College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Rd. 2, Beijing 100193, China; Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, 07745 Jena, Germany.
College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Rd. 2, Beijing 100193, China.
Curr Biol. 2023 May 22;33(10):2095-2103.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.090. Epub 2023 Apr 24.
In a heterogeneous and changing environment, oviposition site selection strongly affects the survival and fitness of the offspring. Similarly, competition between larvae affects their prospects. However, little is known about the involvement of pheromones in regulating these processes. Here, we show that mated females of Drosophila melanogaster prefer to lay eggs on substrates containing extracts of conspecific larvae. After analyzing these extracts chemically, we test each compound in an oviposition assay and find that mated females display a dose-dependent preference to lay eggs on substrates spiked with (Z)-9-octadecenoic acid ethyl ester (OE). This egg-laying preference relies on gustatory receptor Gr32a and tarsal sensory neurons expressing this receptor. The concentration of OE also regulates larval place choice in a dose-dependent manner. Physiologically, OE activates female tarsal Gr32a neurons. In conclusion, our results reveal a cross-generation communication strategy essential for oviposition site selection and regulation of larval density.
在异质和不断变化的环境中，产卵地点的选择强烈影响着后代的生存和适应度。同样，幼虫之间的竞争也会影响它们的前景。然而，关于信息素在调节这些过程中的作用知之甚少。在这里，我们表明，交配后的黑腹果蝇雌性更喜欢在含有同种幼虫提取物的基质上产卵。在对这些提取物进行化学分析后，我们在产卵测定中测试了每种化合物，发现交配后的雌性对用(Z)-9-十八烯酸乙酯（OE）处理过的基质表现出剂量依赖性的产卵偏好。这种产卵偏好依赖于味觉受体 Gr32a 和表达该受体的跗节感觉神经元。OE 的浓度也以剂量依赖的方式调节幼虫的位置选择。在生理上，OE 激活雌性跗节 Gr32a 神经元。总之，我们的结果揭示了一种跨代通讯策略，这对于产卵地点的选择和幼虫密度的调节至关重要。
