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Commun Biol

Title:		"Origin, structure and functional transition of sex pheromone components in a false widow spider"
Author(s):		Fischer A; Gries R; Alamsetti SK; Hung E; Roman Torres AC; Fernando Y; Meraj S; Ren W; Britton R; Gries G;
Address:		"Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada. afischer@sfu.ca. Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada. Department of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada. School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China"
Journal Title:		Commun Biol
Year:		2022
Volume:		20221030
Issue:		1
Page Number:		1156 -
DOI:		10.1038/s42003-022-04072-7
ISSN/ISBN:		2399-3642 (Electronic) 2399-3642 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Female web-building spiders disseminate pheromone from their webs that attracts mate-seeking males and deposit contact pheromone on their webs that induces courtship by males upon arrival. The source of contact and mate attractant pheromone components, and the potential ability of females to adjust their web's attractiveness, have remained elusive. Here, we report three new contact pheromone components produced by female false black widow spiders, Steatoda grossa: N-4-methylvaleroyl-O-butyroyl-L-serine, N-4-methylvaleroyl-O-isobutyroyl-L-serine and N-4-methylvaleroyl-O-hexanoyl-L-serine. The compounds originate from the posterior aggregate silk gland, induce courtship by males, and web pH-dependently hydrolyse at the carboxylic-ester bond, giving rise to three corresponding carboxylic acids that attract males. A carboxyl ester hydrolase (CEH) is present on webs and likely mediates the functional transition of contact sex pheromone components to the carboxylic acid mate attractant pheromone components. As CEH activity is pH-dependent, and female spiders can manipulate their silk's pH, they might also actively adjust their webs' attractiveness"
Keywords:		Animals Male Female *Sex Attractants/pharmacology *Spiders Serine Silk/chemistry Esters;
Notes:		"MedlineFischer, Andreas Gries, Regine Alamsetti, Santosh K Hung, Emmanuel Roman Torres, Andrea C Fernando, Yasasi Meraj, Sanam Ren, Weiwu Britton, Robert Gries, Gerhard eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2022/11/01 Commun Biol. 2022 Oct 30; 5(1):1156. doi: 10.1038/s42003-022-04072-7"