Receptor for detection of a Type II sex pheromone in the winter moth Operophtera brumata
Author
Summary, in English
How signal diversity evolves under stabilizing selection in a pheromone-based mate recognition
system is a conundrum. Female moths produce two major types of sex pheromones, i.e., long-chain
acetates, alcohols and aldehydes (Type I) and polyenic hydrocarbons and epoxides (Type II), along
different biosynthetic pathways. Little is known on how male pheromone receptor (PR) genes evolved
to perceive the different pheromones. We report the identification of the first PR tuned to Type II
pheromones, namely ObruOR1 from the winter moth, Operophtera brumata (Geometridae). ObruOR1
clusters together with previously ligand-unknown orthologues in the PR subfamily for the ancestral
Type I pheromones, suggesting that O. brumata did not evolve a new type of PR to match the novel Type
II signal but recruited receptors within an existing PR subfamily. AsegOR3, the ObruOR1 orthologue
previously cloned from the noctuid Agrotis segetum that has Type I acetate pheromone components,
responded significantly to another Type II hydrocarbon, suggesting that a common ancestor with Type
I pheromones had receptors for both types of pheromones, a preadaptation for detection of Type II sex
pheromone.
system is a conundrum. Female moths produce two major types of sex pheromones, i.e., long-chain
acetates, alcohols and aldehydes (Type I) and polyenic hydrocarbons and epoxides (Type II), along
different biosynthetic pathways. Little is known on how male pheromone receptor (PR) genes evolved
to perceive the different pheromones. We report the identification of the first PR tuned to Type II
pheromones, namely ObruOR1 from the winter moth, Operophtera brumata (Geometridae). ObruOR1
clusters together with previously ligand-unknown orthologues in the PR subfamily for the ancestral
Type I pheromones, suggesting that O. brumata did not evolve a new type of PR to match the novel Type
II signal but recruited receptors within an existing PR subfamily. AsegOR3, the ObruOR1 orthologue
previously cloned from the noctuid Agrotis segetum that has Type I acetate pheromone components,
responded significantly to another Type II hydrocarbon, suggesting that a common ancestor with Type
I pheromones had receptors for both types of pheromones, a preadaptation for detection of Type II sex
pheromone.
Department/s
Publishing year
2016
Language
English
Publication/Series
Scientific Reports
Volume
6
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
Topic
- Ecology
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Evolutionary Biology
Status
Published
Project
- Evolutionary mechanisms of pheromone divergence in Lepidoptera
Research group
- Pheromone Group
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 2045-2322