title: Morganella morganii bacteria produces phenol as the sex pheromone of the New Zealand grass grub from tyrosine in the colleterial gland.
abstract: Costelytra zealandica (Coleoptera: Scarabeidae) is a univoltine endemic species that has colonised and become a major pest of introduced clover and ryegrass pastures that form about half of the land area of New Zealand. Female beetles were previously shown to use phenol as their sex pheromone produced by symbiotic bacteria in the accessory or colleterial gland. In this study, production of phenol was confirmed from the female beetles, while bacteria were isolated from the gland and tested for attractiveness towards grass grub males in traps in the field. The phenol-producing bacterial taxon was identified by partial sequencing of the 16SrRNA gene, as Morganella morganii. We then tested the hypothesis that the phenol sex pheromone is biosynthesized from the amino acid tyrosine by the bacteria. This was shown to be correct, by addition of isotopically labelled tyrosine ((13)C) to the bacterial broth, followed by detection of the labelled phenol by SPME-GCMS. Elucidation of this pathway provides specific evidence how the phenol is produced as an insect sex pheromone by a mutualistic bacteria.
authors.affiliation: AgResearch Limited, Private Bag 4749, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand.
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.affiliation: AgResearch Limited, Private Bag 4749, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.affiliation: The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd., PB 4704, Christchurch Mail Centre, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand.|Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Linnaeus University, 391 82, Kalmar, Sweden.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Unelius
authors.affiliation: The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd., PB 4704, Christchurch Mail Centre, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand.|School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Wee
authors.affiliation: AgResearch Limited, Private Bag 4749, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: AgResearch Limited, Private Bag 4749, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Townsend
authors.affiliation: The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd., PB 4704, Christchurch Mail Centre, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand. Max.Suckling@plantandfood.co.nz.|School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Tamaki Campus, Building 733, Auckland, New Zealand. Max.Suckling@plantandfood.co.nz.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Suckling
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D020613:Morganella morganii / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D009520:New Zealand; D019800:Phenol / Q000378:metabolism*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013559:Symbiosis / Q000502:physiology*; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012724:Sex Attractants; D019800:Phenol; D014443:Tyrosine
keywords: Bacteria; Enterobacteriaceae; Mutualism; Phenol; Pheromone; Scarab