Chemoreception in Aquatic Invertebrates
Robert H. Cagan in Neural Mechanisms in Taste, 2020
Several aquatic invertebrates are known to release specific chemicals serving as sex pheromones that stimulate aspects of reproductive behavior in individuals of the opposite sex.31 Although none of the sex pheromones produced by aquatic invertebrates have been identified yet, several pheromones of algal species are well known.32 Some of these algal pheromones are specific unsaturated cyclic hydrocarbons that are released into the water by female gametes and function to stimulate the discharge and/or attraction of male gametes (see Figure 1D). Finally, chemicals of a very different sort are known to stimulate settlement and metamorphosis by the larvae of certain aquatic invertebrates. Several of these stimulants of behavioral changes in larvae have been shown to be specific proteins or peptides present on the surface of a particular substrate, or another organism, that provides a suitable habitat for the next stage of the life cycle.33,34
Insight into Knapsack Metabolite Ecology Database: A Comprehensive Source of Species: Voc-Biological Activity Relationships
Raquel Cumeras, Xavier Correig in Volatile organic compound analysis in biomedical diagnosis applications, 2018
VOCs constitute only a small proportion of the total number of secondary metabolites produced by living organisms, however, because of their important roles in chemical ecology specifically in the biological interactions between organisms and ecosystems, revealing and analyzing the roles of these VOCs is essential for understanding the interdependence of organisms. The total amount of VOCs emitted globally to the atmosphere is estimated to exceed 1 Pg per year, and these VOCs include mainly plant-produced VOCs, isoprene, monoterpenes and other oxygenated carbon compounds, such as herbivore-induced volatiles and green leaf volatiles (Iijima, 2014). Many studies have been performed that showed the emission of VOCs from plants occur as significant cues, signals, or defense responses to wounding, herbivore infestation, pathogen infection, and pollination. The emitted VOCs are responsible for internal and external communication between plants and herbivores, pathogens, pollinators, and parasitoids. Plants emit VOCs from their roots, leaves, fruits and flowers and use these compounds internally as defensive and signaling systems to induce levels of systemic acquired resistance (SAR) to pests and diseases. Some VOCs, such as methyl jasmonate α-pinene, camphene, and 1,8-cineol may inhibit the growth of other plants. VOCs produced by plant organs such as fruits and flowers also can act as external signaling molecules or semiochemicals by attracting pollinators and seed dispersers (Delory et al., 2016). They also contribute to the attraction of pest insects and beneficial insect predators in tritrophic interactions. Apart from plants, VOCs also act as a major communication among insects and other arthropods. Female insects use specific VOCs as sex pheromones to attract mates. Insects also use VOCs to mark pathways between nest and food and for defense.
Host population related variations in circadian clock gene sequences and expression patterns in Chilo suppressalis
Published in Chronobiology International, 2019
Li Zhu, Shuo Feng, Qiao Gao, Wen Liu, Wei-Hua Ma, Xiao-Ping Wang
The sexual activity of insects includes the release of sex pheromones, female calling, male response, and mating. These activities usually have an obvious circadian rhythm in flies and moths (Baker and Cardé 1979; Groot 2014) and many studies have found evidence of differences in this rhythm between host races (Delisle and McNeil 1987; Pashley et al. 1992). The sexual activity of insects is regulated by an endogenous circadian clock system (Groot 2014; Sakai and Ishida 2001; Saunders et al. 2002; Tauber et al. 2003). Disrupting this system can lead to arrhythmic, or abnormal, release of pheromones, male courtship behavior and mating (Dauwalder et al. 2002; Krupp et al. 2013; Sakai and Ishida 2001). This suggests that circadian clock genes could be responsible for observed differences in the timing of sexual activity between different host races.
Significance of DopEcR, a G-protein coupled dopamine/ecdysteroid receptor, in physiological and behavioral response to stressors
Published in Journal of Neurogenetics, 2020
Emily Petruccelli, Arianna Lark, James A. Mrkvicka, Toshihiro Kitamoto
As previously mentioned DopEcR is required for experience-dependent courtship suppression in D. melanogaster males. A similar situation is found in the moth Agrotis ipsilon, where DopEcR was shown to modulate age-dependent behavioral plasticity (Abrieux et al., 2013). A. ipsilon males eclose from pupal cases sexually immature and over the course of several days, gain competence to be attracted to female-derived sex pheromones. This age-dependent plasticity is partially dependent upon ecdysteroids and dopaminergic signaling through DopEcR, as injection of DopEcR dsRNA in male moths inhibited behavioral attraction to female-derived sex pheromones (Abrieux et al., 2013). Sex pheromones activate neurons in the male antennal lobes in an age-dependent fashion and concentrations of the sex pheromone necessary to evoke neuronal responses decrease with age (Anton & Gadenne, 1999). Behavioral response to sex pheromone is augmented by treating male moths with either dopamine or 20E, and this response requires DopEcR expression (Abrieux et al., 2013). Together these findings highlight the role of DopEcR-mediated dopamine and ecdysone actions in the plasticity of sexual behavior in A. ipsilon.
A systematic review of the bioprospecting potential of Lonomia spp. (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)
Published in Toxin Reviews, 2023
Henrique G. Riva, Angela R. Amarillo-S.
The authors isolated sex pheromones from the glands located at the last segment of the abdomen of females through gas chromatographic-electroantennogram detection. Then, the authors evaluated the reaction of adult males from the same species with a Y-olfactometer test using the pheromone glands and the synthetic proteins identified (Zarbin et al.2007). A significant attraction of males was observed with no significant differences between synthetic and natural pheromones, as both were equally efficient in attracting males (Zarbin et al.2007).
Related Knowledge Centers
- Adaptation
- Alkaloid
- External Fertilization
- Pheromone
- Sea Urchin
- Sexual Reproduction
- Sperm
- Pheromone Trap
- Mate Choice
- Signalling Theory