Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore.
Yale-NUS-College, 6 College Avenue East, Singapore, 138614, Singapore.
Nat Commun. 2020 Jan 2;11(1):53. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-13801-2.
While the diversity of sex pheromone communication systems across insects is well documented, the mechanisms that lead to such diversity are not well understood. Sex pheromones constitute a species-specific system of sexual communication that reinforces interspecific reproductive isolation. When odor blends evolve, the efficacy of male-female communication becomes compromised, unless preference for novel blends also evolves. We explore odor learning as a possible mechanism leading to changes in sex pheromone preferences in the butterfly Bicyclus anynana. Our experiments reveal mating patterns suggesting that mating bias for new blends can develop following a short learning experience, and that this maternal experience impacts the mating outcome of offspring without further exposure. We propose that odor learning can be a key factor in the evolution of sex pheromone blend recognition and in chemosensory speciation.
虽然昆虫之间的性信息素通讯系统的多样性得到了很好的记录，但导致这种多样性的机制还不是很清楚。性信息素构成了一种特定于物种的性通讯系统，加强了种间生殖隔离。当气味混合物进化时，雌雄之间的通讯效率就会受到影响，除非对新混合物的偏好也进化了。我们探索了气味学习作为一种可能的机制，导致蝴蝶 Bicyclus anynana 对性信息素偏好的变化。我们的实验揭示了交配模式，表明在短暂的学习经验后，对新混合物的交配偏好可以发展，而这种母性经验会影响没有进一步接触的后代的交配结果。我们提出，气味学习可能是性信息素混合识别和化学生态分化进化的关键因素。
