Specialized odorant receptors in social insects that detect cuticular hydrocarbon cues and candidate pheromones

Gregory M. Pask, Jesse D. Slone, Jocelyn G. Millar, Prithwiraj Das, Jardel A. Moreira, Xiaofan Zhou, Jan Bello, Shelley L. Berger, Roberto Bonasio, Claude Desplan, Danny Reinberg, Jürgen Liebig, Laurence J. Zwiebel and Anandasankar Ray ()
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Gregory M. Pask: University of California Riverside
Jesse D. Slone: Vanderbilt University
Jocelyn G. Millar: University of California Riverside
Prithwiraj Das: University of California Riverside
Jardel A. Moreira: University of California Riverside
Xiaofan Zhou: Vanderbilt University
Jan Bello: University of California Riverside
Shelley L. Berger: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Roberto Bonasio: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Claude Desplan: New York University
Danny Reinberg: New York University School of Medicine
Jürgen Liebig: Arizona State University
Laurence J. Zwiebel: Vanderbilt University
Anandasankar Ray: University of California Riverside

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Eusocial insects use cuticular hydrocarbons as components of pheromones that mediate social behaviours, such as caste and nestmate recognition, and regulation of reproduction. In ants such as Harpegnathos saltator, the queen produces a pheromone which suppresses the development of workers’ ovaries and if she is removed, workers can transition to a reproductive state known as gamergate. Here we functionally characterize a subfamily of odorant receptors (Ors) with a nine-exon gene structure that have undergone a massive expansion in ants and other eusocial insects. We deorphanize 22 representative members and find they can detect cuticular hydrocarbons from different ant castes, with one (HsOr263) that responds strongly to gamergate extract and a candidate queen pheromone component. After systematic testing with a diverse panel of hydrocarbons, we find that most Harpegnathos saltator Ors are narrowly tuned, suggesting that several receptors must contribute to detection and discrimination of different cuticular hydrocarbons important in mediating eusocial behaviour.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00099-1

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