title: Sequencing and characterizing odorant receptors of the cerambycid beetle Megacyllene caryae.
abstract: Odorant receptors (Ors) are a unique family of ligand-gated ion channels and the primary mechanism by which insects detect volatile chemicals. Here, we describe 57 putative Ors sequenced from an antennal transcriptome of the cerambycid beetle Megacyllene caryae (Gahan). The male beetles produce a pheromone blend of nine compovnents, and we functionally characterized Ors tuned to three of these chemicals: receptor McOr3 is sensitive to (S)-2-methyl-1-butanol; McOr20 is sensitive to (2S,3R)-2,3-hexanediol; and McOr5 is sensitive to 2-phenylethanol. McOr3 and McOr20 are also sensitive to structurally-related chemicals that are pheromones of other cerambycid beetles, suggesting that orthologous receptors may be present across many cerambycid species. These Ors are the first to be functionally characterized from any species of beetle and lay the groundwork for understanding the evolution of pheromones within the Cerambycidae.
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Charles W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Luetje
authors.forename: Jocelyn G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Millar
authors.forename: Flor
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Soriano-Agatón
authors.forename: Lawrence M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Hanks
authors.forename: Hugh M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Robertson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057506:Arthropod Antennae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006018:Glycols / Q000494:pharmacology; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D058446:Ligand-Gated Ion Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D058977:Molecular Sequence Annotation; D009865:Oocytes; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D000439:Pentanols / Q000494:pharmacology; D010626:Phenylethyl Alcohol / Q000494:pharmacology; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018035:Receptors, Odorant / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014982:Xenopus laevis
chemical_list: C543649:2,3-hexanediol; C553994:2-methylbutanol; D006018:Glycols; D019476:Insect Proteins; D058446:Ligand-Gated Ion Channels; D000439:Pentanols; D018035:Receptors, Odorant; D012724:Sex Attractants; D010626:Phenylethyl Alcohol