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A pheromone antagonist liberates female sea lamprey from a sensory trap to enable reliable communication. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:7284-7289. [PMID: 32184327 PMCID: PMC7132252 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1921394117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In many animals, males deceive females into mating using traits that mimic cues of food, predators, preferred habitats, or offspring in need of care. However, if and how these deceptive signals guide reliable communication without females confusing the mimic and the model remain unclear. We discovered that female sea lamprey discriminate a nonsexual cue of productive habitat from the deceptive male sex pheromone that mimics it and identify a pheromone antagonist as the underlying mechanism. Our results implicate a means by which females can detect and benefit from male deceit and could have applications for control of destructive populations of sea lamprey in the Laurentian Great Lakes. The evolution of male signals and female preferences remains a central question in the study of animal communication. The sensory trap model suggests males evolve signals that mimic cues used in nonsexual contexts and thus manipulate female behavior to generate mating opportunities. Much evidence supports the sensory trap model, but how females glean reliable information from both mimetic signals and their model cues remains unknown. We discovered a mechanism whereby a manipulative male signal guides reliable communication in sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus). Migratory sea lamprey follow a larval cue into spawning streams; once sexually mature, males release a pheromone that mimics the larval cue and attracts females. Females conceivably benefit from the mimetic pheromone during mate search but must discriminate against the model cue to avoid orienting toward larvae in nearby nursery habitats. We tested the hypothesis that spawning females respond to petromyzonol sulfate (PZS) as a behavioral antagonist to avoid attraction to the larval cue while tracking the male pheromone despite each containing attractive 3-keto petromyzonol sulfate (3kPZS). We found 1) PZS inhibited electrophysiological responses to 3kPZS and abated preferences for 3kPZS when mixed at the same or greater concentrations, 2) larvae released more PZS than 3kPZS whereas males released more 3kPZS than PZS, and 3) mixtures of 3kPZS and PZS applied at ratios measured in larval and male odorants resulted in the discrimination observed between the natural odors. Our study elucidates how communication systems that arise via deception can facilitate reliable communication.
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Johnson NS, Lewandoski SA, Alger BJ, O'Connor L, Bravener G, Hrodey P, Huerta B, Barber J, Li W, Wagner CM, Siefkes MJ. Behavioral Responses of Sea Lamprey to Varying Application Rates of a Synthesized Pheromone in Diverse Trapping Scenarios. J Chem Ecol 2020; 46:233-249. [PMID: 31970605 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-020-01151-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 01/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Use of the first fish pheromone biopesticide, 3-keto petromyzonol sulfate (3kPZS) in sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) control requires an understanding of both how the amount 3kPZS applied to a trap relates to catch, and how that relationship varies among stream types. By conducting 3kPZS dose-response experiments over two years and across six varied trapping contexts, we conclude (1) that 3kPZS application is best standardized by how much is emitted from the trap instead of the fully mixed concentration achieved downstream, and (2) that 3kPZS is more effective in wide streams (>30 m). In wide streams, emission of 3kPZS at 50 mg hr.-1 from the trap increased capture rate by 10-15% as sea lamprey were 25-50% more likely to enter the trap after encounter. However, in narrow streams (< 15 m), 50 mg hr.-1 3kPZS generally reduced probabilities of upstream movement, trap encounter, and entrance. While 3kPZS significantly influenced upstream movement, encounter, and capture probabilities, these behaviors were also highly influenced by water temperature, stream width, sea lamprey length, and sex. This study highlights that a pheromone component in a stream environment does not ubiquitously increase trap catch in all contexts, but that where, how, and when the pheromone is applied has major impacts on whether it benefits or hinders trapping efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas S Johnson
- U. S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Hammond Bay Biological Station, 11188 Ray Road, Millersburg, MI, 49759, USA.
| | - Sean A Lewandoski
- U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marquette Biological Station, 3090 Wright St, Marquette, MI, 49855, USA
| | - Bethany J Alger
- U. S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Hammond Bay Biological Station, 11188 Ray Road, Millersburg, MI, 49759, USA
| | - Lisa O'Connor
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 1219 Queen Street, East Sault Ste., Marie, ON, Canada
| | - Gale Bravener
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Sea Lamprey Control Centre, 1219 Queen Street, East Sault Ste., Marie, ON, P6A 2E5, USA
| | - Peter Hrodey
- U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marquette Biological Station, 3090 Wright St, Marquette, MI, 49855, USA
| | - Belinda Huerta
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, Room 13 Natural Resources Building, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Jessica Barber
- U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marquette Biological Station, 3090 Wright St, Marquette, MI, 49855, USA
| | - Weiming Li
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, Room 13 Natural Resources Building, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - C Michael Wagner
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, Room 13 Natural Resources Building, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Michael J Siefkes
- Great Lakes Fishery Commission, 2100 Commonwealth Blvd., Suite 100, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA
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Abstract
Steroids play vital roles in animal physiology across species, and the production of specific steroids is associated with particular internal biological functions. The internal functions of steroids are, in most cases, quite clear. However, an important feature of many steroids (their chemical stability) allows these molecules to play secondary, external roles as chemical messengers after their excretion via urine, feces, or other shed substances. The presence of steroids in animal excretions has long been appreciated, but their capacity to serve as chemosignals has not received as much attention. In theory, the blend of steroids excreted by an animal contains a readout of its own biological state. Initial mechanistic evidence for external steroid chemosensation arose from studies of many species of fish. In sea lampreys and ray-finned fishes, bile salts were identified as potent olfactory cues and later found to serve as pheromones. Recently, we and others have discovered that neurons in amphibian and mammalian olfactory systems are also highly sensitive to excreted glucocorticoids, sex steroids, and bile acids, and some of these molecules have been confirmed as mammalian pheromones. Steroid chemosensation in olfactory systems, unlike steroid detection in most tissues, is performed by plasma membrane receptors, but the details remain largely unclear. In this review, we present a broad view of steroid detection by vertebrate olfactory systems, focusing on recent research in fishes, amphibians, and mammals. We review confirmed and hypothesized mechanisms of steroid chemosensation in each group and discuss potential impacts on vertebrate social communication.
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Frisch K, Alstrup AKO. On the Evolution of Bile Salts and the Farnesoid X Receptor in Vertebrates. Physiol Biochem Zool 2018; 91:797-813. [DOI: 10.1086/695810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Enabling the hypothesis-driven prioritization of ligand candidates in big databases: Screenlamp and its application to GPCR inhibitor discovery for invasive species control. J Comput Aided Mol Des 2018; 32:415-433. [DOI: 10.1007/s10822-018-0100-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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Increased pheromone signaling by small male sea lamprey has distinct effects on female mate search and courtship. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2384-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Li K, Scott AM, Riedy JJ, Fissette S, Middleton ZE, Li W. Three Novel Bile Alcohols of Mature Male Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) Act as Chemical Cues for Conspecifics. J Chem Ecol 2017. [PMID: 28634722 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-017-0852-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, rely heavily on chemical cues that mediate their life history events, such as migration and reproduction. Here, we describe petromyzone A-C (1-3), three novel bile alcohols that are highly oxidized and sulfated, isolated from water conditioned with spermiated male sea lamprey. Structures of these compounds were unequivocally established by spectroscopic analyses and by comparison with spectra of known compounds. Electro-olfactogram recordings showed that 1 at 10-11 M was stimulatory to the adult sea lamprey olfactory epithelium, while 2 and 3 were stimulatory at 10-13 M. Behavioral assays indicated that 1 is attractive, 2 is not attractive or repulsive, and 3 is repulsive to ovulated female sea lamprey. The results suggest that 1 and 2 may be putative pheromones that mediate chemical communication in sea lamprey. The identification of these three components enhances our understanding of the structures and functions of sex pheromone components in this species and may provide useful behavioral manipulation tools for the integrated management of sea lamprey, a destructive invader in the Laurentian Great Lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Li
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Anne M Scott
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Joseph J Riedy
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Skye Fissette
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Zoe E Middleton
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Weiming Li
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
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Buchinger TJ, Li K, Huertas M, Baker CF, Jia L, Hayes MC, Li W, Johnson NS. Evidence for partial overlap of male olfactory cues in lampreys. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 220:497-506. [PMID: 27885042 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.149807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 11/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Animals rely on a mosaic of complex information to find and evaluate mates. Pheromones, often consisting of multiple components, are considered to be particularly important for species-recognition in many species. Although the evolution of species-specific pheromone blends is well described in many insects, very few vertebrate pheromones have been studied in a macro-evolutionary context. Here, we report a phylogenetic comparison of multi-component male odours that guide reproduction in lampreys. Chemical profiling of sexually mature males from eleven species of lamprey, representing six of ten genera and two of three families, indicated that the chemical profiles of sexually mature male odours are partially shared among species. Behavioural assays conducted with four species sympatric in the Laurentian Great Lakes indicated asymmetric female responses to heterospecific odours, where Petromyzon marinus were attracted to male odour collected from all species tested, but other species generally preferred only the odour of conspecifics. Electro-olfactogram recordings from P. marinus indicated that although P. marinus exhibited behavioural responses to odours from males of all species, at least some of the compounds that elicited olfactory responses were different in conspecific male odours compared with heterospecific male odours. We conclude that some of the compounds released by sexually mature males are shared among species and elicit olfactory and behavioural responses in P. marinus, and suggest that our results provide evidence for partial overlap of male olfactory cues among lampreys. Further characterization of the chemical identities of odour components is needed to confirm shared pheromones among species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler J Buchinger
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Room 13 Natural Resources Building, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Ke Li
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Room 13 Natural Resources Building, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Mar Huertas
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Room 13 Natural Resources Building, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Cindy F Baker
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd, PO Box 11-115, Hamilton 3216, New Zealand
| | - Liang Jia
- Key Laboratory of Aquacultural Resources and Utilization, College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Michael C Hayes
- United States Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, 6505 NE 65th St, Seattle, WA 98115, USA
| | - Weiming Li
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Room 13 Natural Resources Building, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Nicholas S Johnson
- United States Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Hammond Bay Biological Station, 11188 Ray Road, Millersburg, MI 49759, USA
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