Yeast-derived volatiles orchestrate an insect-yeast mutualism with oriental armyworm moths

Baiwei Ma, Hetan Chang, Mengbo Guo, Dong Ai, Jiayu Wang, Run Chen, Xiaolan Liu, Bingzhong Ren, Bill S. Hansson and Guirong Wang ()
Additional contact information
Baiwei Ma: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Hetan Chang: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Mengbo Guo: Zhejiang A & F University
Dong Ai: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Jiayu Wang: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Run Chen: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Xiaolan Liu: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Bingzhong Ren: Northeast Normal University
Bill S. Hansson: Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
Guirong Wang: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: Abstract Interactions among insects, plants, and microorganisms are fundamental to ecosystem dynamics, with floral nectar and pollen serving as key resources for various organisms. Yeasts, such as Metschnikowia reukaufii, commonly found in nectar, influence nectarial attraction through volatile compounds (VOCs), yet the underlying biological mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we show that isoamyl alcohol, a prominent yeast VOC, attracts oriental armyworm moths (Mythimna separata) to pollen-rich, yeast-fermented nectar. In a series of electrophysiological and behavioral assays, we show that isoamyl alcohol activates a single class of highly specific olfactory sensory neurons expressing the olfactory receptor MsepOR8. In the moth antennal lobe, these neurons target the AM2 glomerulus, which responds to isoamyl alcohol. Genetic disruption of MsepOR8 leads to complete abolition of both physiological and behavioral responses to isoamyl alcohol, resulting in an impaired ability to locate nectar sources. Moreover, we show that isoamyl alcohol-induced foraging behavior fosters a mutualistic relationship between yeast and moths to some extent, enhancing yeast dispersal and increasing moth reproductive success. Our results unveil a highly specific mechanism by which a yeast-derived VOC facilitates insect-yeast mutualism, providing insights into insect-microbe interactions within pollination ecosystems.

Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-56354-3 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-56354-3

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56354-3

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().