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A novel screen for genes associated with pheromone-induced sterility
Alison L Camiletti1, Anthony Percival-Smith1, Justin R Croft1
1Biology Department, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7 Canada.
Scientific Reports
|October 28, 2016
Summary
Honey bee queen pheromone can suppress fruit fly reproduction. Researchers identified specific olfactory genes in flies that may be involved in perceiving this reproductive-inhibiting pheromone.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Neuroethology
- Chemical ecology
Background:
- Queen pheromones regulate social insect reproduction, inducing worker sterility.
- Inclusive fitness theory explains worker altruism, but underlying genes are unknown.
- Honey bee queen pheromone application suppresses fecundity in fruit flies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify genes responsible for perceiving ovary-inhibiting social pheromones.
- To investigate conserved mechanisms of reproductive regulation across insect orders.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism.
- Employed mutational and RNA interference (RNAi) approaches.
- Focused on olfactory genes potentially involved in pheromone perception.
Main Results:
- The olfactory co-factor Orco and receptors Or49b, Or56a, and Or98a are implicated in queen pheromone perception and fecundity suppression.
- Or98a, known for mediating female mating behavior, shows a predicted ligand similar to a queen pheromone component.
- Identified candidate genes for pheromone-induced sterility.
Conclusions:
- Discovered potential conserved mechanisms for reproductive regulation between social and pre-social insects.
- Identified candidate orthologues in the pheromone-responsive pathway that may regulate honey bee worker sterility.
