Transcriptome Analysis of Ostrinia furnacalis Female Pheromone Gland: Esters Biosynthesis and Requirement for Mating Success

Abstract

Female moths use sex pheromones to attract males, and corresponding regulatory mechanism underlying sex pheromone biosynthesis is species-dependent. However, the detailed mechanism involved in sex pheromone biosynthesis in Ostrinia furnacalis has not yet been fully addressed. In the present study, transcriptome sequencing of O. furnacalis pheromone glands screened a serials of candidate genes involved in sex pheromone biosynthesis. Our analysis showed that sex pheromone release in O. furnacalis females arrives its peak at the 2nd scotophase, consistent with its mating behavior. Pheromone biosynthesis-activating neuropeptide (PBAN) was confirmed to regulate sex pheromone biosynthesis, and Ca2+ is the secondary messenger of PBAN signaling in O. furnacalis. The functional analysis of candidate genes demonstrated that the decreased mRNA levels or activities of calcineurin (CaN) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) led to significant decrease in sex pheromone production and female capability to attract males, as demonstrated by RNAi-mediated knockdown and pharmacological inhibitor assay. Most importantly, the activities of CaN and ACC depend on the activation of PBAN/PBANR/Ca2+. Furthermore, fatty-acyl reductase 14 was involved in PBAN-mediated sex pheromone biosynthesis. Altogether, our results demonstrated that PBAN regulates sex pheromone biosynthesis through PBANR/Ca2+/CaN/ACC pathway to promote sex pheromone biosynthesis in O. furnacalis and provided a reference for non-model organism to study neuropeptide signal transduction.

Cyclosporin A as a Source for a Novel Insecticidal Product for Controlling Spodoptera frugiperda

“…The regulation of sex pheromone biosynthesis is conserved in females, and CaN is the dominant enzyme in Lepidopteran species that regulates this biological process [ 44 ]. The production of sex pheromones in H. armigera and Ostrinia furnacalis Guenée (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) was significantly reduced after the suppression of CaN activity [ 45 , 46 ]. Additionally, CaN is required for both male sex pheromone biosynthesis and female acceptance [ 27 ].…”

Octopamine terminates sex pheromone biosynthesis by suppressing PBAN signal in moths

“…In most female moths, sex pheromone biosynthesis and release typically exhibit a developmental pattern and circadian oscillations that are consistent with the day/night cycle (Bloch et al, 2013; Jurenka & Rafaeli, 2011). After more than 30 years of research, the underlying mechanism of sex pheromone biosynthesis regulated by PBAN in moths has been well elucidated, and a typical signalling cascade that recruits Ca 2+ as the secondary messenger has been reported (Choi & Jurenka, 2006; Du et al, 2017; Yao et al, 2021). Although some researchers have attempted to explore the termination mechanism of insect sex pheromone biosynthesis and have identified some potential inhibitors such as SP or JH, the endogenous mechanism of the termination of sex pheromone release in female moths remains unclear.…”

Cyclosporin A as a Potential Insecticide to Control the Asian Corn Borer Ostrinia furnacalis Guenée (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

“…As a result, CsA may suppress humoral immunity by inhibiting CaN activity, thus causing mortality in O. furnacalis . The suppression of CaN activity may have other negative effects, such as reducing mating and the insect population ( Figure 2 ), because CaN also functions in pheromone biosynthesis and the mating behavior of lepidopterans [ 29 , 31 , 60 ]. As a result, CsA is toxic because it targets CaN, making it a good target for pest management.…”

“…One-day-old female ( n = 50 for each concentration of CsA) and male ( n = 60) adults exposed to the different treatments (five biological replicates) were selected for a mating study conducted in 750 mL boxes. The mating rate was calculated as the number of mated females divided by the total number of females in each biological replicate (whether females mated was determined by the presence or absence of spermatheca) [ 29 ]. One-day-old virgin adult females ( n = 60 for each concentration of CsA) and males ( n = 72) in each treatment were allowed to mate for 1 day.…”