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Johny J, Nihad M, Alharbi HA, AlSaleh MA, Antony B. Silencing sensory neuron membrane protein RferSNMPu1 impairs pheromone detection in the invasive Asian Palm Weevil. Sci Rep 2024; 14:16541. [PMID: 39019908 PMCID: PMC11254914 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-67309-x] [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: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier), also known as the Asian palm weevil, is an invasive pest that causes widespread damage to palm trees around the globe. As pheromone communication is crucial for their mass attack and survival on palm trees, the olfactory concept of pest control strategies has been widely explored recently. We aim to understand the molecular basis of olfaction in RPW by studying one of the key olfactory proteins in insect pheromone communication, sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs). SNMPs belong to the CD36 (cluster of differentiation 36) family that perform two distinct olfactory roles in insects, either in pheromone (odorant) transfer to the odorant receptors (SNMP1) or in the pheromone clearing process (SNMP2). In this study, we performed antennal transcriptomic screening and identified six SNMPs, mapping them on the R. ferrugineus genome, and confirmed four distinct SNMPs. Both SNMP1 proteins in RPW, viz., RferSNMPu1 and RferSNMPu2, were mapped onto the same scaffold in different loci in the RPW genome. To further understand the function of these proteins, we first classified them using phylogenetic analysis and checked their tissue-specific expression patterns. Further, we measured the relative transcript abundance of SNMPs in laboratory-reared, field-collected adults and pheromone-exposure experiments, ultimately identifying RferSNMPu1 as a potential candidate for functional analysis. We mapped RferSNMPu1 expression in the antennae and found that expression patterns were similar in both sexes. We used RNAi-based gene silencing to knockdown RferSNMPu1 and tested the changes in the RPW responses to aggregation pheromone compounds, 4-methyl-5-nonanol (ferrugineol) and 4-methyl-5-nonanone (ferrugineone), and a kairomone, ethyl acetate using electroantennogram (EAG) recordings. We found a significant reduction in the EAG recordings in the RferSNMPu1 knockdown strain of adult RPWs, confirming its potential role in pheromone detection. The structural modelling revealed the key domains in the RferSNMPu1 structure, which could likely be involved in pheromone detection based on the identified ectodomain tunnels. Our studies on RferSNMPu1 with a putative role in pheromone detection provide valuable insight into understanding the olfaction in R. ferrugineus as well as in other Curculionids, as SNMPs are under-explored in terms of its functional role in insect olfaction. Most importantly, RferSNMPu1 can be used as a potential target for the olfactory communication disruption in the R. ferrugineus control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jibin Johny
- Department of Plant Protection, Center for Chemical Ecology and Functional Genomics, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Mohammad Nihad
- Department of Plant Protection, Center for Chemical Ecology and Functional Genomics, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hattan A Alharbi
- Department of Plant Protection, Center for Chemical Ecology and Functional Genomics, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Ali AlSaleh
- Department of Plant Protection, Center for Chemical Ecology and Functional Genomics, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Binu Antony
- Department of Plant Protection, Center for Chemical Ecology and Functional Genomics, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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Lehmann J, Günzel Y, Khosravian M, Cassau S, Kraus S, Libnow JS, Chang H, Hansson BS, Breer H, Couzin-Fuchs E, Fleischer J, Krieger J. SNMP1 is critical for sensitive detection of the desert locust aromatic courtship inhibition pheromone phenylacetonitrile. BMC Biol 2024; 22:150. [PMID: 38973001 PMCID: PMC11229289 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01941-x] [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: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accurate detection of pheromones is crucial for chemical communication and reproduction in insects. In holometabolous flies and moths, the sensory neuron membrane protein 1 (SNMP1) is essential for detecting long-chain aliphatic pheromones by olfactory neurons. However, its function in hemimetabolous insects and its role for detecting pheromones of a different chemical nature remain elusive. Therefore, we investigated the relevance of SNMP1 for pheromone detection in a hemimetabolous insect pest of considerable economic importance, the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria, which moreover employs the aromatic pheromone phenylacetonitrile (PAN) to govern reproductive behaviors. RESULTS Employing CRISPR/Cas-mediated gene editing, a mutant locust line lacking functional SNMP1 was established. In electroantennography experiments and single sensillum recordings, we found significantly decreased electrical responses to PAN in SNMP1-deficient (SNMP1-/-) locusts. Moreover, calcium imaging in the antennal lobe of the brain revealed a substantially reduced activation of projection neurons in SNMP1-/- individuals upon exposure to PAN, indicating that the diminished antennal responsiveness to PAN in mutants affects pheromone-evoked neuronal activity in the brain. Furthermore, in behavioral experiments, PAN-induced effects on pairing and mate choice were altered in SNMP1-/- locusts. CONCLUSIONS Our findings emphasize the importance of SNMP1 for chemical communication in a hemimetabolous insect pest. Moreover, they show that SNMP1 plays a crucial role in pheromone detection that goes beyond long-chain aliphatic substances and includes aromatic compounds controlling reproductive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joris Lehmann
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Biology/Zoology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Yannick Günzel
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Quantitative Behavior, Ecology and Evolution From Lab to Field, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Maryam Khosravian
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Biology/Zoology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Sina Cassau
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Biology/Zoology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Susanne Kraus
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Johanna S Libnow
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Biology/Zoology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Hetan Chang
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Synthetic Biology Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bill S Hansson
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Heinz Breer
- Department of Physiology (190V), Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Einat Couzin-Fuchs
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Joerg Fleischer
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Biology/Zoology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.
| | - Jürgen Krieger
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Biology/Zoology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.
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He W, Meng H, Zhang Y, Zhang G, Zhi M, Li G, Chen J. Identification of candidate chemosensory genes in the antennal transcriptome of Monolepta signata. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301177. [PMID: 38848419 PMCID: PMC11161048 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
In the polyphagous insect Monolepta signata (M. signata) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), antennae are important for olfactory reception used during feeding, mating, and finding a suitable oviposition site. Based on NextSeq 6000 Illumina sequencing, we assembled the antennal transcriptome of mated M. signata and described the first chemosensory gene repertoire expressed in this species. The relative expression levels of some significant chemosensory genes were conducted by quantitative real-time PCR. We identified 114 olfactory-related genes based on the antennal transcriptome database of M. signata, including 21 odorant binding proteins (OBPs), six chemosensory proteins (CSPs), 46 odorant receptors (ORs), 15 ionotropic receptors (IRs), 23 gustatory receptors (GRs) and three sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs). Blastp best hit and phylogenetic analyses showed that most of the chemosensory genes had a close relationship with orthologs from other Coleoptera species. Overall, this study provides a foundation for elucidating the molecular mechanism of olfactory recognition in M. signata as well as a reference for the study of chemosensory genes in other species of Coleoptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanjie He
- College of Agriculture / Key Laboratory of Oasis Agricultural Pest Management and Plant Protection Resources Utilization, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China
- Yuli Industry Development Service Center of Apocynum venetum, Xinjiang, China
| | - Hanying Meng
- College of Agriculture / Key Laboratory of Oasis Agricultural Pest Management and Plant Protection Resources Utilization, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China
- Plant Protection Station of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Plant Protection Station of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Ge Zhang
- Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Science and Technology Development Strategy Research Institute, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Mengting Zhi
- College of Agriculture / Key Laboratory of Oasis Agricultural Pest Management and Plant Protection Resources Utilization, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Guangwei Li
- Shaanxi Province Key Laboratory of Jujube, College of Life Science, Yan’an University, Yan’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jing Chen
- College of Agriculture / Key Laboratory of Oasis Agricultural Pest Management and Plant Protection Resources Utilization, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China
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Zhou Z, Luo Y, Wang X, He J, Zhou Q. Identification and sex expression profiles of candidate chemosensory genes from Atherigona orientalis via the antennae and leg transcriptome analysis. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY. PART D, GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2024; 50:101222. [PMID: 38430710 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2024.101222] [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: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Atherigona orientalis Schiner (1868) is an acknowledged agricultural pest owing to its feeding habits and breeding locations. This insect is a tropical and subtropical pest in fruits and vegetables, in which >50 varieties of fruits and vegetables in 26 families, such as Capsicum annuum, Lycopersicon esculentum, and Cucumis melo have been attacked. Moreover, A. orientalis may also develop in rotten crops and feces or insect carcasses, which are also considered one kind of sanitary pest and medical insect. At present, the invasion ranges of A. orientalis are still increasing and more preventive and management measures are to be processed. To gain a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in olfactory reception in A. orientalis, the transcriptome of male and female antennae and legs was systematically analyzed. In total, 131 chemosensory-related genes, including 63 odorant receptors (ORs), 20 gustatory receptors (GRs), 18 ionotropic receptors (IRs), 27 odorant binding proteins (OBPs), 1 chemosensory protein (CSP), and 2 sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs), were identified. The analysis focused on obtaining expression information of candidate olfactory genes at the transcriptomic level by examining the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in all samples. Totally, 41 DEGs were identified between male antennae (MA) and female antennae (FA), including 32 ORs, 5 OBPs, 1 IR, 2 GRs and 1 SNMP. In MA versus male legs (ML), 78 DEGs were identified (45 ORs, 18 OBPs, 6 GRs, 6 IRs, 1 CSP and 2 SNMPs). In FA and female legs (FL), 96 DEGs were identified (51 ORs, 21 OBPs, 9 GRs, 12 IRs, 1 CSP and 2 SNMPs). For ML and FL, 3 DEGs were identified, including 2 ORs and 1 SNMP. Our results supplement valuable insights for future research on the chemoreception mechanisms in A. orientalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihao Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410006, China
| | - Yujie Luo
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410006, China
| | - Xintong Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410006, China
| | - Jing He
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410006, China
| | - Qiong Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410006, China.
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Cassau S, Krieger J. Evidence for a role of SNMP2 and antennal support cells in sensillum lymph clearance processes of moth pheromone-responsive sensilla. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 164:104046. [PMID: 38043913 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2023.104046] [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: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
In insect antenna, following the activation of olfactory sensory neurons, odorant molecules are inactivated by enzymes in the sensillum lymph. How the inactivation products are cleared from the sensillum lymph is presently unknown. Here we studied the role of support cells (SCs) and the so-called sensory neuron membrane protein 2 (SNMP2), a member of the CD36 family of lipid transporters abundantly expressed in SCs, in sensillum lymph clearance processes in the moths Heliothis virescens and Bombyx mori. In these species, the sex pheromone components are inactivated to long-chain fatty acids. To approach a role of SNMP2 in the removal of such inactivation products, we analyzed the uptake of a fluorescent long-chain fatty acid analog into a newly generated HvirSNMP2-expressing cell line. We found an increased uptake of the analog into SNMP2-cells compared to control cells, which could be blocked by the CD36 protein inhibitor, SSO. Furthermore, analyses of sensilla from antenna treated with the fatty acid analog indicated that SNMP2-expressing SCs are able to take up fatty acids from the sensillum lymph. In addition, sensilla from SSO-pretreated antenna of B. mori showed reduced removal of the fluorescent analog from the sensillum lymph. Finally, we revealed that SSO pretreatment of male silkmoth antenna significantly prolonged the duration of the female pheromone-induced wing-fluttering behavior, possibly as a result of impaired lymph clearance processes. Together our findings in H. virescens and B. mori support a pivotal role of olfactory SCs in sensillum lymph maintenance processes and suggest an integral role of SNMP2 in the removal of lipophilic "waste products" such as fatty acids resulting from sex pheromone inactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Cassau
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Biology/Zoology, Department of Animal Physiology, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany.
| | - Jürgen Krieger
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Biology/Zoology, Department of Animal Physiology, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany.
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Cassau S, Degen A, Krüger S, Krieger J. The specific expression patterns of sensory neuron membrane proteins are retained throughout the development of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria. CURRENT RESEARCH IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 3:100053. [PMID: 36874554 PMCID: PMC9974456 DOI: 10.1016/j.cris.2023.100053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The desert locust Schistocerca gregaria detects odorants through olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) that are surrounded by non-neuronal support cells (SCs). OSNs and SCs are housed in cuticle structures, named sensilla found abundantly on the antenna in all developmental stages of the hemimetabolic insect. In insects, multiple proteins expressed by OSNs and SCs are indicated to play a pivotal role in the detection of odorants. This includes insect-specific members of the CD36 family of lipid receptors and transporters called sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs). While the distribution pattern of the SNMP1 and SNMP2 subtypes in OSNs and SCs across different sensilla types has been elucidated for the adult S. gregaria antenna, their localization in cells and sensilla of different developmental stages is unclear. Here, we determined the SNMP1 and SNMP2 expression topography on the antenna of the first, third and fifth instar nymphs. Through FIHC experiments we found that in all developmental stages SNMP1 is expressed in OSNs and SCs of the trichoid and basiconic sensilla while SNMP2 is restricted to the SCs of the basiconic and coeloconic sensilla thus resembling the adult arrangement. Our results demonstrate that both SNMP types have defined cell- and sensilla-specific distribution patterns established already in the first instar nymphs and retained into the adult stage. This conserved expression topography underlines the importance of SNMP1 and SNMP2 in olfactory processes throughout the development of the desert locust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Cassau
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Biology/Zoology, Department of Animal Physiology, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Angelina Degen
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Biology/Zoology, Department of Animal Physiology, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Stephanie Krüger
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Biology/Zoology, Department of Developmental Biology, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Biocenter, Microscopy Unit, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jürgen Krieger
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Biology/Zoology, Department of Animal Physiology, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
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