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Biswas T, Sims C, Yuvaraj JK, Roberts RE, Löfstedt C, Andersson MN. Functional Characterization Supports Multiple Evolutionary Origins of Pheromone Receptors in Bark Beetles. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae196. [PMID: 39288326 PMCID: PMC11451568 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 08/21/2024] [Accepted: 09/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Chemical communication using pheromones is thought to have contributed to the diversification and speciation of insects. The species-specific pheromones are detected by specialized pheromone receptors (PRs). Whereas the evolution and function of PRs have been extensively studied in Lepidoptera, only a few PRs have been identified in beetles, which limits our understanding of their evolutionary histories and physiological functions. To shed light on these questions, we aimed to functionally characterize potential PRs in the spruce bark beetle Ips typographus ("Ityp") and explore their evolutionary origins and molecular interactions with ligands. Males of this species release an aggregation pheromone comprising 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol and (4S)-cis-verbenol, which attracts both sexes to attacked trees. Using two systems for functional characterization, we show that the highly expressed odorant receptor (OR) ItypOR41 responds specifically to (4S)-cis-verbenol, with structurally similar compounds eliciting minor responses. We next targeted the closely related ItypOR40 and ItypOR45. Whereas ItypOR40 was unresponsive, ItypOR45 showed an overlapping response profile with ItypOR41, but a broader tuning. Our phylogenetic analysis shows that these ORs are present in a different OR clade as compared to all other known beetle PRs, suggesting multiple evolutionary origins of PRs in bark beetles. Next, using computational analyses and experimental validation, we reveal two amino acid residues (Gln179 and Trp310) that are important for ligand binding and pheromone specificity of ItypOR41 for (4S)-cis-verbenol, possibly via hydrogen bonding to Gln179. Collectively, our results shed new light on the origins, specificity, and ligand binding mechanisms of PRs in beetles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Twinkle Biswas
- Department of Biology, Lund University, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
- Department of Biology, Max Planck Center Next Generation Insect Chemical Ecology (nGICE), Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Cassie Sims
- Department of Biology, Lund University, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
- Department of Biology, Max Planck Center Next Generation Insect Chemical Ecology (nGICE), Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | | | - Christer Löfstedt
- Department of Biology, Lund University, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
- Department of Biology, Max Planck Center Next Generation Insect Chemical Ecology (nGICE), Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Martin N Andersson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
- Department of Biology, Max Planck Center Next Generation Insect Chemical Ecology (nGICE), Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Pacalon J, Audic G, Magnat J, Philip M, Golebiowski J, Moreau CJ, Topin J. Elucidation of the structural basis for ligand binding and translocation in conserved insect odorant receptor co-receptors. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8182. [PMID: 38081900 PMCID: PMC10713630 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44058-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
In numerous insects, the olfactory receptor family forms a unique class of heteromeric cation channels. Recent progress in resolving the odorant receptor structures offers unprecedented opportunities for deciphering their molecular mechanisms of ligand recognition. Unexpectedly, these structures in apo or ligand-bound states did not reveal the pathway taken by the ligands between the extracellular space and the deep internal cavities. By combining molecular modeling with electrophysiological recordings, we identified amino acids involved in the dynamic entry pathway and the binding of VUAA1 to Drosophila melanogaster's odorant receptor co-receptor (Orco). Our results provide evidence for the exact location of the agonist binding site and a detailed and original mechanism of ligand translocation controlled by a network of conserved residues. These findings would explain the particularly high selectivity of Orcos for their ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jody Pacalon
- Université Côte d'Azur, Institut de Chimie de Nice UMR7272, CNRS, Nice, France
| | | | | | - Manon Philip
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IBS, Grenoble, France
| | - Jérôme Golebiowski
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, DGIST, 333, Techno JungAng, Daero, HyeongPoong Myeon, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Jérémie Topin
- Université Côte d'Azur, Institut de Chimie de Nice UMR7272, CNRS, Nice, France.
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Zboray K, Toth AV, Miskolczi TD, Pesti K, Casanova E, Kreidl E, Mike A, Szenes Á, Sági L, Lukacs P. High-throughput ligand profile characterization in novel cell lines expressing seven heterologous insect olfactory receptors for the detection of volatile plant biomarkers. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21757. [PMID: 38066004 PMCID: PMC10709440 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47455-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Agriculturally important crop plants emit a multitude of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are excellent indicators of their health status and their interactions with pathogens and pests. In this study, we have developed a novel cellular olfactory panel for detecting fungal pathogen-related VOCs we had identified in the field, as well as during controlled inoculations of several crop plants. The olfactory panel consists of seven stable HEK293 cell lines each expressing a functional Drosophila olfactory receptor as a biosensing element along with GCaMP6, a fluorescent calcium indicator protein. An automated 384-well microplate reader was used to characterize the olfactory receptor cell lines for their sensitivity to reference VOCs. Subsequently, we profiled a set of 66 VOCs on all cell lines, covering a concentration range from 1 to 100 μM. Results showed that 49 VOCs (74.2%) elicited a response in at least one olfactory receptor cell line. Some VOCs activated the cell lines even at nanomolar (ppb) concentrations. The interaction profiles obtained here will support the development of biosensors for agricultural applications. Additionally, the olfactory receptor proteins can be purified from these cell lines with sufficient yields for further processing, such as structure determination or integration with sensor devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katalin Zboray
- Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Martonvásár, Hungary
- TetraLab Ltd., Budapest, Hungary
| | - Adam V Toth
- Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Martonvásár, Hungary
- Department of Biochemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tímea D Miskolczi
- Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Martonvásár, Hungary
- Department of Biochemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Krisztina Pesti
- TetraLab Ltd., Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Biochemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Agricultural Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Martonvásár, Hungary
| | - Emilio Casanova
- Department of Pharmacology, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Emanuel Kreidl
- Department of Pharmacology, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Novartis AG, 6336, Langkampfen, Austria
| | - Arpad Mike
- Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Martonvásár, Hungary
- Department of Biochemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Áron Szenes
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - László Sági
- Agricultural Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Martonvásár, Hungary
| | - Peter Lukacs
- Plant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Martonvásár, Hungary.
- Agricultural Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Martonvásár, Hungary.
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Zhang X, Wang X, Zhao S, Fang K, Wang Z, Liu J, Xi J, Wang S, Zhang J. Response of Odorant Receptors with Phenylacetaldehyde and the Effects on the Behavior of the Rice Water Weevil ( Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus). JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023; 71:6541-6551. [PMID: 37058441 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c07963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The rice water weevil (RWW), Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is a destructive rice pest that threatens the rice industry worldwide. Odorant receptors (ORs) and odorant receptor coreceptors (Orcos) play an important role in the process of insects' whole life activities; however, there are no related functional studies on RWW. On this basis, a heterologous study of LoryOR20/LoryOrco in Xenopus laevis oocytes was performed to detect the effects of certain natural compounds on RWWs and four active compounds were found. Electroantennogram (EAG) recordings and a behavior test showed that RWWs exhibited a significant response to phenylacetaldehyde (PAA) and an EAG measurement of dsRNA-LoryOR20-treated RWWs revealed a significant decrease in response to PAA. Our results revealed an olfactory molecular mechanism for the recognition of PAA by RWWs, thus providing a potential genetic target at the peripheral olfactory sensing level, contributing to the development of novel control strategies for pest management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Zhang
- College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, PR China
- College of Plant Protection, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, PR China
| | - Xiao Wang
- College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, PR China
| | - Shiwen Zhao
- College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, PR China
| | - Kui Fang
- College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, PR China
- Technical Center of Kunming Customs, Kunming 650228, PR China
| | - Zhun Wang
- Changchun Customs Technology Center, Changchun 130062, PR China
| | - Jianan Liu
- College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, PR China
| | - Jinghui Xi
- College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, PR China
| | - Shang Wang
- College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, PR China
| | - Juhong Zhang
- College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, PR China
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Roberts RE, Biswas T, Yuvaraj JK, Grosse‐Wilde E, Powell D, Hansson BS, Löfstedt C, Andersson MN. Odorant receptor orthologues in conifer-feeding beetles display conserved responses to ecologically relevant odours. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:3693-3707. [PMID: 35532927 PMCID: PMC9321952 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Insects are able to detect a plethora of olfactory cues using a divergent family of odorant receptors (ORs). Despite the divergent nature of this family, related species frequently express several evolutionarily conserved OR orthologues. In the largest order of insects, Coleoptera, it remains unknown whether OR orthologues have conserved or divergent functions in different species. Using HEK293 cells, we addressed this question through functional characterization of two groups of OR orthologues in three species of the Curculionidae (weevil) family, the conifer-feeding bark beetles Ips typographus L. ("Ityp") and Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins ("Dpon") (Scolytinae), and the pine weevil Hylobius abietis L. ("Habi"; Molytinae). The ORs of H. abietis were annotated from antennal transcriptomes. The results show highly conserved response specificities, with one group of orthologues (HabiOR3/DponOR8/ItypOR6) responding exclusively to 2-phenylethanol (2-PE), and the other group (HabiOR4/DponOR9/ItypOR5) responding to angiosperm green leaf volatiles (GLVs). Both groups of orthologues belong to the coleopteran OR subfamily 2B, and share a common ancestor with OR5 in the cerambycid Megacyllene caryae, also tuned to 2-PE, suggesting a shared evolutionary history of 2-PE receptors across two beetle superfamilies. The detected compounds are ecologically relevant for conifer-feeding curculionids, and are probably linked to fitness, with GLVs being used to avoid angiosperm nonhost plants, and 2-PE being important for intraspecific communication and/or playing a putative role in beetle-microbe symbioses. To our knowledge, this study is the first to reveal evolutionary conservation of OR functions across several beetle species and hence sheds new light on the functional evolution of insect ORs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ewald Grosse‐Wilde
- Department of Evolutionary NeuroethologyMax Planck Institute for Chemical EcologyJenaGermany
- Present address:
Faculty of Forestry and Wood SciencesCzech University of Life SciencesPragueCzech Republic
| | - Daniel Powell
- Department of BiologyLund UniversityLundSweden
- Present address:
Global Change Ecology Research GroupSchool of Science, Technology and EngineeringUniversity of the Sunshine CoastSippy DownsQueenslandAustralia
| | - Bill S. Hansson
- Department of Evolutionary NeuroethologyMax Planck Institute for Chemical EcologyJenaGermany
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Crava CM, Bobkov YV, Sollai G, Anfora G, Crnjar R, Cattaneo AM. Chemosensory Receptors in the Larval Maxilla of Papilio hospiton. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.795994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the butterflies of the genus Papilio (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae), Papilio hospiton (Géné) has a geographical distribution limited to the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia (Italy) and Corsica (France). This is mainly due to the host range that includes only a few plant species of Apiaceae and Rutaceae growing on these islands. In a previous electrophysiological investigation conducted on the maxillary gustatory system of larvae of P. hospiton and its closely phylogenetically related species Papilio machaon, a significantly higher spike activity was shown for the gustatory neurons of lateral and medial styloconic sensilla in P. hospiton when bitter compounds were tested. This effect was possibly correlated to the limited host choice range for P. hospiton. To shed light on the molecular aspects of this phenomenon, we investigated the expression pattern of sensory-related sequences by conducting a transcriptomic analysis from total RNA isolates of P. hospiton larval maxillae. We identified several transcripts that may be involved in taste (one gustatory receptor, one divergent ionotropic receptor, and several transient receptor potential channels, TRPs) as well as transcripts supporting an olfactory function for this appendage, including odorant receptors (ORs), antennal ionotropic receptors (A-IRs), sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs), and odorant-binding proteins (OBPs). We used Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK293A) cells to heterologously express two of the identified receptors, PhospOR1 and PhospPain, together with their orthologs from P. machaon, for functional characterization. While our data suggest no activation of these two receptors by the ligands known so far to activate the electrophysiological response in larval maxillary neurons of Papilio species, nor temperature activation of both Papilio TRPA-channel Painless, they represent the first attempt in connecting neuronal activity with their molecular bases to unravel diet specialization between closely related Papilio species.
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Yuvaraj JK, Jordan MD, Zhang DD, Andersson MN, Löfstedt C, Newcomb RD, Corcoran JA. Sex pheromone receptors of the light brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana, support a second major pheromone receptor clade within the Lepidoptera. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 141:103708. [PMID: 34973420 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2021.103708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Sex pheromones facilitate species-specific sex communication within the Lepidoptera. They are detected by specialised pheromone receptors (PRs), most of which to date fall into a single monophyletic receptor lineage (frequently referred to as "the PR clade") within the odorant receptor (OR) family. Here we investigated PRs of the invasive horticultural pest, Epiphyas postvittana, commonly known as the light brown apple moth. Ten candidate PRs were selected, based on their male-biased expression in antennae or their relationship to the PR clade, for functional assessment in both HEK293 cells and Xenopus oocytes. Of these, six ORs responded to compounds that include components of the E. postvittana ('Epos') sex pheromone blend or compounds that antagonise sex pheromone attraction. In phylogenies, four of the characterised receptors (EposOR1, 6, 7 and 45) fall within the PR clade and two other male-biased receptors (EposOR30 and 34) group together well outside the PR clade. This new clade of pheromone receptors includes the receptor for (E)-11-tetradecenyl acetate (EposOR30), which is the main component of the sex pheromone blend for this species. Interestingly, receptors of the two clades do not segregate by preference for compounds associated with behavioural response (agonist or antagonist), isomer type (E or Z) or functional group (alcohol or acetate), with examples of each scattered across both clades. Phylogenetic comparison with PRs from other species supports the existence of a second major clade of lepidopteran ORs including, EposOR30 and 34, that has been co-opted into sex pheromone detection in the Lepidoptera. This second clade of sex pheromone receptors has an origin that likely predates the split between the major lepidopteran families.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Melissa D Jordan
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Dan-Dan Zhang
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | | | | | - Richard D Newcomb
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Jacob A Corcoran
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand.
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