Evolution of Two Receptors detecting the Same Pheromone Compound in Crop Pest Moths of the Genus Spodoptera

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

Xiao eSun¹  Nicolas eMontagné²  Olivier eMirabeau³  Arthur ede Fouchier⁴  Christelle eMonsempes⁴  Emmanuelle eJacquin-Joly⁴ 

[1] Huazhong Agricultural University;INRA;Institut Curie;Université Pierre et Marie Curie;

关键词: insect;    Olfaction;    heterologous expression;    positive selection;    olfactory receptor;    sex pheromone;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fevo.2015.00095

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

In moths, mate finding strongly rely on the detection of sex pheromones by pheromone receptors. Any modification in the functional properties of these receptors can have a drastic impact on reproduction. In the course of characterizing candidate pheromone receptors in the noctuid moth Spodoptera littoralis, we expressed them in Drosophila olfactory sensory neurons and stimulated them with a large panel of moth pheromone compounds. We found that two pheromone receptors detect (Z,E)-9,12-14:OAc, a minor component of the female pheromone blend. Whereas SlitOR6 is highly specific to this component, SlitOR13 is less sensitive and not strictly specific as it also detects (Z)9-14:OAc, another minor component of the sex pheromone. Interestingly, SlitOR13 expression is restricted to the distal part of male antennae, where we could identify a novel functional class of pheromone-sensitive neurons whose response spectrum matches that of SlitOR13. Based on a phylogenetic analysis of Lepidoptera pheromone receptors, we built an evolutionary scenario in which four different paralogous lineages emerged through gene duplications. The ability to bind (Z,E)-9,12-14:OAc appeared independently within three of these lineages, and an analysis of selective pressures revealed sites under positive selection that could have played a role in the emergence of functional properties of OR6 and OR13 in Spodoptera species.

【 授权许可】

Unknown