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Steurer M, Ruther J, Pokorny T. Behavioural consequences of intraspecific variability in a mate recognition signal. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232518. [PMID: 38444335 PMCID: PMC10915540 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2518] [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: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Mate recognition is paramount for sexually reproducing animals, and many insects rely on cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) for close-range sexual communication. To ensure reliable mate recognition, intraspecific sex pheromone variability should be low. However, CHCs can be influenced by several factors, with the resulting variability potentially impacting sexual communication. While intraspecific CHC variability is a common phenomenon, the consequences thereof for mate recognition remain largely unknown. We investigated the effect of CHC variability on male responses in a parasitoid wasp showing a clear-cut within-population CHC polymorphism (three distinct female chemotypes, one thereof similar to male profiles). Males clearly discriminated between female and male CHCs, but not between female chemotypes in no-choice assays. When given a choice, a preference hierarchy emerged. Interestingly, the most attractive chemotype was the one most similar to male profiles. Mixtures of female CHCs were as attractive as chemotype-pure ones, while a female-male mixture negatively impacted male responses, indicating assessment of the entire, complex CHC profile composition. Our study reveals that the evaluation of CHC profiles can be strict towards 'undesirable' features, but simultaneously tolerant enough to cover a range of variants. This reconciles reliable mate recognition with naturally occurring variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Steurer
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Joachim Ruther
- 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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Abstract
Sex pheromones are pivotal for insect reproduction. However, the mechanism of sex pheromone communication remains enigmatic in hymenopteran parasitoids. Here we have identified the sex pheromone and elucidated the olfactory basis of sex pheromone communication in Campoletis chlorideae (Ichneumonidae), a solitary larval endoparasitoid of over 30 lepidopteran pests. Using coupled gas chromatography-electroantennogram detection, we identified two female-derived pheromone components, tetradecanal (14:Ald) and 2-heptadecanone (2-Hep) (1:4.6), eliciting strong antennal responses from males but weak responses from females. We observed that males but not females were attracted to both single components and the blend. The hexane-washed female cadavers failed to arouse males, and replenishing 14:Ald and 2-Hep could partially restore the sexual attraction of males. We further expressed six C. chlorideae male-biased odorant receptors in Drosophila T1 neurons and found that CchlOR18 and CchlOR47 were selectively tuned to 14:Ald and 2-Hep, respectively. To verify the biological significance of this data, we knocked down CchlOR18 and CchlOR47 individually or together in vivo and show that the attraction of C. chlorideae to their respective ligands was abolished. Moreover, the parasitoids defective in either of the receptors were less likely to court and copulate. Finally, we show that the sex pheromone and (Z)-jasmone, a potent female attractant, can synergistically affect behaviors of virgin males and virgin females and ultimately increase the parasitic efficiency of C. chlorideae. Our study provides new insights into the molecular mechanism of sex pheromone communication in C. chlorideae that may permit manipulation of parasitoid behavior for pest control.
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Prazapati G, Yadav A, Ambili A, Sharma A, Raychoudhury R. Males of the parasitoid wasp, Nasonia vitripennis, can identify which fly hosts contain females. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:211865. [PMID: 35116169 PMCID: PMC8790343 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The reproductive success of a male is limited by the number of females it can mate with. Thus, males deploy elaborate strategies to maximize access to females. In Nasonia, which are parasitoids of cyclorrhaphous flies, such reproductive strategies are thought to be restricted to competition among males for access to females in the natal patch. This study investigates whether additional strategies are present, especially the capability to identify which fly hosts contain adult females inside. Behavioural assays revealed that only one out of the four species, N. vitripennis, can distinguish which hosts specifically have adult female wasps, indicating a species-specific reproductive strategy. Results of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses and behavioural data suggest that female-signature cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are used as chemical cues, possibly emanating from within the host puparium. Further assays indicated that N. vitripennis males can also detect differences in the intensities of female-signature CHCs, giving them the capability to seek out hosts with maximum number of females. This study uncovers a previously unknown reproductive strategy in one of the most widely studied parasitoid wasps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garima Prazapati
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Knowledge City, Sector- 81, Manauli P.O. 140306, India
| | - Ankit Yadav
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Knowledge City, Sector- 81, Manauli P.O. 140306, India
| | - Anoop Ambili
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Knowledge City, Sector- 81, Manauli P.O. 140306, India
| | - Abhilasha Sharma
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Knowledge City, Sector- 81, Manauli P.O. 140306, India
| | - Rhitoban Raychoudhury
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Knowledge City, Sector- 81, Manauli P.O. 140306, India
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Faal H, Silk PJ, Mayo PD, Teale SA. Courtship behavior and identification of a sex pheromone in Ibalia leucospoides (Hymenoptera: Ibaliidae), a larval parasitoid of Sirex noctilio (Hymenoptera: Siricidae). PeerJ 2021; 9:e12266. [PMID: 34760353 PMCID: PMC8572519 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ibalia leucospoides (Hymenoptera: Ibaliidae) is a larval parasitoid that has been widely introduced as a biological control agent for the invasive woodwasp,Sirex noctilio (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) in the Southern Hemisphere. In this study, the courtship behavior and identificaion of sex pheromones are described for I. leucospoides under laboratory conditions. METHODS For courtship behavior, both sexes were observed in a wire mesh observation cylinder (75 cm length ×10 cm diameter) for 15 minutes. The female body washes were analyzed using Gas Chromatography- Electroantennographic Detection (GC-EAD). Then the EAD-active compounds were tentatively identified using GC-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and examined in olfactometer assays. RESULTS The courtship behavior included rhythmic lateral movements, mounting, head-nodding cycles in males, and wing-fanning in females. GC-EAD analysis of female body washes with male antennae revealed seven compounds which elicited antennal responses, four of which are straight-chain alkanes (C23, C25, C26, and C27). The identities of these alkanes were confirmed by matching the retention times, mass spectra, and male antennal activity to those of commercially obtained chemicals. In olfactometer assays, a blend of the four straight-chain alkanes was attractive to I. leucospoides males, and there was no response to blends that lacked any of these four compounds. Female body wash was no more attractive than the four-component blend. The ratios of EAD-active components differ between hydrocarbon profiles from males and females. CONCLUSION This study is the first investigation of cuticular hydrocarbons in the family Ibaliidae. It provides evidence that the ubiquitous alkanes (C23, C25, C26, and C27) in sex-specific ratios attract I. leucospoides males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hajar Faal
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, State University of New York-Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, USA
- Forest Pest Methods Laboratory (Otis Laboratory), USDA-APHIS-PPQ-CPHST, Buzzards Bay, MA, United States of America
| | - Peter J. Silk
- Natural Resources Canada, Atlantic Forestry Centre, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - Peter D. Mayo
- Natural Resources Canada, Atlantic Forestry Centre, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - Stephen A. Teale
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, State University of New York-Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, USA
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Jungwirth S, Ruther J, Pokorny T. Similar Is Not the Same – Mate Recognition in a Parasitoid Wasp. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.646667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Finding and recognizing a suitable mate is a key prerequisite to reproductive success. Insects often recognize prospective mates using chemical cues and signals. Among these, cuticular lipids commonly serve for mate recognition at close range. The lipid layer on the surface of insects is comprised predominantly of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), though more polar compounds may also be present. While the composition of the cuticular profile is typically species specific, many species additionally show differentiation between the sexes by sex specific compounds and/or compound ratios. It is often assumed that a clear sexual dimorphism of cuticular lipid profiles is a prerequisite for a potential function as sex pheromones. Both, sex specific single compounds or the profiles as a whole have been shown to serve as sex pheromones in parasitoid wasps. Here, we studied parasitoid wasps of the speciesTachinaephagus zealandicus(Encyrtidae, Hymenoptera). Chemical analyses revealed that this species presents a case where males and females produce the same set of CHCs in similar relative amounts. To test whether these wasps nonetheless can use the cuticular lipids for close range mate recognition, we tested the reaction of males toward freeze-killed conspecifics. Males showed copulation behavior exclusively toward dead females, but not toward dead males. Dead females from which the cuticular lipids had been removed did not elicit copulation behavior by tested males. Reapplication of female whole body extracts restored bioactivity, and males reacted with copulation attempts as often as toward the freeze-killed females. Bioassays with lipid fractions revealed that only the CHC fraction was bioactive on its own. Here, again, males reacted to female, but not to male CHCs. Our results indicate that these wasps are capable of using CHCs for close range sex recognition despite the similarity of male and female profiles.
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Würf J, Pokorny T, Wittbrodt J, Millar JG, Ruther J. Cuticular Hydrocarbons as Contact Sex Pheromone in the Parasitoid Wasp Urolepis rufipes. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
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Junker RR, Kuppler J, Amo L, Blande JD, Borges RM, van Dam NM, Dicke M, Dötterl S, Ehlers BK, Etl F, Gershenzon J, Glinwood R, Gols R, Groot AT, Heil M, Hoffmeister M, Holopainen JK, Jarau S, John L, Kessler A, Knudsen JT, Kost C, Larue-Kontic AAC, Leonhardt SD, Lucas-Barbosa D, Majetic CJ, Menzel F, Parachnowitsch AL, Pasquet RS, Poelman EH, Raguso RA, Ruther J, Schiestl FP, Schmitt T, Tholl D, Unsicker SB, Verhulst N, Visser ME, Weldegergis BT, Köllner TG. Covariation and phenotypic integration in chemical communication displays: biosynthetic constraints and eco-evolutionary implications. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2018; 220:739-749. [PMID: 28256726 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 01/29/2017] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Chemical communication is ubiquitous. The identification of conserved structural elements in visual and acoustic communication is well established, but comparable information on chemical communication displays (CCDs) is lacking. We assessed the phenotypic integration of CCDs in a meta-analysis to characterize patterns of covariation in CCDs and identified functional or biosynthetically constrained modules. Poorly integrated plant CCDs (i.e. low covariation between scent compounds) support the notion that plants often utilize one or few key compounds to repel antagonists or to attract pollinators and enemies of herbivores. Animal CCDs (mostly insect pheromones) were usually more integrated than those of plants (i.e. stronger covariation), suggesting that animals communicate via fixed proportions among compounds. Both plant and animal CCDs were composed of modules, which are groups of strongly covarying compounds. Biosynthetic similarity of compounds revealed biosynthetic constraints in the covariation patterns of plant CCDs. We provide a novel perspective on chemical communication and a basis for future investigations on structural properties of CCDs. This will facilitate identifying modules and biosynthetic constraints that may affect the outcome of selection and thus provide a predictive framework for evolutionary trajectories of CCDs in plants and animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert R Junker
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Jonas Kuppler
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Luisa Amo
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), NL-6700, EH Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - James D Blande
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Renee M Borges
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Nicole M van Dam
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig/Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marcel Dicke
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Stefan Dötterl
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Bodil K Ehlers
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, 8600, Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - Florian Etl
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jonathan Gershenzon
- Department of Biochemistry, Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Robert Glinwood
- Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7043, S750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Rieta Gols
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Astrid T Groot
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Entomology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Martin Heil
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, CINVESTAV - Irapuato, Irapuato, CP 36821, México
| | - Mathias Hoffmeister
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Jarmo K Holopainen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Stefan Jarau
- Institute for Neurobiology, Ulm University, Helmholtzstr. 10/1, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Lena John
- Institute for Neurobiology, Ulm University, Helmholtzstr. 10/1, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Andre Kessler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Jette T Knudsen
- Deptartment of Biology, Lund University, SE 223 62, Lund, Sweden
- Nattaro Labs AB, Medicon Village, 223 81, Lund, Sweden
| | - Christian Kost
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Research Group Experimental Ecology and Evolution, 07745, Jena, Germany
- Department of Ecology, School of Biology/Chemistry, University of Osnabrück, 49074, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Anne-Amélie C Larue-Kontic
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Sara Diana Leonhardt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Würzburg University, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Dani Lucas-Barbosa
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Cassie J Majetic
- Department of Biology, Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Florian Menzel
- Institute of Zoology, University of Mainz, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Amy L Parachnowitsch
- Plant Ecology and Evolution, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, 75236, Sweden
| | - Rémy S Pasquet
- Department of ECOBIO, IRD, 44 Bd de Dunkerque, 13572, Marseille Cedex 02, France
| | - Erik H Poelman
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Robert A Raguso
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Joachim Ruther
- Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Florian P Schiestl
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zürich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Schmitt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Würzburg University, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Dorothea Tholl
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Sybille B Unsicker
- Department of Biochemistry, Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Niels Verhulst
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Marcel E Visser
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), NL-6700, EH Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Berhane T Weldegergis
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Tobias G Köllner
- Department of Biochemistry, Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745, Jena, Germany
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Pask GM, Slone JD, Millar JG, Das P, Moreira JA, Zhou X, Bello J, Berger SL, Bonasio R, Desplan C, Reinberg D, Liebig J, Zwiebel LJ, Ray A. Specialized odorant receptors in social insects that detect cuticular hydrocarbon cues and candidate pheromones. Nat Commun 2017; 8:297. [PMID: 28819196 PMCID: PMC5561057 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00099-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Eusocial insects use cuticular hydrocarbons as components of pheromones that mediate social behaviours, such as caste and nestmate recognition, and regulation of reproduction. In ants such as Harpegnathos saltator, the queen produces a pheromone which suppresses the development of workers' ovaries and if she is removed, workers can transition to a reproductive state known as gamergate. Here we functionally characterize a subfamily of odorant receptors (Ors) with a nine-exon gene structure that have undergone a massive expansion in ants and other eusocial insects. We deorphanize 22 representative members and find they can detect cuticular hydrocarbons from different ant castes, with one (HsOr263) that responds strongly to gamergate extract and a candidate queen pheromone component. After systematic testing with a diverse panel of hydrocarbons, we find that most Harpegnathos saltator Ors are narrowly tuned, suggesting that several receptors must contribute to detection and discrimination of different cuticular hydrocarbons important in mediating eusocial behaviour.Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC) mediate the interactions between individuals in eusocial insects, but the sensory receptors for CHCs are unclear. Here the authors show that in ants such as H. saltator, the 9-exon subfamily of odorant receptors (HsOrs) responds to CHCs, and ectopic expression of HsOrs in Drosophila neurons imparts responsiveness to CHCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory M Pask
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Jesse D Slone
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Jocelyn G Millar
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Prithwiraj Das
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Jardel A Moreira
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Xiaofan Zhou
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Jan Bello
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Shelley L Berger
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Epigenetics Program, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Roberto Bonasio
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Epigenetics Program, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Claude Desplan
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Danny Reinberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Jürgen Liebig
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Laurence J Zwiebel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Anandasankar Ray
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA.
- Center for Disease Vector Research, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA.
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Keppner EM, Prang M, Engel KC, Ayasse M, Stökl J, Steiger S. Beyond Cuticular Hydrocarbons: Chemically Mediated Mate Recognition in the Subsocial Burying Beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides. J Chem Ecol 2016; 43:84-93. [PMID: 28028746 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-016-0806-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Revised: 11/27/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Burying beetles have fascinated scientists for centuries due to their elaborate form of biparental care that includes the burial and defense of a vertebrate carcass, as well as the subsequent feeding of the larvae. However, besides extensive research on burying beetles, one fundamental question has yet to be answered: what cues do males use to discriminate between the sexes? Here, we show in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides that cuticular lipids trigger male mating behavior. Previous chemical analyses have revealed sex differences in cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) composition; however, in the current study, fractionated-guided bioassay showed that cuticular lipids, other than CHCs, elicit copulation. Chemical analyses of the behaviorally active fraction revealed 17 compounds, mainly aldehydes and fatty acid esters, with small quantitative but no qualitative differences between the sexes. Supplementation of males with hexadecanal, the compound contributing most to the statistical separation of the chemical profiles of males and females, did not trigger copulation attempts by males. Therefore, a possible explanation is that the whole profile of polar lipids mediates sex recognition in N. vespilloides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva M Keppner
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Madlen Prang
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Katharina C Engel
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Johannes Stökl
- Institute of for Zoology, University of Regensburg, 93053, Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Sandra Steiger
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
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Holman L, Hanley B, Millar JG. Highly specific responses to queen pheromone in three Lasius ant species. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2058-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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11
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Hughes GP, Bello JE, Millar JG, Ginzel MD. Determination of the Absolute Configuration of Female-Produced Contact Sex Pheromone Components of the Longhorned Beetle, Neoclytus acuminatus acuminatus (F). J Chem Ecol 2015; 41:1050-7. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-015-0639-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2015] [Revised: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 10/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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12
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Steiger S, Capodeanu-Nägler A, Gershman SN, Weddle CB, Rapkin J, Sakaluk SK, Hunt J. Female choice for male cuticular hydrocarbon profile in decorated crickets is not based on similarity to their own profile. J Evol Biol 2015; 28:2175-86. [PMID: 26301596 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2015] [Revised: 08/14/2015] [Accepted: 08/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Indirect genetic benefits derived from female mate choice comprise additive (good genes) and nonadditive genetic benefits (genetic compatibility). Although good genes can be revealed by condition-dependent display traits, the mechanism by which compatibility alleles are detected is unclear because evaluation of the genetic similarity of a prospective mate requires the female to assess the genotype of the male and compare it to her own. Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), lipids coating the exoskeleton of most insects, influence female mate choice in a number of species and offer a way for females to assess genetic similarity of prospective mates. Here, we determine whether female mate choice in decorated crickets is based on male CHCs and whether it is influenced by females' own CHC profiles. We used multivariate selection analysis to estimate the strength and form of selection acting on male CHCs through female mate choice, and employed different measures of multivariate dissimilarity to determine whether a female's preference for male CHCs is based on similarity to her own CHC profile. Female mating preferences were significantly influenced by CHC profiles of males. Male CHC attractiveness was not, however, contingent on the CHC profile of the choosing female, as certain male CHC phenotypes were equally attractive to most females, evidenced by significant linear and stabilizing selection gradients. These results suggest that additive genetic benefits, rather than nonadditive genetic benefits, accrue to female mate choice, in support of earlier work showing that CHC expression of males, but not females, is condition dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Steiger
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - A Capodeanu-Nägler
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - S N Gershman
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University at Marion, Marion, OH, USA
| | - C B Weddle
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA
| | - J Rapkin
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - S K Sakaluk
- Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics Section, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA
| | - J Hunt
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
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Oi CA, van Zweden JS, Oliveira RC, Van Oystaeyen A, Nascimento FS, Wenseleers T. The origin and evolution of social insect queen pheromones: Novel hypotheses and outstanding problems. Bioessays 2015; 37:808-21. [PMID: 25916998 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201400180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Queen pheromones, which signal the presence of a fertile queen and induce daughter workers to remain sterile, are considered to play a key role in regulating the reproductive division of labor of insect societies. Although queen pheromones were long thought to be highly taxon-specific, recent studies have shown that structurally related long-chain hydrocarbons act as conserved queen signals across several independently evolved lineages of social insects. These results imply that social insect queen pheromones are very ancient and likely derived from an ancestral signalling system that was already present in their common solitary ancestors. Based on these new insights, we here review the literature and speculate on what signal precursors social insect queen pheromones may have evolved from. Furthermore, we provide compelling evidence that these pheromones should best be seen as honest signals of fertility as opposed to suppressive agents that chemically sterilize the workers against their own best interests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cintia A Oi
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Socioecology & Social Evolution, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jelle S van Zweden
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Socioecology & Social Evolution, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ricardo C Oliveira
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Socioecology & Social Evolution, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Annette Van Oystaeyen
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Socioecology & Social Evolution, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Fabio S Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia da Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tom Wenseleers
- Department of Biology, Laboratory of Socioecology & Social Evolution, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Isolation and determination of absolute configurations of insect-produced methyl-branched hydrocarbons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:1077-82. [PMID: 25583471 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1417605112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the effects of stereochemistry have been studied extensively for volatile insect pheromones, little is known about the effects of chirality in the nonvolatile methyl-branched hydrocarbons (MBCHs) used by many insects as contact pheromones. MBCHs generally contain one or more chiral centers and so two or more stereoisomeric forms are possible for each structure. However, it is not known whether insects biosynthesize these molecules in high stereoisomeric purity, nor is it known whether insects can distinguish the different stereoisomeric forms of MBCHs. This knowledge gap is due in part to the lack of methods for isolating individual MBCHs from the complex cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) blends of insects, as well as the difficulty in determining the absolute configurations of the isolated MBCHs. To address these deficiencies, we report a straightforward method for the isolation of individual cuticular hydrocarbons from the complex CHC blend. The method was used to isolate 36 pure MBCHs from 20 species in nine insect orders. The absolute stereochemistries of the purified MBCHs then were determined by digital polarimetry. The absolute configurations of all of the isolated MBCHs were determined to be (R) by comparison with a library of synthesized, enantiomerically pure standards, suggesting that the biosynthetic pathways used to construct MBCHs are highly conserved within the Insecta. The development of a straightforward method for isolation of specific CHCs will enable determination of their functional roles by providing pure compounds for bioassays.
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Stökl J, Dandekar AT, Ruther J. High Chemical Diversity in a Wasp Pheromone: a Blend of Methyl 6-Methylsalicylate, Fatty Alcohol Acetates and Cuticular Hydrocarbons Releases Courtship Behavior in the Drosophila Parasitoid Asobara tabida. J Chem Ecol 2014; 40:159-68. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-014-0378-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2013] [Revised: 12/18/2013] [Accepted: 01/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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