| Title: | "Detection of very long-chain hydrocarbons by laser mass spectrometry reveals novel species-, sex-, and age-dependent differences in the cuticular profiles of three Nasonia species" |
| Author(s): | Bien T; Gadau J; Schnapp A; Yew JY; Sievert C; Dreisewerd K; |
| Address: | "Institute for Hygiene, University of Munster, Robert-Koch-Str. 41, 48149, Munster, Germany. Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF), University of Munster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, 48149, Munster, Germany. Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Munster, Hufferstr. 1, 48149, Munster, Germany. gadauj@uni-muenster.de. Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 1993 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA. Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Munster, Hufferstr. 1, 48149, Munster, Germany. Institute for Hygiene, University of Munster, Robert-Koch-Str. 41, 48149, Munster, Germany. dreisew@uni-muenster.de. Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF), University of Munster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, 48149, Munster, Germany. dreisew@uni-muenster.de" |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s00216-019-01736-y |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1618-2650 (Electronic) 1618-2642 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Long-chain cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC) are key components of chemical communication in many insects. The parasitoid jewel wasps from the genus Nasonia use their CHC profile as sex pheromone and for species recognition. The standard analytical tool to analyze CHC is gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometric detection (GC/MS). This method reliably identifies short- to long-chain alkanes and alkenes, but CHC with more than 40 carbon atoms are usually not detected. Here, we applied two laser mass spectrometry (MS) techniques, namely direct laser desorption/ionization (d)LDI and silver-assisted (Ag-)LDI MS, respectively, to analyze CHC profiles of N. vitripennis, N. giraulti, and N. longicornis directly from the cuticle or extracts. Furthermore, we applied direct analysis in real-time (DART) MS as another orthogonal technique for extracts. The three methods corroborated previous results based on GC/MS, i.e., the production of CHC with carbon numbers between C25 and C40. However, we discovered a novel series of long-chain CHC ranging from C41 to C51/C52. Additionally, several previously unreported singly and doubly unsaturated alkenes in the C31-C39 range were found. Use of principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the composition of the newly discovered CHC varies significantly between species, sex, and age of the animals. Our study adds to the growing literature on the presence of very long-chain CHC in insects and hints at putative roles in insect communication. Graphical abstract" |
| Keywords: | Alkenes/analysis Animal Scales/chemistry Animals Female Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Hydrocarbons/*analysis Male Mass Spectrometry/*methods Principal Component Analysis Sex Attractants/*analysis Wasps/*chemistry Dart Laser mass spectrometry Long-c; |
| Notes: | "MedlineBien, Tanja Gadau, Jurgen Schnapp, Andreas Yew, Joanne Y Sievert, Christian Dreisewerd, Klaus eng W911NF-16-1-0216/U.S. Department of Defense/ DR 416/10-1/Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft/ Germany 2019/04/09 Anal Bioanal Chem. 2019 May; 411(13):2981-2993. doi: 10.1007/s00216-019-01736-y. Epub 2019 Apr 8" |
