Sex pheromones in mate assessment: analysis of nutrient cost of sex pheromone production by females of the moth<i>Heliothis virescens</i>

Foster, S. P.; Anderson, Karin G.

doi:10.1242/jeb.119883

Cited by 20 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 34 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The specific costs of pheromone production have rarely been explicitly identified (Johansson et al, 2005;Foster and Anderson, 2015;Umbers et al, 2015), perhaps reflecting a widely held assumption that pheromone production is cheap (Alberts, 1992) and the difficulties of measuring the amount of pheromone released in model species such as moths (Umbers et al, 2015). Nonetheless, pheromone production could have significant physiological costs if its profile depends on nutrients that have other important biological functions.…”

Section: Diet-mediated Pheromones and Signaller Quality Via Direct Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet-Mediated Pheromones and Signature Mixtures Can Enforce Signal Reliability

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Diet is arguably the most significant environmental factor shaping chemical signals in animals. In rare cases, dietary components are converted directly into pheromones or signature mixtures but more generally variation in an individual's diet influences their overall condition and thus capacity to synthesize the signal. Typically, diet is variable between individuals of the same species and this can lead to variation in signals. This variation presents specific challenges to receivers, who must be able to recognize and respond to a greater range of signals. However, such variation might also provide the receiver with key information about the signaller, allowing them to respond to the signal advantageously. Here we investigate how dietary-mediated pheromones and signature mixtures can provide the receiver with reliable information about the signaller, ultimately benefiting the receiver in a way not achievable by a static signal.

show abstract

Section: Diet-mediated Pheromones and Signaller Quality Via Direct Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet-Mediated Pheromones and Signature Mixtures Can Enforce Signal Reliability

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In our experiments, Z11-16:Ald DNP was biosynthesized de novo, after females fed on labeled glucose. This route involves a cytosolic pool of labeled/unlabeled acetyl CoA, formed from glycolysis/pyruvate oxidation and b-oxidation of stored fatty acids (Foster and Anderson, 2015), and synthesis of transient 16:Acyl and Z11-16:Acyl precursors (Fig. 4) (Choi et al, 2005).…”

Section: Identification Of Two Pathwaysmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Species of moths that biosynthesize so-called "Type 1" sex pheromone components do so by a route involving rapid de novo fatty acid synthesis from acetyl CoA, followed by desaturation and/or cytosolic b-oxidation of the alkyl chain and modification of the carboxyl group to an alcohol, aldehyde or acetate ester (Ando et al, 2004;Blomquist et al, 2011;Foster, 2016). De novo biosynthesis of pheromone requires a supply of acetyl CoA precursor, which is provided by glycolysis/pyruvate oxidation of hemolymph trehalose, and mitochondrial b-oxidation of fatty acids from glandular glycerolipids (Foster and Anderson, 2015). In addition to providing fatty acids for b-oxidation, glandular glycerolipids also contain relatively substantial amounts of pheromone precursor acids, which may or may not subsequently be converted to pheromone (Bjostad et al, 1987;Fang et al, 1995;Foster, 2005b;Matsumoto, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sex pheromone biosynthesis and glandular glycerolipids have been extensively studied in the moth Heliothis virescens (Fabricius) (family: Noctuidae) (Choi et al, 2005;Foster and Anderson, 2011;Foster, 2005a, b;Foster and Anderson, 2012;Groot et al, 2016;Hagström et al, 2013), which uses a blend of (Z)-11-hexadecenal (Z11-16:Ald) and (Z)-9-tetradecenal as its sex pheromone (Roelofs et al, 1974). Recently, using the stable isotope tracer-tracee method of mass isotopomer distribution analysis (MIDA; Hellerstein and Neese, 1999), we established that females use a roughly 2:1 ratio of carbohydrate (from hemolymph trehalose) to stored fats as nutrients for production of acetyl CoA during de novo pheromone biosynthesis (Foster and Anderson, 2015). However, we noticed that a significant portion of the unlabeled pheromone could not have been produced from the tracer/tracee pool of acetyl CoA used for de novo-produced pheromone (DNP).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Sex pheromone in the moth Heliothis virescens is produced as a mixture of two pools: de novo and via precursor storage in glycerolipids

Foster

Anderson

Casas

2017

Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Most species of moths use a female-produced volatile sex pheromone, typically produced via de novo fatty acid synthesis in a specialized gland, for communication among mates. While de novo biosynthesis of pheromone (DNP) is rapid, suggesting transient precursor acids, substantial amounts of pheromone precursor (and other) acids are stored, predominantly in triacylglycerols in the pheromone gland. Whether these stored acids are converted to pheromone later or not has been the subject of some debate. Using a tracer/tracee approach, in which we fed female Heliothis virescens U-C-glucose, we were able to distinguish two pools of pheromone, in which precursors were temporally separated (after and before feeding on labeled glucose): DNP synthesized from a mixed tracer/tracee acetyl CoA pool after feeding, and pheromone made from precursor acids primarily synthesized before feeding, which we call recycled precursor fat pheromone (RPP). DNP titer varied from high (during scotophase) to low (photophase) and with presence/absence of pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN), in accord with native pheromone titer previously observed. By contrast, RPP was constant throughout the photoperiod and did not change with PBAN presence/absence. The amount of RPP (6.3-10.3 ng/female) was typically much lower than that of DNP, especially during the scotophase (peak DNP, 105 ng/female). We propose an integral role for stored fats in pheromone biosynthesis, in which they are hydrolyzed and re-esterified throughout the photoperiod, with a small proportion of liberated precursor acyl CoAs being converted to pheromone. During the sexually active period, release of PBAN results in increased flux of glucose (from trehalose) and hydrolyzed acids entering the mitochondria, producing acetyl CoA precursor for de novo fat and pheromone biosynthesis.

show abstract

“…If pheromone production utilizes limited resources that could otherwise be used for egg production, then behaviors that improve efficiency of pheromones for mate attraction should result in increased fitness. In cases where adult females do feed readily; however, pheromone production has not been shown to be resource limited [ 141 ]. Species that do limited feeding after maturation may therefore be more likely to exhibit behaviors resulting from autodetection that have this potential for improving mating efficiency.…”

Section: Selection Pressures Favoring Autodetectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pheromone Autodetection: Evidence and Implications

Holdcraft

Rodriguez‐Saona

Stelinski

2016

Insects

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Olfactory communication research with insects utilizing sex pheromones has focused on the effects of pheromones on signal receivers. Early pheromone detection studies using the silkworm moth, Bombyx mori L., and Saturniids led to the assumption that emitters, especially females, are unable to detect their own pheromone. Pheromone anosmia, i.e., the inability of females to detect their conspecific sex pheromone, was often assumed, and initially little attention was paid to female behaviors that may result from autodetection, i.e., the ability of females to detect their sex pheromone. Detection of conspecific pheromone plumes from nearby females may provide information to improve chances of mating success and progeny survival. Since the first documented example in 1972, numerous occurrences of autodetection have been observed and verified in field and laboratory studies. We summarize here a significant portion of research relating to autodetection. Electrophysiological and behavioral investigations, as well as expression patterns of proteins involved in pheromone autodetection are included. We discuss problems inherent in defining a boundary between sex and aggregation pheromones considering the occurrence of autodetection, and summarize hypothesized selection pressures favoring autodetection. Importance of including autodetection studies in future work is emphasized by complications arising from a lack of knowledge combined with expanding the use of pheromones in agriculture.

show abstract

Sex pheromones in mate assessment: analysis of nutrient cost of sex pheromone production by females of the mothHeliothis virescens

Cited by 20 publications

References 34 publications

Diet-Mediated Pheromones and Signature Mixtures Can Enforce Signal Reliability

Diet-Mediated Pheromones and Signature Mixtures Can Enforce Signal Reliability

Sex pheromone in the moth Heliothis virescens is produced as a mixture of two pools: de novo and via precursor storage in glycerolipids

Pheromone Autodetection: Evidence and Implications

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About