Zito Pietro, Dötterl Stefan, Sajeva Maurizio
Department of Biological Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90123, Palermo, Italy,
J Chem Ecol. 2015 Apr;41(4):340-9. doi: 10.1007/s10886-015-0568-8. Epub 2015 Apr 2.
Floral scent in sapromyiophilous plants often consists of complex blends with not only fetid (e.g., sulfides) but also sweet (e.g., terpenoids) volatile organic compounds, and a recent study suggests that both groups of compounds are involved in pollinator attraction. However, little is known about the number and identity of compounds involved in pollinator attraction in these deceptive plants that mimic breeding sites of fly pollinators. In the present paper, we studied flower volatiles of sapromyiophilous Periploca laevigata and their capability to elicit biological responses in one of the pollinator species, Musca domestica. Floral volatiles were collected by dynamic headspace and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), and electrophysiological (GC/EAD) and behavioral assays (two choice olfactometer) were conducted. In the floral scent of P. laevigata, we detected 44 compounds, of which indole, β-caryophyllene, and germacrene D, as well as dimethyl trisulfide, which was present in trace amounts, were electrophysiologically active in the antennae of M. domestica. However, when we evaluated in behavioral experiments the attractiveness of the electrophysiologically active compounds (complete mixture against partial mixtures or against single compounds), we found that indole was the only attractive compound for the flies.
嗜尸性植物的花香通常由复杂的混合物组成，其中不仅含有恶臭的（如硫化物），还含有甜香的（如萜类化合物）挥发性有机化合物，最近的一项研究表明，这两类化合物都参与吸引传粉者。然而，对于这些模仿蝇类传粉者繁殖场所的欺骗性植物中参与吸引传粉者的化合物的数量和种类，我们知之甚少。在本文中，我们研究了嗜尸性植物光叶杠柳的花挥发物及其对一种传粉者家蝇产生生物学反应的能力。通过动态顶空法收集花挥发物，并采用气相色谱/质谱联用仪（GC/MS）进行分析，同时进行了电生理（GC/EAD）和行为测定（双选嗅觉仪）。在光叶杠柳的花香中，我们检测到了44种化合物，其中吲哚、β-石竹烯和杜松烯D，以及痕量存在的二甲基三硫醚，在家蝇触角上具有电生理活性。然而，当我们在行为实验中评估这些具有电生理活性的化合物（完整混合物与部分混合物或单一化合物相比）的吸引力时，我们发现吲哚是对家蝇唯一有吸引力的化合物。
