Functional Characterization Supports Multiple Evolutionary Origins of Pheromone Receptors in Bark Beetles.

ABSTRACT: Chemical communication using pheromones is thought to have contributed to the diversification and speciation of insects. The species-specific pheromones are detected by specialized pheromone receptors (PRs). Whereas the evolution and function of PRs have been extensively studied in Lepidoptera, only a few PRs have been identified in beetles, which limits our understanding of their evolutionary histories and physiological functions. To shed light on these questions, we aimed to functionally characterize potential PRs in the spruce bark beetle Ips typographus ("Ityp") and explore their evolutionary origins and molecular interactions with ligands. Males of this species release an aggregation pheromone comprising 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol and (4S)-cis-verbenol, which attracts both sexes to attacke

SUBMITTER: Biswas T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11451568 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature