| Title: | The Scent of Life: Phoretic Nematodes Use Wasp Volatiles and Carbon Dioxide to Choose Functional Vehicles for Dispersal |
| Author(s): | Gupta S; Kumble ALK; Dey K; Bessiere JM; Borges RM; |
| Address: | "Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India. Ecole Nationale Superieure de Chimie, Montpellier, France. Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India. renee@iisc.ac.in" |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10886-021-01242-5 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1573-1561 (Electronic) 0098-0331 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Hitchhikers (phoretic organisms) need vehicles to disperse out of unsuitable habitats. Therefore, finding vehicles with the right functional attributes is essential for phoretic organisms. To locate these vehicles, phoretic organisms employ cues within modalities, ranging from visual to chemical senses. However, how hitchhikers discriminate between individual vehicles has rarely been investigated. Using a phoretic nematode community associated with an obligate fig-fig wasp pollination mutualism, we had earlier established that hitchhiking nematodes make decisions based on vehicle species identity and number of conspecific hitchhikers already present on the vehicle. Here we investigate if hitchhikers can differentiate between physiological states of vehicles. We asked whether phoretic nematodes choose between live or dead vehicles present in a chemically crowded environment and we investigated the basis for any discrimination. We conducted two-choice and single-choice behavioral assays using single nematodes and found that plant- and animal-parasitic nematodes preferred live over dead vehicles and used volatiles as a sensory cue to make this decision. However, in single-choice assays, animal-parasitic nematodes were also attracted towards naturally dead or freeze-killed wasps. The volatile profile of the wasps was dominated by terpenes and spiroketals. We examined the volatile blend emitted by the different wasp physiological states and determined a set of volatiles that the phoretic nematodes might use to discriminate between these states which is likely coupled with respired CO(2). We determined that CO(2) levels emitted by single wasps are sufficient to attract nematodes, demonstrating the high sensitivity of nematodes to this metabolic product" |
| Keywords: | "Animals *Behavior, Animal Carbon Dioxide/*physiology Ecosystem Female Ficus Male Nematoda/*physiology *Volatile Organic Compounds Wasps/*chemistry Carbon dioxide Conophthorin Fig wasps Nematodes Phoresy Wasp VOCs;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineGupta, Satyajeet Kumble, Anusha L K Dey, Kaveri Bessiere, Jean-Marie Borges, Renee M eng 2021/01/22 J Chem Ecol. 2021 Feb; 47(2):139-152. doi: 10.1007/s10886-021-01242-5. Epub 2021 Jan 21" |
