Reverse chemical ecology guides the screening for Grapholita molesta pheromone synergists

Abstract

BACKGROUND Pheromone‐based management is a leading nonpesticidal strategy among integrated pest management options. Improving the potency of pheromone products by adding synergists would be a practical way to popularize pheromone‐based management as well as to reduce pesticide use. RESULTS Using reverse chemical ecology, synergists for Grapholita molesta sex pheromone were screened. Combined molecular docking and in vitro binding assay led to the determination of four potentially active odorants showing high affinity to G. molesta pheromone binding protein 2 (GmolPBP2). Thereafter, the high affinity between Codlemone and GmolPBP2 was further verified by exploration of GmolPBP2–Codlemone interactions. As the only sex pheromone synergist validated by both laboratory behavioral tests and field trapping, Codlemone was used to optimize commercial sex attractants currently used in G. molesta control. The recommended formulation [(Z)‐8‐dodecenyl acetate:(E)‐8‐dodecenyl acetate:Codlemone = 95:4:10] was found to trap about five to six times more G. molesta adults than the commercial sex attractant [(Z)‐8‐dodecenyl acetate:(E)‐8‐dodecenyl acetate: (Z)‐8‐dodecenol = 95:4:1]. CONCLUSION Codlemone is an excellent pheromone synergist that can be potentially sensed by GmolPBP2, which can remarkably improve the potency of G. molesta sex attractants. It is believed that the introduction of reverse chemical ecology would increase the chance of discovering pheromone synergists, promoting the development of more efficacious pheromone products that can be used in controlling G. molesta and beyond. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Research of Synergistic Substances on Tobacco Beetle [Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae)] Adults Attractants

“…But, judging from the research on attractants of other insects, the multiplier was far more than 2 times, and the number of Mythimna separata trapped by the combination of ethyl benzoate and armyworm sex pheromone was about 4–5 times that of armyworm sex pheromone ( Yang et al, 2015 ). The combination of ( Z )-8-dodecenyl acetate, ( E )-8-dodecenyl acetate, and codlemone (95: 4: 10) was found to trap Grapholita molesta adults about 5–6 times more than the commercial sex attractants with the combination of ( Z )-8-dodecenyl acetate, ( E )- 8-dodecenyl acetate, and ( Z )-8-dodecenol (95:4:1) ( Liu et al, 2021 ).…”

Structural insights into the discrepant synergistic activity of Codlemone and (Z)‐8‐dodecenol towards Grapholita molesta pheromones

“…The GmolPBP2-Cod and GmolPBP2-Dod complexes were constructed by molecular docking. Since the reliable 3D model of GmolPBP2 has been produced by homology modeling in our former reports, 22,36 it was used for prospective molecular docking directly after a further minimization of free energy (5000 steps) by the bioorganic systems force field (ff9SB) in Amber12. 37,38 The 3D structures of Cod and Dod were created with Cresset Forge V10.6 and optimized for 2000 steps with the General Amber Force Field (GAFF) in Amber12.…”

Molecular basis for the pheromone-mediated feeding preference of early-instar Mythimna separata larvae

“…Take (E, E)-8, 10-dodecadienol for example, it is not only the sex pheromone of Cydia pomonella [44] , but also acts as a synergist of Grapholita molesta sex pheromone [45][46][47] .…”

“…Actually, the same semiochemical conveying different message is not unusual [28, 41-43] . Take ( E, E )-8, 10-dodecadienol for example, it is not only the sex pheromone of Cydia pomonella [44] , but also acts as a synergist of Grapholita molesta sex pheromone [45-47] . For early-instar larvae, newly-hatched ones in particular, are fragile to environmental changes.…”