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Current Biology : CB Aug 2017The reality of invisible chemical signals, pheromones, between members of the same species was recognized long before they could be identified. Charles Darwin proposed...
The reality of invisible chemical signals, pheromones, between members of the same species was recognized long before they could be identified. Charles Darwin proposed that the breeding season sexual smells of male crocodiles, goats and other animals, too, could have evolved by sexual selection of the smelliest males through female choice. But it's not just sex. We now know that pheromones are used by species all across the animal kingdom, in every habitat, and in a wide range of biological contexts, from trail, alarm, and queen pheromones in social insects to the mammary pheromone produced by mother rabbits. Pheromones have provided fascinating examples of signal evolution. In some model organisms, such as moths, Drosophila, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Mus musculus, a complete signaling system can be genetically dissected, from the enzymes producing pheromones, perception by chemosensory receptors, through to the neural circuits processing the signals.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Pheromones; Pheromones, Human
PubMed: 28787598
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.06.039 -
Microbiology and Molecular Biology... Dec 2022Most ascomycete fungi, including the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, secrete two peptidyl mating pheromones: C-terminally modified and unmodified peptides. S.... (Review)
Review
Most ascomycete fungi, including the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, secrete two peptidyl mating pheromones: C-terminally modified and unmodified peptides. S. pombe has two mating types, plus and minus, which secrete two different pheromones, P-factor (unmodified) and M-factor (modified), respectively. These pheromones are specifically recognized by receptors on the cell surface of cells of opposite mating types, which trigger a pheromone response. Recognition between pheromones and their corresponding receptors is important for mate discrimination; therefore, genetic changes in pheromone or receptor genes affect mate recognition and cause reproductive isolation that limits gene flow between populations. Such genetic variation in recognition via the pheromone/receptor system may drive speciation. Our recent studies reported that two pheromone receptors in S. pombe might have different stringencies in pheromone recognition. In this review, we focus on the molecular mechanism of pheromone response and mating behavior, emphasizing pheromone diversification and its impact on reproductive isolation in S. pombe and closely related fission yeast species. We speculate that the "asymmetric" system might allow flexible adaptation to pheromone mutational changes while maintaining stringent recognition of mating partners. The loss of pheromone activity results in the extinction of an organism's lineage. Therefore, genetic changes in pheromones and their receptors may occur gradually and/or coincidently before speciation. Our findings suggest that the M-factor plays an important role in partner discrimination, whereas P-factor communication allows flexible adaptation to create variations in S. pombe. Our inferences provide new insights into the evolutionary mechanisms underlying pheromone diversification.
Topics: Schizosaccharomyces; Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins; Peptides; Ascomycota; Pheromones
PubMed: 36468849
DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00130-22 -
Natural Product Reports May 2017The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans produces tens, if not hundreds, of different ascarosides as pheromones to communicate with other members of its species. Overlapping... (Review)
Review
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans produces tens, if not hundreds, of different ascarosides as pheromones to communicate with other members of its species. Overlapping mixtures of these pheromones affect the development of the worm and a variety of different behaviors. The ascarosides represent a unique tool for dissecting the neural circuitry that controls behavior and that connects to important signaling pathways, such as the insulin and TGFβ pathways, that lie at the nexus of development, metabolism, and lifespan in C. elegans. However, the exact physiological roles of many of the ascarosides are unclear, especially since many of these pheromones likely have multiple functions depending on their concentrations, the presence of other pheromones, and a variety of other factors. Determining these physiological roles will be facilitated by top-down approaches to characterize the pheromone receptors and their function, as well as bottom-up approaches to characterize the pheromone biosynthetic enzymes and their regulation.
Topics: Animals; Caenorhabditis elegans; Molecular Structure; Pheromones
PubMed: 28386618
DOI: 10.1039/c7np00007c -
Microbiology and Molecular Biology... Mar 2022Fungi exhibit an enormous variety of morphologies, including yeast colonies, hyphal mycelia, and elaborate fruiting bodies. This diversity arises through a combination... (Review)
Review
Fungi exhibit an enormous variety of morphologies, including yeast colonies, hyphal mycelia, and elaborate fruiting bodies. This diversity arises through a combination of polar growth, cell division, and cell fusion. Because fungal cells are nonmotile and surrounded by a protective cell wall that is essential for cell integrity, potential fusion partners must grow toward each other until they touch and then degrade the intervening cell walls without impacting cell integrity. Here, we review recent progress on understanding how fungi overcome these challenges. Extracellular chemoattractants, including small peptide pheromones, mediate communication between potential fusion partners, promoting the local activation of core cell polarity regulators to orient polar growth and cell wall degradation. However, in crowded environments, pheromone gradients can be complex and potentially confusing, raising the question of how cells can effectively find their partners. Recent findings suggest that the cell polarity circuit exhibits searching behavior that can respond to pheromone cues through a remarkably flexible and effective strategy called exploratory polarization.
Topics: Cell Communication; Cell Fusion; Chemotaxis; Pheromones; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
PubMed: 35138122
DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00165-21 -
European Review For Medical and... Feb 2020Pheromones are ectohormones that play an important role in communication and behavior. Pheromones and pheromone receptor genes are important in mice and other mammals... (Review)
Review
Pheromones are ectohormones that play an important role in communication and behavior. Pheromones and pheromone receptor genes are important in mice and other mammals that rely heavily on pheromone cues to survive. Although there is controversy about whether pheromones and pheromone receptor genes have the same importance or are even active in humans, there are some hints that they might have roles in sociosexual behavior and mental disorders. The aim of this qualitative review was to provide an overview of the state of the art regarding pheromones and pheromone receptors in humans and their possible implications in human physiology and pathology. An electronic search was conducted in MEDLINE, PubMed and Scopus databases for articles published in English up to December 2018. The search concerned a possible role of pheromones and pheromone receptors in humans with implications for sociosexual behavior, mental disorders, the menstrual cycle and nutrition. Pheromone communication in humans has not been definitively demonstrated. However, the potential ability of putative pheromones to activate the hypothalamus, which controls the release of many hormones, suggests they could have a role in systemic functions in humans. Future confirmation of the effects of pheromones and pheromone receptors in humans could be useful in the prevention and treatment of various human disorders.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Ligands; Mice; Pheromones; Receptors, Pheromone
PubMed: 32141584
DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202002_20394 -
Current Opinion in Neurobiology Oct 2015Understanding how sensory stimuli are processed in the brain to instruct appropriate behavior is a fundamental question in neuroscience. Drosophila has become a powerful... (Review)
Review
Understanding how sensory stimuli are processed in the brain to instruct appropriate behavior is a fundamental question in neuroscience. Drosophila has become a powerful model system to address this problem. Recent advances in characterizing the circuits underlying pheromone processing have put the field in a position to follow the transformation of these chemical signals all the way from the sensory periphery to decision making and motor output. Here we describe the latest advances, outline emerging principles of pheromone processing and discuss future questions.
Topics: Animals; Brain; Drosophila; Pheromones; Sex Characteristics
PubMed: 26143522
DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2015.06.009 -
Science Advances Jun 2023Sexual attraction and perception are crucial for mating and reproductive success. In , the male-specific isoform of Fruitless (Fru), Fru, is a known master...
Sexual attraction and perception are crucial for mating and reproductive success. In , the male-specific isoform of Fruitless (Fru), Fru, is a known master neuro-regulator of innate courtship behavior to control the perception of sex pheromones in sensory neurons. Here, we show that the non-sex-specific Fru isoform (Fru) is necessary for pheromone biosynthesis in hepatocyte-like oenocytes for sexual attraction. Loss of Fru in oenocytes resulted in adults with reduced levels of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), including sex pheromones, and show altered sexual attraction and reduced cuticular hydrophobicity. We further identify () as a key target of Fru in directing fatty acid conversion to hydrocarbons. or depletion in oenocytes disrupts lipid homeostasis, resulting in a sex-dimorphic CHC profile that differs from and dependent CHC dimorphism. Thus, Fru couples pheromone perception and production in separate organs to regulate chemosensory communications and ensure efficient mating behavior.
Topics: Animals; Male; Drosophila melanogaster; Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4; Lipid Metabolism; Perception; Pheromones; Sex Attractants
PubMed: 37390217
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf6254 -
Proceedings of the National Academy of... Jan 1995The chemical communication system used to attract mates involves not only the overt chemical signals but also indirectly a great deal of chemistry in the emitter and... (Review)
Review
The chemical communication system used to attract mates involves not only the overt chemical signals but also indirectly a great deal of chemistry in the emitter and receiver. As an example, in emitting female moths, this includes enzymes (and cofactors, mRNA, genes) of the pheromone biosynthetic pathways, hormones (and genes) involved in controlling pheromone production, receptors and second messengers for the hormones, and host plant cues that control release of the hormone. In receiving male moths, this includes the chemistry of pheromone transportation in antennal olfactory hairs (binding proteins and sensillar esterases) and the chemistry of signal transduction, which includes specific dendritic pheromone receptors and a rapid inositol triphosphate second messenger signal. A fluctuating plume structure is an integral part of the signal since the antennal receptors need intermittent stimulation to sustain upwind flight. Input from the hundreds of thousands of sensory cells is processed and integrated with other modalities in the central nervous system, but many unknown factors modulate the information before it is fed to motor neurons for behavioral responses. An unknown brain control center for pheromone perception is discussed relative to data from behavioral-threshold studies showing modulation by biogenic amines, such as octopamine and serotonin, from genetic studies on pheromone discrimination, and from behavioral and electrophysiological studies with behavioral antagonists.
Topics: Animal Communication; Animals; Brain; Cockroaches; Female; Insecta; Male; Molecular Structure; Moths; Pheromones; Sexual Behavior, Animal
PubMed: 7816846
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.92.1.44 -
Physiological Reviews Jul 2009In recent years, considerable progress has been achieved in the comprehension of the profound effects of pheromones on reproductive physiology and behavior. Pheromones... (Review)
Review
In recent years, considerable progress has been achieved in the comprehension of the profound effects of pheromones on reproductive physiology and behavior. Pheromones have been classified as molecules released by individuals and responsible for the elicitation of specific behavioral expressions in members of the same species. These signaling molecules, often chemically unrelated, are contained in body fluids like urine, sweat, specialized exocrine glands, and mucous secretions of genitals. The standard view of pheromone sensing was based on the assumption that most mammals have two separated olfactory systems with different functional roles: the main olfactory system for recognizing conventional odorant molecules and the vomeronasal system specifically dedicated to the detection of pheromones. However, recent studies have reexamined this traditional interpretation showing that both the main olfactory and the vomeronasal systems are actively involved in pheromonal communication. The current knowledge on the behavioral, physiological, and molecular aspects of pheromone detection in mammals is discussed in this review.
Topics: Animals; Behavior, Animal; Female; Humans; Male; Olfactory Pathways; Pheromones; Sexual Behavior, Animal; Signal Transduction; Vomeronasal Organ
PubMed: 19584317
DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00037.2008 -
Proceedings of the National Academy of... Dec 2022Sex pheromones are pivotal for insect reproduction. However, the mechanism of sex pheromone communication remains enigmatic in hymenopteran parasitoids. Here we have...
Sex pheromones are pivotal for insect reproduction. However, the mechanism of sex pheromone communication remains enigmatic in hymenopteran parasitoids. Here we have identified the sex pheromone and elucidated the olfactory basis of sex pheromone communication in (Ichneumonidae), a solitary larval endoparasitoid of over 30 lepidopteran pests. Using coupled gas chromatography-electroantennogram detection, we identified two female-derived pheromone components, tetradecanal (14:Ald) and 2-heptadecanone (2-Hep) (1:4.6), eliciting strong antennal responses from males but weak responses from females. We observed that males but not females were attracted to both single components and the blend. The hexane-washed female cadavers failed to arouse males, and replenishing 14:Ald and 2-Hep could partially restore the sexual attraction of males. We further expressed six male-biased odorant receptors in T1 neurons and found that CchlOR18 and CchlOR47 were selectively tuned to 14:Ald and 2-Hep, respectively. To verify the biological significance of this data, we knocked down CchlOR18 and CchlOR47 individually or together in vivo and show that the attraction of to their respective ligands was abolished. Moreover, the parasitoids defective in either of the receptors were less likely to court and copulate. Finally, we show that the sex pheromone and ()-jasmone, a potent female attractant, can synergistically affect behaviors of virgin males and virgin females and ultimately increase the parasitic efficiency of . Our study provides new insights into the molecular mechanism of sex pheromone communication in that may permit manipulation of parasitoid behavior for pest control.
Topics: Male; Animals; Sex Attractants; Insecta; Communication; Pheromones; Receptors, Odorant; Drosophila
PubMed: 36442117
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2215442119