Collaborative Innovation Center of Recovery and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Wanjiang Basin Co-founded by Anhui Province and Ministry of Education, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Yong-Zhuo Chen
- School of Ecology and Environment, Collaborative Innovation Center of Recovery and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Wanjiang Basin Co-founded by Anhui Province and Ministry of Education, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Hao-Yuan Hu
- School of Ecology and Environment, Collaborative Innovation Center of Recovery and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Wanjiang Basin Co-founded by Anhui Province and Ministry of Education, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
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2
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Trautenberg LC, Brankatschk M, Shevchenko A, Wigby S, Reinhardt K. Ecological lipidology. eLife 2022; 11:79288. [PMID: 36069772 PMCID: PMC9451535 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Dietary lipids (DLs), particularly sterols and fatty acids, are precursors for endogenous lipids that, unusually for macronutrients, shape cellular and organismal function long after ingestion. These functions – cell membrane structure, intracellular signalling, and hormonal activity – vary with the identity of DLs, and scale up to influence health, survival, and reproductive fitness, thereby affecting evolutionary change. Our Ecological Lipidology approach integrates biochemical mechanisms and molecular cell biology into evolution and nutritional ecology. It exposes our need to understand environmental impacts on lipidomes, the lipid specificity of cell functions, and predicts the evolution of lipid-based diet choices. Broad interdisciplinary implications of Ecological Lipidology include food web alterations, species responses to environmental change, as well as sex differences and lifestyle impacts on human nutrition, and opportunities for DL-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marko Brankatschk
- Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andrej Shevchenko
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Stuart Wigby
- Applied Zoology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Klaus Reinhardt
- Applied Zoology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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3
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Weiss K, Schneider JM. Female sex pheromone emission is affected by body condition, but not immune system function, in the orb‐web spider
Argiope bruennichi. Ethology 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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4
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Wang Y, Sun W, Fleischmann S, Millar JG, Ruther J, Verhulst EC. Silencing Doublesex expression triggers three-level pheromonal feminization in Nasonia vitripennis males. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212002. [PMID: 35078369 PMCID: PMC8790373 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Doublesex (Dsx) has a conserved function in controlling sexual morphological differences in insects, but our knowledge of its role in regulating sexual behaviour is primarily limited to Drosophila. Here, we show with the parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis that males whose Dsx gene had been silenced (NvDsx-i) underwent a three-level pheromonal feminization: (i) NvDsx-i males were no longer able to attract females from a distance, owing to drastically reduced titres of the long-range sex pheromone; (ii) NvDsx-i males were courted by wild-type males as though they were females, which correlated with a lower abundance of alkenes in their cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles. Supplementation with realistic amounts of synthetic (Z)-9-hentriacontene (Z9C31), the most significantly reduced alkene in NvDsx-i males, to NvDsx-i males interrupted courtship by wild-type conspecific males. Supplementation of female CHC profiles with Z9C31 reduced courtship and mating attempts by wild-type males. These results prove that Z9C31 is crucial for sex discrimination in N. vitripennis; and (iii) Nvdsx-i males were hampered in eliciting female receptivity and thus experienced severely reduced mating success, suggesting that they are unable to produce the to-date unidentified oral aphrodisiac pheromone reported in N. vitripennis males. We conclude that Dsx is a multi-level key regulator of pheromone-mediated sexual communication in N. vitripennis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yidong Wang
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, Building 107, 6708 PB Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Weizhao Sun
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, Building 107, 6708 PB Wageningen, Netherlands
| | | | - Jocelyn G. Millar
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Joachim Ruther
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Eveline C. Verhulst
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, Building 107, 6708 PB Wageningen, Netherlands
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5
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Broschwitz B, Prager L, Pokorny T, Ruther J. De novo biosynthesis of linoleic acid is widespread in parasitic wasps. ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 107:e21788. [PMID: 33817829 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Linoleic acid (C18:2∆9,12 , LA) is an important metabolite with numerous essential functions for growth, health, and reproduction of organisms. It has long been assumed that animals lack ∆12-desaturases, the enzymes needed to produce LA from oleic acid (C18:1∆9 , OA). There is, however, increasing evidence that this is not generally true for invertebrates. In the insect order Hymenoptera, LA biosynthesis has been shown for only two parasitic wasp species of the so-called "Nasonia group," but it is unknown whether members of other taxa are also capable of synthesizing LA. Here, we demonstrate LA biosynthesis in 13 out of 14 species from six families of parasitic wasps by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis using two different stable isotope labeling techniques. Females of the studied species converted topically applied fully 13 C-labeled OA into LA and/or produced labeled LA after feeding on fully 13 C-labeled α- d-glucose. These results indicate that ∆12-desaturases are widespread in parasitic Hymenoptera and confirm previous studies demonstrating that these insects are capable of synthesizing fatty acids de novo.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lorena Prager
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Tamara Pokorny
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Joachim Ruther
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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6
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Ruther J, Prager L, Pokorny T. Parasitic wasps do not lack lipogenesis. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210548. [PMID: 34034524 PMCID: PMC8150038 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Fatty acids are crucial primary metabolites for virtually all creatures on earth. Most organisms thus do not rely exclusively on a nutritional supply containing fatty acids, but have the ability to synthesize fatty acids and triacylglycerides de novo from carbohydrates in a process called lipogenesis. The ubiquity of lipogenesis has been questioned by a series of studies reporting that many parasitic wasps (parasitoids) do not accumulate lipid mass despite having unlimited access to sugar. This has been interpreted as an evolutionary metabolic trait loss in parasitoids. Here, we demonstrate de novo biosynthesis of fatty acids from 13C-labelled α-d-glucose in 13 species of parasitoids from seven families. We furthermore show in the model organism Nasonia vitripennis that lipogenesis occurs even when lipid reserves are still intact, but relative 13C-incorporation rates increase in females with widely depleted fat reserves. We therefore conclude that the presumed 'lack of lipogenesis' in parasitoids needs to be re-evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Ruther
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Lorena Prager
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Tamara Pokorny
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
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7
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Huang ZY, Wang XY, Lu W, Zheng XL. Sensory gene identification in the transcriptome of the ectoparasitoid Quadrastichus mendeli. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9726. [PMID: 33958688 PMCID: PMC8102506 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89253-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory genes play a key role in the host location of parasitoids. To date, the sensory genes that regulate parasitoids to locate gall-inducing insects have not been uncovered. An obligate ectoparasitoid, Quadrastichus mendeli Kim & La Salle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae: Tetrastichinae), is one of the most important parasitoids of Leptocybe invasa, which is a global gall-making pest in eucalyptus plantations. Interestingly, Q. mendeli can precisely locate the larva of L. invasa, which induces tumor-like growth on the eucalyptus leaves and stems. Therefore, Q. mendeli-L. invasa provides an ideal system to study the way that parasitoids use sensory genes in gall-making pests. In this study, we present the transcriptome of Q. mendeli using high-throughput sequencing. In total, 31,820 transcripts were obtained and assembled into 26,925 unigenes in Q. mendeli. Then, the major sensory genes were identified, and phylogenetic analyses were performed with these genes from Q. mendeli and other model insect species. Three chemosensory proteins (CSPs), 10 gustatory receptors (GRs), 21 ionotropic receptors (IRs), 58 odorant binding proteins (OBPs), 30 odorant receptors (ORs) and 2 sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs) were identified in Q. mendeli by bioinformatics analysis. Our report is the first to obtain abundant biological information on the transcriptome of Q. mendeli that provided valuable information regarding the molecular basis of Q. mendeli perception, and it may help to understand the host location of parasitoids of gall-making pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zong-You Huang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-Products Safety, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004 China
| | - Xiao-Yun Wang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-Products Safety, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004 China
| | - Wen Lu
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-Products Safety, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004 China
| | - Xia-Lin Zheng
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Agric-Environment and Agric-Products Safety, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004 China
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8
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Jatsch AS, Ruther J. Acetone application for administration of bioactive substances has no negative effects on longevity, fitness, and sexual communication in a parasitic wasp. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0245698. [PMID: 33471848 PMCID: PMC7816986 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Administration of defined amounts of bioactive substances is a perseverative problem in physiological studies on insects. Apart from feeding and injection, topical application of solutions of the chemicals is most commonly used for this purpose. The solvents used should be non-toxic and have least possible effects on the studied parameters. Acetone is widely used for administration of chemical substances to insects, but possible side-effects of acetone application on fitness and behavioral parameters have been rarely investigated. Here we study the effects of acetone application (207 nl) on fitness and sexual communication in the parasitic wasp Nasonia giraulti Darling. Application of acetone had neither negative effects on longevity nor on offspring number and offspring sex ratio of treated wasps. Treatment of females hampered courtship and mating of N. giraulti couples neither directly after application nor one day after. Male sex pheromone titers were not influenced by acetone treatment. Three application examples demonstrate that topical acetone application is capable of bringing active amounts of insect hormones, neuromodulators, and biosynthetic precursors even in tiny insects. We advocate the use of acetone as a convenient, conservative, and broadly applicable vehicle for studying the effects of bioactive substances in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joachim Ruther
- Institute for Zoology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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9
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Trade-offs of strategic sperm adjustments and their consequences under phenotype–environment mismatches in guppies. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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10
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Prager L, Bruckmann A, Ruther J. De novo biosynthesis of fatty acids from α-D-glucose in parasitoid wasps of the Nasonia group. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 115:103256. [PMID: 31655163 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2019.103256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Fatty acids are indispensable primary metabolites for virtually any organism on earth and thus enzymatic machinery enabling de novo production of fatty acids from carbohydrates is highly conserved. A series of studies has questioned the ubiquity of lipogenesis in parasitoid wasps suggesting that the vast majority of species have lost the ability to synthesize fatty acids de novo. One such species is Nasonia vitripennis, which, like the congeneric species N. giraulti and N. longicornis, uses a fatty acid-derived male sex pheromone for sexual communication. Here we demonstrate by feeding fully 13C-labeled α-D-glucose and analyzing insect-derived fatty acid methyl esters and the male sex pheromone by coupled gas chromatography/mass spectrometry that both males and females of N. vitripennis as well as N. giraulti and N. longicornis are capable of synthesizing fatty acids de novo. We furthermore show by a proteomics approach that predicted fatty acid synthase, ATP-citrate synthase, and acetyl-CoA carboxylase, key enzymes of lipogenesis, are expressed in the male pheromone gland of N. vitripennis and N. giraulti. Labeling experiments with Urolepis rufipes, a closely related species producing a male sex pheromone independently of fatty acids via the mevalonate pathway, revealed that both sexes are likewise able to synthesize fatty acids de novo. We conclude that the parasitoid wasp species studied here, irrespective of the biosynthetic origin of their sex pheromones, are capable of responding flexibly to lipid shortage during their adult life by keeping enzymatic machinery for lipogenesis running.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Prager
- University of Regensburg, Institute of Zoology, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Astrid Bruckmann
- University of Regensburg, Institute of Biochemistry Genetics and Microbiology, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Joachim Ruther
- University of Regensburg, Institute of Zoology, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany.
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11
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Mair MM, Ruther J. Chemical Ecology of the Parasitoid Wasp Genus Nasonia (Hymenoptera, Pteromalidae). Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
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12
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Semmelmann F, Kabeya N, Malcicka M, Bruckmann A, Broschwitz B, Straub K, Merkl R, Monroig O, Sterner R, Ruther J, Ellers J. Functional characterisation of two Δ12-desaturases demonstrates targeted production of linoleic acid as pheromone precursor in Nasonia. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.201038. [PMID: 31019064 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.201038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Insect pheromones are often derived from fatty acid metabolism. Fatty acid desaturases, enzymes introducing double bonds into fatty acids, are crucial for the biosynthesis of these chemical signals. Δ12-desaturases catalyse the biosynthesis of linoleic acid by introducing a second double bond into oleic acid, but have been identified in only a few animal species. Here, we report the functional characterisation of two Δ12-desaturases, Nvit_D12a and Nvit_D12b, from the parasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis. We demonstrate that Nvit_D12a is expressed in the rectal vesicle of males where they produce a linoleic acid-derived sex pheromone to attract virgin females. 13C-labelling experiments with Urolepis rufipes, a closely related species belonging to the 'Nasonia group', revealed that females, but not males, are able to synthesise linoleic acid. U. rufipes males produce an isoprenoid sex pheromone in the same gland and do not depend on linoleic acid for pheromone production. This suggests that Δ12-desaturases are common in the 'Nasonia group', but acquired a specialised function in chemical communication of those species that use linoleic acid as a pheromone precursor. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that insect Δ12-desaturases have evolved repeatedly from Δ9-desaturases in different insect taxa. Hence, insects have developed a way to produce linoleic acid independent of the omega desaturase subfamily which harbours all of the eukaryotic Δ12-desaturases known so far.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Semmelmann
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Naoki Kabeya
- Department of Aquatic Bioscience, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, 113-8657 Tokyo, Japan
| | - Miriama Malcicka
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Astrid Bruckmann
- Institute of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Bastian Broschwitz
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Kristina Straub
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Rainer Merkl
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Oscar Monroig
- Instituto de Acuicultura Torre de la Sal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATS-CSIC), Ribera de Cabanes 12595, Spain
| | - Reinhard Sterner
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Joachim Ruther
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Jacintha Ellers
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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13
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Abe J. Sperm-limited males continue to mate, but females cannot detect the male state in a parasitoid wasp. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2653-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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14
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Ruther J, Wittman T, Grimm C, Feichtner FS, Fleischmann S, Kiermaier J, King BH, Kremer W, Kalbitzer HR, Schulz S. Male Sex Pheromone of the Parasitoid Wasp Urolepis rufipes Demonstrates Biosynthetic Switch Between Fatty Acid and Isoprenoid Metabolism Within the Nasonia Group. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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15
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Mair MM, Ruther J. Territoriality and behavioural strategies at the natal host patch differ in two microsympatric Nasonia species. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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16
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Menzel R, Geweiler D, Sass A, Simsek D, Ruess L. Nematodes as Important Source for Omega-3 Long-Chain Fatty Acids in the Soil Food Web and the Impact in Nutrition for Higher Trophic Levels. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
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17
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Henneken J, Goodger JQD, Jones TM, Elgar MA. Variation in the web-based chemical cues of Argiope keyserlingi. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 101:15-21. [PMID: 28606855 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2017.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Revised: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Pheromones are chemical compounds used to transmit information between individuals of the same species. Pheromone composition is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Numerous studies, predominately of insects, have demonstrated a role for diet in pheromone expression. The chemical composition of spider web-silk varies with diet and in many species these chemicals are crucial to mate choice processes. Here, we investigated individual variation in the chemical compounds found on the surface of web-silk of female Argiope keyserlingi, and further explored the degree to which they are influenced by diet, investment in egg sac production and site of collection. We observed variation in the web-based chemical cues both between and within individuals. Additionally, we found that some of this variation could be explained by diet and gravid status but not by collection site. We discuss our findings in relation to mate choice processes and the costs and benefits of the observed variation in these web-based chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Henneken
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Jason Q D Goodger
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Therèsa M Jones
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mark A Elgar
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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18
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Tappert L, Pokorny T, Hofferberth J, Ruther J. Sublethal doses of imidacloprid disrupt sexual communication and host finding in a parasitoid wasp. Sci Rep 2017; 7:42756. [PMID: 28198464 PMCID: PMC5309895 DOI: 10.1038/srep42756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neonicotinoids are widely used insecticides, but their use is subject of debate because of their detrimental effects on pollinators. Little is known about the effect of neonicotinoids on other beneficial insects such as parasitoid wasps, which serve as natural enemies and are crucial for ecosystem functioning. Here we show that sublethal doses of the neonicotinoid imidacloprid impair sexual communication and host finding in the parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis. Depending on the dose, treated females were less responsive to the male sex pheromone or unable to use it as a cue at all. Courtship behaviour of treated couples was also impeded resulting in a reduction of mating rates by up to 80%. Moreover, treated females were no longer able to locate hosts by using olfactory cues. Olfaction is crucial for the reproductive success of parasitoid wasps. Hence, sublethal doses of neonicotinoids might compromise the function of parasitoid wasps as natural enemies with potentially dire consequences for ecosystem services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Tappert
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Tamara Pokorny
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Joachim Ruther
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
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19
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Henneken J, Goodger JQD, Jones TM, Elgar MA. Diet-Mediated Pheromones and Signature Mixtures Can Enforce Signal Reliability. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
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20
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Dion E, Monteiro A, Yew JY. Phenotypic plasticity in sex pheromone production in Bicyclus anynana butterflies. Sci Rep 2016; 6:39002. [PMID: 27966579 PMCID: PMC5155268 DOI: 10.1038/srep39002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity refers to the environmental control of phenotypes. Cues experienced during development (developmental plasticity) or during adulthood (acclimatization) can both affect adult phenotypes. Phenotypic plasticity has been described in many traits but examples of developmental plasticity in physiological traits, in particular, remain scarce. We examined developmental plasticity and acclimatization in pheromone production in the butterfly Bicyclus anynana in response to rearing temperature. B. anynana lives in the African tropics where warm rearing temperatures of the wet season produce active males that court and females that choose, whereas cooler temperatures of the dry season lead to choosy less active males and courting females. We hypothesized that if male pheromone production is costly, it should be reduced in the dry season form. After describing the ultrastructure of pheromone producing cells, we showed that dry season males produced significantly less sex pheromones than wet season males, partly due to acclimatization and partly due to developmental plasticity. Variation in levels of one of the compounds is associated with differential regulation of a pheromone biosynthetic enzyme gene. This plasticity might be an adaptation to minimize pheromone production costs during the stressful dry season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Dion
- Department of Biological Sciences, 14 Science Drive 4, National University of Singapore, 117543, Singapore.,Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, 118173, Singapore
| | - Antónia Monteiro
- Department of Biological Sciences, 14 Science Drive 4, National University of Singapore, 117543, Singapore.,Yale-NUS College, 6 College Avenue East, 138614, Singapore
| | - Joanne Y Yew
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, 1993 East West Road, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
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21
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Ruther J, Hagström ÅK, Brandstetter B, Hofferberth J, Bruckmann A, Semmelmann F, Fink M, Lowack H, Laberer S, Niehuis O, Deutzmann R, Löfstedt C, Sterner R. Epimerisation of chiral hydroxylactones by short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases accounts for sex pheromone evolution in Nasonia. Sci Rep 2016; 6:34697. [PMID: 27703264 PMCID: PMC5050451 DOI: 10.1038/srep34697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Males of all species of the parasitic wasp genus Nasonia use (4R,5S)-5-hydroxy-4-decanolide (RS) as component of their sex pheromone while only N. vitripennis (Nv), employs additionally (4R,5R)-5-hydroxy-4-decanolide (RR). Three genes coding for the NAD+-dependent short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases (SDRs) NV10127, NV10128, and NV10129 are linked to the ability of Nv to produce RR. Here we show by assaying recombinant enzymes that SDRs from both Nv and N. giraulti (Ng), the latter a species with only RS in the pheromone, epimerise RS into RR and vice versa with (4R)-5-oxo-4-decanolide as an intermediate. Nv-derived SDR orthologues generally had higher epimerisation rates, which were also influenced by NAD+ availability. Semiquantitative protein analyses of the pheromone glands by tandem mass spectrometry revealed that NV10127 as well as NV10128 and/or NV10129 were more abundant in Nv compared to Ng. We conclude that the interplay of differential expression patterns and SDR epimerisation rates on the ancestral pheromone component RS accounts for the evolution of a novel pheromone phenotype in Nv.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Ruther
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Åsa K Hagström
- Department of Biology, Lund University, SE-22362 Lund, Sweden
| | | | | | - Astrid Bruckmann
- Institute of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Florian Semmelmann
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Michaela Fink
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Helena Lowack
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Sabine Laberer
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Oliver Niehuis
- Centre for Molecular Biodiversity Research, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, 53113 Bonn, Germany
| | - Rainer Deutzmann
- Institute of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Reinhard Sterner
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
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22
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Stanton MA, Preβler J, Paetz C, Boland W, Svatoš A, Baldwin IT. Plant-mediated pheromone emission by a hemipteran seed feeder increases the apparency of an unreliable but rewarding host. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2016; 211:113-25. [PMID: 26915986 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2015] [Accepted: 12/26/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The defensive chemistry and persistence of plant tissues determine their suitability and apparency - the likelihood of being discovered - to insect herbivores. As consumers of plant tissues with transient apparency, florivores and seed-feeders must frequently migrate between host plants to synchronize colonization with plant phenology. Aggregation pheromones could provide information-based solutions to finding ephemeral hosts, but little is known about plant-influenced variation in this form of chemical communication. Combining analytical chemistry, de novo synthesis and field ecology, we investigated the change in colonization of two sympatric host plants, Nicotiana attenuata and Nicotiana obtusifolia, which differ in apparency-related life history traits, by a heteropteran seed-feeder, Corimelaena extensa. We identified a novel pheromone released by C. extensa males - (5Z,8Z)-tetradeca-5,8-dienal - and performed field assays with the synthetic pheromone, showing that it stimulates the formation of feeding aggregations on the post-fire annual N. attenuata. Corimelaena extensa pheromone emission was 40-fold higher when feeding on N. attenuata compared with the perennial N. obtusifolia, as were adult fecundity and seed capsule content of the putative biosynthetic precursor, linoleic acid. Higher pheromone emission increases the apparency and colonization of the ephemeral, high-quality host N. attenuata. This plant-specific variation in insect signaling could facilitate host-finding by seed-feeders migrating between plant patches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana A Stanton
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straβe 8, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Jens Preβler
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straβe 8, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Christian Paetz
- Research Group Biosynthesis/NMR, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straβe 8, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Wilhelm Boland
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straβe 8, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Aleš Svatoš
- Research Group Mass Spectrometry/Proteomics, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straβe 8, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Ian T Baldwin
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straβe 8, 07745, Jena, Germany
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23
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Chemnitz J, Jentschke PC, Ayasse M, Steiger S. Beyond species recognition: somatic state affects long-distance sex pheromone communication. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20150832. [PMID: 26180067 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-range sex pheromones have been subjected to substantial research with a particular focus on their biosynthesis, peripheral perception, central processing and the resulting orientation behaviour of perceivers. Fundamental to the research on sex attractants was the assumption that they primarily coordinate species recognition. However, especially when they are produced by the less limiting sex (usually males), the evolution of heightened condition dependence might be expected and long-range sex pheromones might, therefore, also inform about a signaller's quality. Here we provide, to our knowledge, the first comprehensive study of the role of a male's long-range pheromone in mate choice that combines chemical analyses, video observations and field experiments with a multifactorial manipulation of males' condition. We show that the emission of the long-distance sex pheromone of the burying beetle, Nicrophorus vespilloides is highly condition-dependent and reliably reflects nutritional state, age, body size and parasite load--key components of an individual's somatic state. Both, the quantity and ratio of the pheromone components were affected but the time invested in pheromone emission was largely unaffected by a male's condition. Moreover, the variation in pheromone emission caused by the variation in condition had a strong effect on the attractiveness of males in the field, with males in better nutritional condition, of older age, larger body size and bearing less parasites being more attractive. That a single pheromone is influenced by so many aspects of the somatic state and causes such variation in a male's attractiveness under field conditions was hitherto unknown and highlights the need to integrate indicator models of sexual selection into pheromone research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Chemnitz
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Petra C Jentschke
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Sandra Steiger
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm 89081, Germany
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24
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Brandstetter B, Ruther J. An insect with a delta-12 desaturase, the jewel wasp Nasonia vitripennis, benefits from nutritional supply with linoleic acid. Naturwissenschaften 2016; 103:40. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-016-1365-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2016] [Revised: 04/11/2016] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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25
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Segura DF, Nussenbaum AL, Viscarret MM, Devescovi F, Bachmann GE, Corley JC, Ovruski SM, Cladera JL. Innate Host Habitat Preference in the Parasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata: Functional Significance and Modifications through Learning. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0152222. [PMID: 27007298 PMCID: PMC4805301 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2015] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasitoids searching for polyphagous herbivores can find their hosts in a variety of habitats. Under this scenario, chemical cues from the host habitat (not related to the host) represent poor indicators of host location. Hence, it is unlikely that naïve females show a strong response to host habitat cues, which would become important only if the parasitoids learn to associate such cues to the host presence. This concept does not consider that habitats can vary in profitability or host nutritional quality, which according to the optimal foraging theory and the preference-performance hypothesis (respectively) could shape the way in which parasitoids make use of chemical cues from the host habitat. We assessed innate preference in the fruit fly parasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata among chemical cues from four host habitats (apple, fig, orange and peach) using a Y-tube olfactometer. Contrary to what was predicted, we found a hierarchic pattern of preference. The parasitism rate realized on these fruit species and the weight of the host correlates positively, to some extent, with the preference pattern, whereas preference did not correlate with survival and fecundity of the progeny. As expected for a parasitoid foraging for generalist hosts, habitat preference changed markedly depending on their previous experience and the abundance of hosts. These findings suggest that the pattern of preference for host habitats is attributable to differences in encounter rate and host quality. Host habitat preference seems to be, however, quite plastic and easily modified according to the information obtained during foraging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego F. Segura
- Laboratorio de Genética de Insectos de Importancia Económica, IGEAF, CICVyA, INTA, Hurlingham, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ana L. Nussenbaum
- Laboratorio de Genética de Insectos de Importancia Económica, IGEAF, CICVyA, INTA, Hurlingham, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariana M. Viscarret
- Insectario de Investigaciones para Lucha Biológica, IMyZA, CICVyA, INTA, Hurlingham, Argentina
| | - Francisco Devescovi
- Laboratorio de Genética de Insectos de Importancia Económica, IGEAF, CICVyA, INTA, Hurlingham, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Guillermo E. Bachmann
- Laboratorio de Genética de Insectos de Importancia Económica, IGEAF, CICVyA, INTA, Hurlingham, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Juan C. Corley
- Grupo de Ecología de Poblaciones de Insectos. INTA EEA Bariloche, San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Sergio M. Ovruski
- PROIMI Biotecnología, CCT Tucumán CONICET, División Control Biológico de Plagas, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Jorge L. Cladera
- Laboratorio de Genética de Insectos de Importancia Económica, IGEAF, CICVyA, INTA, Hurlingham, Argentina
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26
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Henneken J, Jones TM, Goodger JQ, Dias DA, Walter A, Elgar MA. Diet influences female signal reliability for male mate choice. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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27
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Genetic and epigenetic architecture of sex-biased expression in the jewel wasps Nasonia vitripennis and giraulti. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:E3545-54. [PMID: 26100871 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1510338112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
There is extraordinary diversity in sexual dimorphism (SD) among animals, but little is known about its epigenetic basis. To study the epigenetic architecture of SD in a haplodiploid system, we performed RNA-seq and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing of adult females and males from two closely related parasitoid wasps, Nasonia vitripennis and Nasonia giraulti. More than 75% of expressed genes displayed significantly sex-biased expression. As a consequence, expression profiles are more similar between species within each sex than between sexes within each species. Furthermore, extremely male- and female-biased genes are enriched for totally different functional categories: male-biased genes for key enzymes in sex-pheromone synthesis and female-biased genes for genes involved in epigenetic regulation of gene expression. Remarkably, just 70 highly expressed, extremely male-biased genes account for 10% of all transcripts in adult males. Unlike expression profiles, DNA methylomes are highly similar between sexes within species, with no consistent sex differences in methylation found. Therefore, methylation changes cannot explain the extensive level of sex-biased gene expression observed. Female-biased genes have smaller sequence divergence between species, higher conservation to other hymenopterans, and a broader expression range across development. Overall, female-biased genes have been recruited from genes with more conserved and broadly expressing "house-keeping" functions, whereas male-biased genes are more recently evolved and are predominately testis specific. In summary, Nasonia accomplish a striking degree of sex-biased expression without sex chromosomes or epigenetic differences in methylation. We propose that methylation provides a general signal for constitutive gene expression, whereas other sex-specific signals cause sex-biased gene expression.
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28
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Cooper JL, King BH. Substrate-Borne Marking in the Parasitoid Wasp Urolepis rufipes (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae). ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2015; 44:680-688. [PMID: 26313974 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvv017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2014] [Accepted: 01/30/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Many animals use pheromone marking as a way to identify their territory or other resources. Among insects, substrate-borne marking is frequently reported for females, which in many species make marks containing oviposition-deterring pheromone, which other females avoid. However, there are fewer reports of substrate-borne marking for males. Here, marking in males of the parasitoid wasp Urolepis rufipes (Ashmead) is described. The conditions under which males mark and whether males and females respond to the males' marks were examined using behavioral observations. Males marked by dragging the tips of their abdomens across a substrate. They marked much more after mating and after consuming honey. They also marked more when with a female, irrespective of copulation, although not when with a male. Females spent more time on or near marked substrates, and males also responded to their own marks. Although males aggressively and successfully defended areas that they had marked against other males, males did not respond to another male's marks in the conspecific's absence. In contrast to males, females did not mark, either on the surface of hosts or on other surfaces, and males showed no detectable response to surfaces which females had recently occupied.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Cooper
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115-2861.
| | - B H King
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115-2861.
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29
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Boulton RA, Collins LA, Shuker DM. Beyond sex allocation: the role of mating systems in sexual selection in parasitoid wasps. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2015; 90:599-627. [PMID: 24981603 PMCID: PMC4409842 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2013] [Revised: 05/19/2014] [Accepted: 05/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Despite the diverse array of mating systems and life histories which characterise the parasitic Hymenoptera, sexual selection and sexual conflict in this taxon have been somewhat overlooked. For instance, parasitoid mating systems have typically been studied in terms of how mating structure affects sex allocation. In the past decade, however, some studies have sought to address sexual selection in the parasitoid wasps more explicitly and found that, despite the lack of obvious secondary sexual traits, sexual selection has the potential to shape a range of aspects of parasitoid reproductive behaviour and ecology. Moreover, various characteristics fundamental to the parasitoid way of life may provide innovative new ways to investigate different processes of sexual selection. The overall aim of this review therefore is to re-examine parasitoid biology with sexual selection in mind, for both parasitoid biologists and also researchers interested in sexual selection and the evolution of mating systems more generally. We will consider aspects of particular relevance that have already been well studied including local mating structure, sex allocation and sperm depletion. We go on to review what we already know about sexual selection in the parasitoid wasps and highlight areas which may prove fruitful for further investigation. In particular, sperm depletion and the costs of inbreeding under chromosomal sex determination provide novel opportunities for testing the role of direct and indirect benefits for the evolution of mate choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A Boulton
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St AndrewsDyers Brae, Greenside place, Fife KY16 9TH, U.K.
| | - Laura A Collins
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St AndrewsDyers Brae, Greenside place, Fife KY16 9TH, U.K.
| | - David M Shuker
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St AndrewsDyers Brae, Greenside place, Fife KY16 9TH, U.K.
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30
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Chirault M, Lucas C, Goubault M, Chevrier C, Bressac C, Lécureuil C. A combined approach to heat stress effect on male fertility in Nasonia vitripennis: from the physiological consequences on spermatogenesis to the reproductive adjustment of females mated with stressed males. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0120656. [PMID: 25807005 PMCID: PMC4373853 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0120656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 02/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, several studies have shown a decline in reproductive success in males in both humans and wildlife. Research on male fertility has largely focused on vertebrates, although invertebrates constitute the vast majority of terrestrial biodiversity. The reduction of their reproductive capacities due to environmental stresses can have strong negative ecological impacts, and also dramatic consequences on world food production if it affects the reproductive success of biological control agents, such as parasitic wasps used to control crop pests. Here Nasonia vitripennis, a parasitic wasp of various fly species, was studied to test the effects of 24h-heat stress applied during the first pupal stage on male fertility. Results showed that only primary spermatocytes were present at the first pupal stage in all cysts of the testes. Heat stress caused a delay in spermatogenesis during development and a significant decrease in sperm stock at emergence. Females mated with these heat-stressed males showed a reduce sperm count stored in their spermatheca. Females did not appear to distinguish heat-stressed from control males and did not remate more frequently to compensate for the lack of sperm transferred. As a result, females mated with heat-stressed males produced a suboptimal lifetime offspring sex ratio compared to those mated with control males. This could further impact the population dynamics of this species. N. vitripennis appears to be an interesting biological model to study the mechanisms of subfertility and its consequence on female reproductive strategies and provides new research perspectives in both invertebrates and vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlène Chirault
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l’Insecte, UMR 7261, Université François-Rabelais / CNRS, UFR Sciences et Techniques, Parc Grandmont, Tours, France
| | - Christophe Lucas
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l’Insecte, UMR 7261, Université François-Rabelais / CNRS, UFR Sciences et Techniques, Parc Grandmont, Tours, France
| | - Marlène Goubault
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l’Insecte, UMR 7261, Université François-Rabelais / CNRS, UFR Sciences et Techniques, Parc Grandmont, Tours, France
| | - Claude Chevrier
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l’Insecte, UMR 7261, Université François-Rabelais / CNRS, UFR Sciences et Techniques, Parc Grandmont, Tours, France
| | - Christophe Bressac
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l’Insecte, UMR 7261, Université François-Rabelais / CNRS, UFR Sciences et Techniques, Parc Grandmont, Tours, France
| | - Charlotte Lécureuil
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l’Insecte, UMR 7261, Université François-Rabelais / CNRS, UFR Sciences et Techniques, Parc Grandmont, Tours, France
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31
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Otte T, Hilker M, Geiselhardt S. The effect of dietary fatty acids on the cuticular hydrocarbon phenotype of an herbivorous insect and consequences for mate recognition. J Chem Ecol 2014; 41:32-43. [PMID: 25516227 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-014-0535-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2014] [Revised: 11/05/2014] [Accepted: 12/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profile of the mustard leaf beetle Phaedon cochleariae is known to mediate mate recognition and is dependent on food plant species; beetles previously were shown to prefer mates that fed on the same plant species and which have a similar CHC pattern. In order to elucidate whether the pattern of ingested fatty acids affects the CHC pattern of P. cochleariae adults, we fed beetles: (a) with two different host plant species differing in fatty acid profile; and (b) artificial diets differing mainly in their composition of mono-, di-, and triunsaturated fatty acids. Analyses of the beetles' CHCs revealed that ingestion of different fatty acid blends results in quantitative effects on the beetle's straight-chain and methyl-branched CHCs. Interestingly, CHC patterns of males and females were affected differently by ingestion of fatty acids. In contrast to the effect on mating caused by feeding on different host plant species, beetles that were fed with different artificial diets, leading to different beetle CHC profiles, did not exhibit mating preference. We suggest that the occurrence of CHC-dependent assortative mating in P. cochleariae does not depend on the dietary fatty acids offered to the beetles in this study, but on other food constituents that affect CHC biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Otte
- Dahlem Centre of Plant Sciences, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Haderslebener Str. 9, 12163, Berlin, Germany
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32
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Unravelling reward value: the effect of host value on memory retention in Nasonia parasitic wasps. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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33
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Blaul B, Steinbauer R, Merkl P, Merkl R, Tschochner H, Ruther J. Oleic acid is a precursor of linoleic acid and the male sex pheromone in Nasonia vitripennis. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2014; 51:33-40. [PMID: 24874439 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2014.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2014] [Revised: 05/16/2014] [Accepted: 05/17/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Linoleic acid (C18:2(Δ9,12), LA) is crucial for many cell functions in organisms. It has long been a paradigm that animals are unable to synthesize LA from oleic acid (C18:1(Δ9), OA) because they were thought to miss Δ(12)-desaturases for inserting a double bound at the Δ(12)-position. Today it is clear that this is not true for all animals because some insects and other invertebrates have been demonstrated to synthesize LA. However, the ability to synthesize LA is known in only five insect orders and no examples have been reported so far in the Hymenoptera. LA plays a particular role in the parasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis, because it is the precursor of the male sex pheromone consisting of (4R,5R)- and (4R,5S)-5-hydroxy-4-decanolides. Here we demonstrate by stable isotope labeling that N. vitripennis is able to incorporate externally applied fully (13)C-labeled OA into the male sex pheromone suggesting that they convert initially OA into LA. To verify this assumption, we produced fly hosts (Lucilia caesar) which were experimentally enriched in (13)C-labeled OA and reared male parasitoids on these hosts. Chemical analysis of transesterified lipid raw extracts from hosts and parasitoids revealed that N. vitripennis but not L. caesar contained (13)C-labeled LA methyl ester. Furthermore, male wasps from the manipulated hosts produced significant amounts of (13)C-labeled sex pheromone. These results suggest that N. vitripennis possesses a Δ(12)-desaturase. The additional fitness relevant function as pheromone precursor might have favored the evolution of LA biosynthesis in N. vitripennis to make the wasps independent of the formerly essential nutrient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Blaul
- University of Regensburg, Institute of Zoology, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Robert Steinbauer
- University of Regensburg, Institute of Biochemistry, Genetic & Microbiology, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Philipp Merkl
- University of Regensburg, Institute of Biochemistry, Genetic & Microbiology, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Rainer Merkl
- University of Regensburg, Institute of Biophysics & Physical Biochemistry, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Herbert Tschochner
- University of Regensburg, Institute of Biochemistry, Genetic & Microbiology, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Joachim Ruther
- University of Regensburg, Institute of Zoology, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
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Steiger S, Stökl J. The Role of Sexual Selection in the Evolution of Chemical Signals in Insects. INSECTS 2014; 5:423-38. [PMID: 26462692 PMCID: PMC4592599 DOI: 10.3390/insects5020423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2014] [Revised: 05/16/2014] [Accepted: 05/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Chemical communication is the most ancient and widespread form of communication. Yet we are only beginning to grasp the complexity of chemical signals and the role they play in sexual selection. Focusing on insects, we review here the recent progress in the field of olfactory-based sexual selection. We will show that there is mounting empirical evidence that sexual selection affects the evolution of chemical traits, but form and strength of selection differ between species. Studies indicate that some chemical signals are expressed in relation to an individual's condition and depend, for example, on age, immunocompetence, fertility, body size or degree of inbreeding. Males or females might benefit by choosing based on those traits, gaining resources or "good genes". Other chemical traits appear to reliably reflect an individual's underlying genotype and are suitable to choose a mating partner that matches best the own genotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Steiger
- Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
| | - Johannes Stökl
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
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Ruther J, McCaw J, Böcher L, Pothmann D, Putz I. Pheromone diversification and age-dependent behavioural plasticity decrease interspecific mating costs in Nasonia. PLoS One 2014; 9:e89214. [PMID: 24551238 PMCID: PMC3925242 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2013] [Accepted: 01/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Interspecific mating can cause severe fitness costs due to the fact that hybrids are often non-viable or less fit. Thus, theory predicts the selection of traits that lessen reproductive interactions between closely related sympatric species. Males of the parasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis differ from all other Nasonia species by an additional sex pheromone component, but the ecological selective forces underlying this pheromone diversification are unknown. Here we present data from lab experiments suggesting that costly interspecific sexual interactions with the sympatric species N. giraulti might have been responsible for the pheromone evolution and some courtship-related behavioural adaptations in N. vitripennis. Most N. giraulti females are inseminated already within the host, but N. giraulti males still invest in costly sex pheromones after emergence. Furthermore, they do not discriminate between N. vitripennis females and conspecifics during courtship. Therefore, N. vitripennis females, most of which emerge as virgins, face the risk of mating with N. giraulti resulting in costly all-male broods due to Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility. As a counter adaptation, young N. vitripennis females discriminate against N. giraulti males using the more complex conspecific sex pheromone and reject most of them during courtship. With increasing age, however, N. vitripennis females become less choosy, but often compensate mating errors by re-mating with a conspecific. By doing so, they can principally avoid suboptimal offspring sex ratios, but a microcosm experiment suggests that under more natural conditions N. vitripennis females cannot completely avoid fitness costs due to heterospecific mating. Our study provides support for the hypothesis that communication interference of closely related sympatric species using similar sexual signals can generate selective pressures that lead to their divergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Ruther
- Institute for Zoology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Jennifer McCaw
- Institute for Zoology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Lisa Böcher
- Institute for Zoology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Daniela Pothmann
- Institute for Zoology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Irina Putz
- Institute for Zoology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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Body size influences male pheromone signals but not the outcome of mating contests in Nasonia vitripennis. Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Brucker RM, Funkhouser LJ, Setia S, Pauly R, Bordenstein SR. Insect Innate Immunity Database (IIID): an annotation tool for identifying immune genes in insect genomes. PLoS One 2012; 7:e45125. [PMID: 22984621 PMCID: PMC3440344 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0045125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2012] [Accepted: 08/14/2012] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The innate immune system is an ancient component of host defense. Since innate immunity pathways are well conserved throughout many eukaryotes, immune genes in model animals can be used to putatively identify homologous genes in newly sequenced genomes of non-model organisms. With the initiation of the “i5k” project, which aims to sequence 5,000 insect genomes by 2016, many novel insect genomes will soon become publicly available, yet few annotation resources are currently available for insects. Thus, we developed an online tool called the Insect Innate Immunity Database (IIID) to provide an open access resource for insect immunity and comparative biology research (http://www.vanderbilt.edu/IIID). The database provides users with simple exploratory tools to search the immune repertoires of five insect models (including Nasonia), spanning three orders, for specific immunity genes or genes within a particular immunity pathway. As a proof of principle, we used an initial database with only four insect models to annotate potential immune genes in the parasitoid wasp genus Nasonia. Results specify 306 putative immune genes in the genomes of N. vitripennis and its two sister species N. giraulti and N. longicornis. Of these genes, 146 were not found in previous annotations of Nasonia immunity genes. Combining these newly identified immune genes with those in previous annotations, Nasonia possess 489 putative immunity genes, the largest immune repertoire found in insects to date. While these computational predictions need to be complemented with functional studies, the IIID database can help initiate and augment annotations of the immune system in the plethora of insect genomes that will soon become available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Brucker
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America.
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Kühbandner S, Sperling S, Mori K, Ruther J. Deciphering the signature of cuticular lipids with contact sex pheromone function in a parasitic wasp. J Exp Biol 2012; 215:2471-8. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.071217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
The surface of insects is covered by a complex mixture of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) to prevent desiccation. In many species these lipids also have communicative functions, but often it is unknown which components are crucial for the behavioural response. Furthermore, it is often ignored that polar lipids also occur on the insects' cuticle and might interact with CHCs. In the parasitic wasp Lariophagus distinguendus, CHCs function as a contact sex pheromone eliciting wing-fanning in males. Interestingly, not only females but also newly emerged males have the pheromone, resulting regularly in homosexual courtship. However, males deactivate the pheromone within the first two days after emergence. This deactivation is accompanied by the disappearance of 3-methylheptacosane (3-MeC27) and some minor components from the CHC profile of males. Here we show that 3-MeC27 is a key component of the contact sex pheromone which, however, triggers courtship behaviour only if an olfactory background of other cuticular lipids is present. Males responded to (S)-3-MeC27 enantioselectively when applied to filter paper but on three-dimensional dummies both enantiomers were behaviourally active, suggesting that physical stimuli also play a role in sexual communication of the wasps. Finally, we report that triacylglycerides (TAGs) are also essential components of the pheromone, and present evidence that TAGs actually occur on the cuticle of L. distinguendus. Our data provide novel insights into the semiochemical function of cuticular lipids by showing that the bioactivity of CHCs may be influenced by the stereochemistry and a synergetic interaction with long time ignored TAGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Kühbandner
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Sergej Sperling
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Kenji Mori
- Photosensitive Materials Research Center, Toyo Gosei Co., 4-2-1 Wakahagi, Inzai-shi, Chiba 270-1609, Japan
| | - Joachim Ruther
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
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New Synthesis -- Visual and Chemical Ornaments: What Researchers of Different Signal Modalities Can Learn from Each Other. J Chem Ecol 2012; 38:1. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-012-0058-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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