Response to enantiomers of (Z3Z9)-6,7-epoxy-octadecadiene, sex pheromone component of Ectropis obliqua Prout (Lepidoptera: Geometridae): electroantennagram test, field trapping, and in silico study

Authors

  • Feng Guo State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui 230036, P.R. China
  • Jie Yu Department of Applied Chemistry, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui 230036, P.R. China
  • Yunqiu Yang State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui 230036, P.R. China
  • Xiaochun Wan State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui 230036, P.R. China

Abstract

Limited information on sex pheromone recognition by tea moths, Ectropis obliqua Prout (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), exists for this economically important pest of tea (Camellia sinensis L.; Theaceae). Pheromone binding proteins (PBPs), a sub-family of odorant-binding proteins, control transportation of pheromone molecules that may contribute to the discrimination of sex pheromone components. It has been reported previously that EoblPBP1 gene (a pheromone binding protein of E. obliqua) is highly expressed in antennae of the male moth. Based on this information, a reliable model of EoblPBP1 was constructed by homology modeling using the enantiomers of Z3Z9-6,7-epo-18:Hy docked into the hydrophobic cavity of the model. Docking results suggested similar binding affinities of this enantiomer to EoblPBP1. However, electroantennogram and field trapping experiments of E. obliqua males revealed that response to Z3Z9-(6S,7R)-epo-18:Hy was significantly greater than the opposite configuration, and suggested enantiomeric discrimination could occur on sex pheromone receptors of this species of tea moth.

 

Resumen

Información limitada existe sobre el reconocimiento de la feromona sexual por la polilla del té, Ectropis obliqua Prout (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), una plaga del té de importancia económica (Camellia sinensis L.; Theaceae). Las proteínas de unión de feromonas (PBP), una subfamilia de proteínas de unión a odorantes, controlan el transporte de moléculas de feromonas que pueden contribuir a la discriminación de los componentes de las feromonas sexuales. Se ha informado previamente que el gen EoblPBP1 (una proteína de unión a la feromona de E. obliqua) se expresa altamente en las antenas de la polilla macho. Basándose en esta información, se construyó un modelo confiable de EoblPBP1 mediante un modelo de homología utilizando los enantiómeros de Z3Z9-6,7-epo-18:Hy acoplado en la cavidad hidrófoba del modelo. Los resultados de acoplamiento sugirieron afinidades de unión similares de este enantiómero a EoblPBP1. Sin embargo, el electroantenograma y los experimentos de captura de campo de machos de E. obliqua revelaron que la respuesta a Z3Z9-(6S, 7R)-epo-18:Hy fue significativamente mayor que la configuración opuesta y sugirió que podría existir discriminación enantiomérica en los receptores de feromonas sexuales de esta especie de polillas del té.

Key Words: enantiomers; homology modeling; molecular docking; discrimination; EoblPBP1]

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Published

2019-09-29

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Research Papers