Search results for "cuticular"
showing 10 items of 37 documents
Origin and distribution of desert ants across the Gibraltar Straits
2017
The creation of geographic barriers has long been suspected to contribute to the formation of new species. We investigated the phylogeography of desert ants in the western Mediterranean basin in order to elucidate their mode of diversification. These insects which have a low dispersal capacity are recently becoming important model systems in evolutionary studies. We conducted an extensive sampling of species belonging to the Cataglyphis albicans group in the Iberian Peninsula (IP) and the northern Morocco (North Africa; NA). We then combined genetic, chemical and morphological analyses. The results suggest the existence of at least three and five clades in the IP and NA, respectively, whose…
Effect of antibiotic treatment and gamma-irradiation on cuticular hydrocarbon profiles and mate choice in tsetse flies (Glossina m. morsitans).
2018
Background Symbiotic microbes represent a driving force of evolutionary innovation by conferring novel ecological traits to their hosts. Many insects are associated with microbial symbionts that contribute to their host’s nutrition, digestion, detoxification, reproduction, immune homeostasis, and defense. In addition, recent studies suggest a microbial involvement in chemical communication and mating behavior, which can ultimately impact reproductive isolation and, hence, speciation. Here we investigated whether a disruption of the microbiota through antibiotic treatment or irradiation affects cuticular hydrocarbon profiles, and possibly mate choice behavior in the tsetse fly, Glossina mors…
Analysis of biosynthesis and composition of cuticular wax in wild type bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) and its glossy mutant
2020
AbstractCuticular wax plays an important role in fruits in protection against environmental stresses and desiccation. In this study, biosynthesis and chemical composition of cuticular wax in wild type (WT) bilberry fruit was studied during development and compared with its natural glossy type (GT) mutant. The cuticular wax load in GT fruit was comparable to WT fruit. In both fruits, triterpenoids were the dominant wax compounds with decreasing proportion during the fruit development accompanied with increasing proportion of aliphatic compounds. Gene expression studies supported the pattern of compound accumulation during fruit development. GenesCER26-like, FAR2, CER3-like, LTP, MIXTA, andBA…
Communication versus waterproofing: the physics of insect cuticular hydrocarbons
2019
Understanding the evolution of complex traits is among the major challenges in biology. One such trait is the cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) layer in insects. It protects against desiccation and provides communication signals, especially in social insects. CHC composition is highly diverse within and across species. To understand the adaptive value of this chemical diversity, we must understand how it affects biological functionality. So far, CHCs received ample research attention, but their physical properties were little studied. We argue that these properties determine their biological functionality, and are vital to understand how CHC composition affects their adaptive value. We investigat…
Evolution of sexually dimorphic pheromone profiles coincides with increased number of male‐specific chemosensory organs in Drosophila prolongata
2019
Abstract Binary communication systems that involve sex‐specific signaling and sex‐specific signal perception play a key role in sexual selection and in the evolution of sexually dimorphic traits. The driving forces and genetic changes underlying such traits can be investigated in systems where sex‐specific signaling and perception have emerged recently and show evidence of potential coevolution. A promising model is found in Drosophila prolongata, which exhibits a species‐specific increase in the number of male chemosensory bristles. We show that this transition coincides with recent evolutionary changes in cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles. Long‐chain CHCs that are sexually monomorphic …
Cuticular Wax Composition of Wild and Cultivated Northern Berries
2020
The outer-most layer of plant surface, the cuticle, consists of epi- and intra-cuticular wax. It protects the plant from dehydration, extreme temperatures and UV radiation, as well as attacks from pests such as molds and bacteria. Berry cuticular waxes are studied to understand the metabolism character (factors affecting wax layer composition in different berry species) and increase the microbial resistance and shelf life of berries. The aim of this study was analysis of the surface wax composition of nine species of wild and cultivated berries from Northern Europe. Cuticular wax analysis were done using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A total of 59 different compounds were identified…
Drosophila cuticular hydrocarbons revisited : Mating status alters cuticular profiles
2010
Editor: Frederic Marion-Poll, INRA - Paris 6 - AgroParisTech, France.; International audience; Most living organisms use pheromones for inter-individual communication. In Drosophila melanogaster flies, several pheromones perceived either by contact/at a short distance (cuticular hydrocarbons, CHs), or at a longer distance (cis-vaccenyl acetate, cVA), affect courtship and mating behaviours. However, it has not previously been possible to precisely identify all potential pheromonal compounds and simultaneously monitor their variation on a time scale. To overcome this limitation, we combined Solid Phase Micro-Extraction with gas-chromatography coupled with mass-spectrometry. This allowed us (i…
Reproductive monopoly enforced by sterile police workers in a queenless ant
2004
In societies of totipotent insects, dyadic dominance interactions generate a hierarchy that often underlies an extreme reproductive skew. Subordinates remain infertile but can maximize their indirect fitness benefits through collective power (worker policing): interference with challenging high-rankers can prevent an untimely replacement of the reproductive. However, police workers only benefit if they favor individuals with high fertility. In the monogynous queenless ant Streblognathus peetersi, we used behavioral, physiological, and chemical methods to show that police workers have the primary role in the selection of the reproductive, and that they probably use reliable information about…
Experimental Introgression To Evaluate the Impact of Sex Specific Traits on Drosophila melanogaster Incipient Speciation
2019
AbstractSex specific traits are involved in speciation but it is difficult to determine whether their variation initiates or reinforces sexual isolation. In some insects, speciation depends of the rapid change of expression in desaturase genes coding for sex pheromones. Two closely related desaturase genes are involved in Drosophila melanogaster pheromonal communication: desat1 affects both the production and the reception of sex pheromones while desat2 is involved in their production in flies of Zimbabwe populations. There is a strong asymmetric sexual isolation between Zimbabwe populations and all other “Cosmopolitan” populations: Zimbabwe females rarely copulate with Cosmopolitan males w…
Topical bioassay of Oberon® on Drosophila melanogaster pupae: delayed effects on ovarian proteins, cuticular hydrocarbons and sexual behaviour
2021
International audience; Spiromesifen (Oberon? 240 SC; concentrated solution; Bayer CropScience, Germany) a pesticide derived from spirocyclic tetronic acids, acts mainly though blocking lipid biosynthesis via acetyl-CoA carboxylase. However, its mode of action requires further analyses. This study aims to evaluate the sublethal effects of spiromesifen on the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. The treatment was carried out by topical application on newly moulted pupae using two concentrations (LD10 = 21.45 and LD25 = 39.53 ?g a.i./pupa). Our results showed that the developmental duration of larvae and pupae were not significantly affected by treatment. However, spiromesifen caused delayed ef…