Title: | An insect anti-antiaphrodisiac |
Author(s): | Brent CS; Byers JA; Levi-Zada A; |
Address: | "Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Maricopa, United States. Department of Entomology, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel. Department of Entomology-Chemistry Unit, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion, Israel" |
ISSN/ISBN: | 2050-084X (Electronic) 2050-084X (Linking) |
Abstract: | "Passive mechanisms of mate guarding are used by males to promote sperm precedence with little cost, but these tactics can be disadvantageous for their mates and other males. Mated females of the plant bug Lygus hesperus are rendered temporarily unattractive by seminal fluids containing myristyl acetate and geranylgeranyl acetate. These antiaphrodisiac pheromones are gradually released from the female's gonopore, declining until they no longer suppress male courtship. Because starting quantities of these compounds can vary widely, the repellant signal becomes less reliable over time. Evidence was found of a complimentary mechanism that more accurately conveys female mating status. Once inside the female, geranylgeranyl acetate is progressively converted to geranylgeraniol then externalized. Geranylgeraniol counteracts the antiaphrodisiac effect despite having no inherent attractant properties of its own. This is the first evidence for such an anti-antiaphrodisiac pheromone, adding a new element to the communication mechanisms regulating reproductive behaviors" |
Keywords: | "Animals Aphrodisiacs/*antagonists & inhibitors Diterpenes/*metabolism Female Heteroptera/*physiology Male Pheromones/*metabolism *Sexual Behavior, Animal Lygus hesperus anti-antiaphrodisiac antiaphrodisiac ecology evolutionary biology genomics passive mat;" |
Notes: | "MedlineBrent, Colin S Byers, John A Levi-Zada, Anat eng England 2017/07/12 Elife. 2017 Jul 11; 6:e24063. doi: 10.7554/eLife.24063" |