Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yupeng Wang, Ying Sun, Paule V. Joseph
Summary: In humans, there are about 400 functional olfactory receptor (OR) genes that detect odors. These OR genes can be divided into tens of families. The OR genes have mainly experienced extensive tandem duplications, resulting in gene gains and losses. However, it is still unknown whether different OR gene families have experienced distinct modes of gene duplication.
Article
Entomology
Sai Zhang, Emmanuelle Jacquin-Joly, Nicolas Montagne, Fang Liu, Yang Liu, Guirong Wang
Summary: This study investigated whether odorant receptors (ORs) of the pest moth Spodoptera frugiperda have the capacity to bind type-I sex pheromones and serve as male PRs. Only one OR (SfruOR23) showed a male-biased expression pattern and could bind several type-I sex pheromone compounds. In addition, SfruOR23 also showed weak responses to plant volatile organic compounds. These findings suggest a broader distribution of type-I PRs in moths.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Patrick Marcinek, Franziska Haag, Christiane Geithe, Dietmar Krautwurst
Summary: Molecular recognition plays a key role in biological systems, and the study of pyrazines has led to the discovery of OR5K1 as a specialized olfactory receptor across mammals for the detection of pyrazine-based key food odors and semiochemicals, indicating the significance of ecological evolution.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jia Li, Long Zhang
Summary: The Asian corn borer is a serious pest that affects corn crops in East Asia. This study provides a summary of the current understanding of the olfactory mechanism in this pest, focusing on sex pheromones and olfactory proteins. It highlights the importance of molecular events in odor detection and transmission and suggests further research to fully comprehend the olfactory activities and functions of these proteins.
ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Joerg Fleischer, Alexander Rausch, Kathrin Dietze, Silvio Erler, Sina Cassau, Juergen Krieger
Summary: The study explored the differences in expression of male-biased olfactory receptors in the antennae of European honey bees. It was found that these receptors are expressed in higher numbers in drone bees compared to female workers and queens, indicating a sex-specific difference in antennal cell expression. Further analyses revealed that male-biased receptors are expressed in distinct subsets of olfactory sensory neurons in drones, reminiscent of similar patterns seen in moths for detecting female-released sex pheromones.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Lei Shang, Zi-Cong Li, Ke Tian, Bin Yang, Gui-Rong Wang, Ke-Jian Lin
Summary: In this study, 60 candidate odorant receptors, including eight pheromone receptors, were identified by antennal transcriptome analysis. It was found that GmolOR2 responds to the main sex pheromones Z8-12:OAc and E8-12:OAc, and knockdown of GmolOR2 significantly reduces the males' sensitivity to the main pheromones.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cheng-Yu Li, Karli Lawrence, John Merlo-Coyne, Scott A. Juntti
Summary: Pheromones, such as PGF(2 alpha), are vital in reproductive processes in multiple species. The hormones are necessary for pheromone signaling, however, the specific signaling pathways can be different across species. Our study using Astatotilapia burtoni found that adult males strongly prefer odors of fertile females and the attractiveness is mediated through a yet-undiscovered pheromone derived from PGF(2 alpha) metabolism. Unlike zebrafish, A. burtoni males do not exhibit sensitivity to PGF(2 alpha), but prefer females injected with PGF(2 alpha), indicating a different signaling mechanism.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Biology
Jothi K. Yuvaraj, Rebecca E. Roberts, Yonathan Sonntag, Xiao-Qing Hou, Ewald Grosse-Wilde, Ales Machara, Dan-Dan Zhang, Bill S. Hansson, Urban Johanson, Christer Lofstedt, Martin N. Andersson
Summary: This study annotated 73 ORs from an antennal transcriptome of I. typographus and reported the functional characterization of two ORs (ItypOR46 and ItypOR49) responsive to single enantiomers of common bark beetle pheromone compounds. Homology modeling and molecular docking were used to predict their binding sites, providing insight into ligand-OR interaction for the functional evolution of the insect OR gene family. The ecological importance of these receptors and their potential use in pest control and biosensors to detect bark beetle infestations suggest further evaluation of these ORs.
Article
Ecology
Paul Vandroux, Zibo Li, Remi Capoduro, Marie-Christine Francois, Michel Renou, Nicolas Montagne, Emmanuelle Jacquin-Joly
Summary: Mate finding in moths relies on female-emitted sex pheromones, and plant volatiles can also influence their perception. Previous studies have shown that certain plant volatiles can activate the pheromone-specific detection pathway in moth species such as Agrotis ipsilon. However, the underlying mechanisms are still unknown. In this study, researchers identified a receptor protein specific to the pheromone component (Z)7-12:OAc but not activated by plant volatiles, suggesting the presence of an unknown second odorant receptor protein that responds to plant volatiles in (Z)7-12:OAc-sensitive neurons of A. ipsilon.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shuang Shan, Xuan Song, Adel Khashaveh, Shan-Ning Wang, Zi-Yun Lu, Khalid Hussain Dhiloo, Rui-Jun Li, Yong-Jun Zhang
Summary: This study discovered that the parasitoid wasp Microplitis mediator exhibits selective olfactory recognition behavior towards the sex pheromone of Agrotis segetum. Female wasps showed a specific attraction to key components of the host's sex pheromone. These findings have significant implications for enhancing the utilization of natural enemies and pest control.
JOURNAL OF ADVANCED RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Ciaran A. Shaughnessy, Jason P. Breves
Summary: This Perspective discusses the mechanisms by which aquatic vertebrates maintain internal Cl- homeostasis and recent advances in understanding epithelial Cl- transport at the molecular level within key osmoregulatory organs in fishes. The roles of various proteins in Cl- transport processes are highlighted, with a focus on evolutionary context and endocrine factors promoting hydromineral balance. Special attention is paid to the roles of prolactin and corticosteroids in regulating Cl- transport in basal and derived clades.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART A-ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Weichao Ma, Zhi Wang, Dun Jiang, Junqing Wei, Jiahe Yan, Ruibing Chen, Guoxuan Qin, Shanchun Yan
Summary: In this study, we characterized peptide sequences of the migratory locust odorant receptor that can recognize the aggregation pheromone 4-vinylanisole (4 VA) and designed a biosensor based on these peptide sequences for real-time monitoring of 4 VA. The biosensor was able to detect a single live migratory locust and it was observed that the feeding behavior of locusts accelerated the release of 4 VA, providing evidence for the regulation of locust aggregation behavior by food resources. These findings suggest potential applications of odorant receptor-derived biosensors in entomology research, infestation control, and other areas where the detection of gaseous substances is needed.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Alessia Ametrano, Marco Gerdol, Maria Vitale, Samuele Greco, Umberto Oreste, Maria Rosaria Coscia
Summary: The main group of fishes in the Antarctic environment, Cryonotothenioidea, have unique morphological, physiological, and molecular adaptations that allow them to thrive in extreme cold conditions. By studying the gene sequences of different species, researchers traced the loss of a specific domain in the IgT gene along the evolutionary path of notothenioid fishes and identified its ancestral origins. This study sheds light on the evolutionary process behind the remarkable gene structural modification in Antarctic notothenioid fishes.
FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Ana Berenice Garcia-Andrade, Pablo A. Tedesco, Juan D. Carvajal-Quintero, Axel Arango, Fabricio Villalobos
Summary: Tropical lands have the highest species richness, but exceptions to this pattern can be explained by the interaction between evolutionary history and environmental factors. In this study, we examined Actinopterygian freshwater fishes at the class and order levels and found different diversity gradients, with evolutionary time being a key driver.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Pablo Mier, Jean-Fred Fontaine, Marah Stoldt, Romain Libbrecht, Carlotta Martelli, Susanne Foitzik, Miguel A. Andrade-Navarro
Summary: The gene family of insect olfactory receptors (ORs) has expanded greatly over the course of evolution. By assembling and comparing the sequences of ORs from different insect species, researchers found that social insect families have highly conserved binding sites in their ORs, indicating their sensitivity to similar odorants. This novel approach provides a powerful tool for studying the functional evolution of large gene families.