title: Larval sensilla of the moth Heliothis virescens respond to sex pheromone components.
abstract: Female-released sex pheromones orchestrate the mating behaviour of moths. Recent studies have shown that sex pheromones not only attract adult males but also caterpillars. Single sensillum recordings revealed that larval antennal sensilla of the moth Heliothis virescens respond to specific sex pheromone components. In search for the molecular basis of pheromone detection in larvae, we found that olfactory sensilla on the larval antennae are equipped with the same molecular elements that mediate sex pheromone detection in adult male moths, including the Heliothis virescens receptors 6 (HR6) and HR13, as well as sensory neurone membrane protein 1 (SNMP1). Thirty-eight olfactory sensory neurones were identified in three large sensilla basiconica; six of these are considered as candidate pheromone responsive cells based on the expression of SNMP1. The pheromone receptor HR6 was found to be expressed in two cells and the receptor HR13 in three cells. These putative pheromone responsive neurones were accompanied by cells expressing pheromone-binding protein 1 (PBP1) and PBP2. The results indicate that the responsiveness of larval sensilla to female-emitted sex pheromones is based on the same molecular machinery as in the antennae of adult males.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zielonka
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gehrke
authors.affiliation: Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Badeke
authors.affiliation: Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sachse
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Breer
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Biology/Zoology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krieger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007814:Larva / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009036:Moths / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018034:Olfactory Receptor Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D043563:Receptors, Pheromone / Q000378:metabolism*; D058618:Sensilla / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D043563:Receptors, Pheromone; D012724:Sex Attractants; C403713:pheromone binding protein, insect; C106308:sensory neuron membrane protein 1
keywords: larvae; moth; olfaction; pheromone detection