Characterization of the pheromone receptors in Mythimna loreyi reveals the differentiation of sex pheromone recognition in Mythimna species

Molecular recognition mechanism of sex pheromones and analogs was revealed inMythimna loreyi by analyzing the antennal transcriptome. MlorPR6 and MlorPR3 were the receptors of major and minor components. MlorPR1 and MlorPR5 both possessed the ability to detect pheromones of sympatric species. AbstractPheromone receptors (PRs) are key proteins in the molecular mechanism of pheromone recognition, and exploring the functional differentiation of PRs between closely related species helps to understand the evolution of moth mating systems. Pheromone components of the agricultural pestMythimna loreyi have turned into (Z)-9-tetradecen-1-yl acetate (Z9-14:OAc), (Z)-7-dodecen-1-yl acetate (Z7-12:OAc), and (Z)-11-hexadecen-1-yl acetate, while the composition differs from that ofM. separata in the genusMythimna. To understand the molecular mechanism of pheromone recognition, we sequenced and analyzed antennal transcriptomes to identify 62 odorant receptor (OR) genes. The expression levels of all putative ORs were analyzed using differentially expressed gene analysis. Six candidate PRs were quantified and functionally characterized in theXenopus oocytes system. MlorPR6 and MlorPR3 were determined to be the receptors of major and minor componentsZ9-14:OAc andZ7-12:OAc. MlorPR1 and female antennae (FA)-biased MlorPR5 both possessed the ability to detect pheromones of sympatric species, including (Z,E)-9,12-tetradecadien-1-ol, (Z)-9-tetradecen-1-ol, and (Z)-9-tetradecenal. Based on the compa...

Source: Insect Science - June 3, 2023 Category: Biology Authors: Chan Wang, Lei Liu, Tian ‐Yu Huang, Yu Zhang, Yang Liu, Gui‐Rong Wang Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research