Title: | "Decyl-thio-trifluoropropanone, a competitive inhibitor of moth pheromone receptors" |
Author(s): | Pophof B; Gebauer T; Ziegelberger G; |
Address: | "Max-Planck-Institut fur Verhaltensphysiologie Seewiensen, Starnberg, Germany. pophof@mpi-seewiesen.mpg.de" |
Abstract: | "An earlier study (Pophof 1998) showed that the esterase inhibitor decyl-thio-trifluoropropanone inhibited the responses of two receptor neurons of the moth Antheraea tuned to straight-chain pheromone components, an acetate and an aldehyde, respectively. Here we report that decyl-thio-trifluoropropanone also inhibited the responses of two pheromone receptor neurons of Bombyx mori to bombykol and bombykal. In contrast, decyl-thio-trifluoropropanone activated receptor neurons of the moth Imbrasia cyrtherea tuned to the pheromone component (Z)-5-decenyl 3-methyl-butanoate. However, decyl-thio-trifluoropropanone did not affect the responses of two receptor neurons of B. mori females specialized to the plant volatiles benzoic acid and linalool, respectively. These results indicate that decyl-thio-trifluoropropanone, besides inhibiting the sensillar esterase, interferes with proteins involved specifically in the excitation of pheromone receptor neurons. In binding studies with radiolabelled decyl-thio-trifuoroproparopnone, the inhibitor was bound by the pheromone-binding protein of A. polyphemus. However, the amount of decyl-thio-trifluoropropanone causing response inhibition was 300 times lower than the amount of pheromone-binding protein present in the sensilla. Since the amount of decyl-thio-trifluoropropanone adsorbed corresponded to about the maximum number of receptor molecules calculated per sensillum, we expect that decyl-thio-trifluoropropanone, probably in complex with pheromone-binding protein, competitively inhibits the pheromone receptor molecules" |
Keywords: | "Animals Binding, Competitive Bombyx/*physiology Chemoreceptor Cells/*physiology Dose-Response Relationship, Drug Ketones/*pharmacology Neurons/physiology *Pheromones Protein Binding Smell/*physiology;" |
Notes: | "MedlinePophof, B Gebauer, T Ziegelberger, G eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Germany 2000/04/11 J Comp Physiol A. 2000 Mar; 186(3):315-23. doi: 10.1007/s003590050432" |