A Pheromone Antagonist Regulates Optimal Mating Time in the Moth Helicoverpa armigera

Current Biology : CB
Hetan ChangGuirong Wang

Abstract

Many insect species use multi-component sex pheromones to discriminate among potential mating partners [1-5]. In moths, pheromone blends tend to be dominated by one or two major components, but behavioral responses are frequently optimized by the inclusion of less abundant minor components [6]. An increasing number of studies have shown that female insects use these chemicals to convey their mating availability to males, who can assess the maturity of females and thus decide when to mate [7, 8]. However, little is known about the biological mechanisms that enable males to assess female reproductive status. In this study, we found that females of Helicoverpa armigera avoid nonoptimal mating by inhibiting males with pheromone antagonist cis-11-Hexadecenol (Z11-16:OH). We also show that this antagonist-mediated optimization of mating time ensures maximum fecundity. To further investigate molecular aspects of this phenomenon, we used the CRISPR/Cas9 system to knock out odorant receptor 16 (OR16), the only pheromone receptor tuned to Z11-16:OH. In mutant males, electrophysiological and behavioral responses to Z11-16:OH were abolished. Inability to detect Z11-16:OH prompted the males to mate with immature females, which resulted in s...Continue Reading

Citations

Sep 5, 2017·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Vanessa M MaciasJason L Rasgon
Jul 3, 2020·BioEssays : News and Reviews in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology·Renny NgChih-Ying Su
Sep 22, 2017·Frontiers in Physiology·Dan SunYoujun Zhang
Jan 24, 2018·Insect Science·Ming-Hui JinKong-Ming Wu
Feb 9, 2020·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Hua YanClaude Desplan
Aug 8, 2020·Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology·Jia LiLong Zhang
Sep 11, 2018·Frontiers in Physiology·Herbert Venthur, Jing-Jiang Zhou
Jun 6, 2019·Methods and Protocols·Tirtha Das Banerjee, Antónia Monteiro
Dec 20, 2019·Journal of Chemical Ecology·Gabriel P Hughes, Ring T Cardé
Mar 19, 2020·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Tyler J BuchingerWeiming Li
May 20, 2020·Frontiers in Physiology·Song CaoGuirong Wang
Feb 14, 2021·Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part D, Genomics & Proteomics·Yong XiaoYong-Jun Zhang
Jun 26, 2021·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·Chiara De PasqualEmily Burdfield-Steel

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

CRISPR Ribonucleases Deactivation

CRISPR-Cas system enables the editing of genes to create or correct mutations. This feed focuses on mechanisms that underlie deactivation of CRISPR ribonucleases. Here is the latest research.

CRISPR (general)

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) are DNA sequences in the genome that are recognized and cleaved by CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas). CRISPR-Cas system enables the editing of genes to create or correct mutations. Discover the latest research on CRISPR here.

CRISPR for Genome Editing

Genome editing technologies enable the editing of genes to create or correct mutations. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) are DNA sequences in the genome that are recognized and cleaved by CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas). Here is the latest research on the use of CRISPR-Cas system in gene editing.