Author:
Buček Aleš,Matoušková Petra,Vogel Heiko,Šebesta Petr,Jahn Ullrich,Weißflog Jerrit,Svatoš Aleš,Pichová Iva
Abstract
For sexual communication, moths primarily use blends of fatty acid derivatives containing one or more double bonds in various positions and configurations, called sex pheromones (SPs). To study the molecular basis of novel SP component (SPC) acquisition, we used the tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta), which uses a blend of mono-, di-, and uncommon triunsaturated fatty acid (3UFA) derivatives as SP. We identified pheromone-biosynthetic fatty acid desaturases (FADs) MsexD3, MsexD5, and MsexD6 abundantly expressed in the M. sexta female pheromone gland. Their functional characterization and in vivo application of FAD substrates indicated that MsexD3 and MsexD5 biosynthesize 3UFAs via E/Z14 desaturation from diunsaturated fatty acids produced by previously characterized Z11-desaturase/conjugase MsexD2. Site-directed mutagenesis of sequentially highly similar MsexD3 and MsexD2 demonstrated that swapping of a single amino acid in the fatty acyl substrate binding tunnel introduces E/Z14-desaturase specificity to mutated MsexD2. Reconstruction of FAD gene phylogeny indicates that MsexD3 was recruited for biosynthesis of 3UFA SPCs in M. sexta lineage via gene duplication and neofunctionalization, whereas MsexD5 representing an alternative 3UFA-producing FAD has been acquired via activation of a presumably inactive ancestral MsexD5. Our results demonstrate that a change as small as a single amino acid substitution in a FAD enzyme might result in the acquisition of new SP compounds.
Funder
Ministry of Education of the Czech Republic
Akademie ved Ceské Republiky
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
European Social Fund and the state budget of the Czech Republic
Publisher
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Reference45 articles.
1. The role of chemical communication in mate choice
2. Paterson HEH (1985) The recognition concept of species. Species and Speciation, ed Vrba ES (Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, South Africa)
3. Phelan PL (1992) Evolution of sex pheromones and the role of asymmetric tracking. Insect Chemical Ecology: An Evolutionary Approach, eds Roitberg BD Isman MB (Chapman & Hall, New York), pp 265–314
4. On the scent of speciation: the chemosensory system and its role in premating isolation
5. Behavioural and genetic analyses of Nasonia shed light on the evolution of sex pheromones
Cited by
41 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献