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Functional characterization of pheromone receptors in the tobacco budworm Heliothis virescens
Author(s) -
Wang G.,
Vásquez G. M.,
Schal C.,
Zwiebel L. J.,
Gould F.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
insect molecular biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.955
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-2583
pISSN - 0962-1075
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2583.2010.01045.x
Subject(s) - heliothis virescens , pheromone , biology , sex pheromone , receptor , heliothis , heterologous expression , botany , noctuidae , lepidoptera genitalia , biochemistry , recombinant dna , gene
Functional analyses of candidate Heliothis virescens pheromone odorant receptors (HvORs) were conducted using heterologous expression in Xenopus oocytes. HvOR6 was found to be highly tuned to Z 9‐14:Ald, while HvOR13, HvOR14 and HvOR16 showed specificity for Z 11‐16:Ald, Z 11‐16:OAc and Z 11‐16:OH, respectively. HvOR15, which had been considered a candidate receptor for Z 9‐14:Ald did not respond to any of the pheromone compounds tested, nor to 50 other general odorants. Thus, while HvOR15 is specifically expressed in H. virescens male antennae, its role in pheromone reception remains unknown. Based on our results and previous research we can now assign pheromone receptors in H. virescens males to each of the critical H. virescens agonistic pheromone compounds and two antagonistic compounds produced by heterospecific females.