Hashem Ahmed S, Ramadan Marwa M, Elserafy Osama S, Al-Nazawi Ashwaq M, Alhayyani Sultan, Alzahrani Faisal Ay, Khalil Fatma M A, Al-Solami Habeeb M, Sharawi Somia E, Mahyoub Jazem A, Aljameeli Mohammad M, Niyazi Hatoon A, Niyazi Hanouf A
Stored Product Pests Research Department, Plant Protection Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Sakha, Kafr El-Sheikh 33743, Egypt.
Economic Entomology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt.
ACS Omega. 2025 Aug 24;10(35):40544-40556. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.5c06096. eCollection 2025 Sep 9.
Forensic entomology has long been employed to estimate the post-mortem interval (PMI) by studying the ecological succession of necrophagous insects on decomposing remains. However, the mechanisms underlying species-specific attraction to decaying tissues, particularly in the early stages of decomposition, remain poorly understood. This study presents the first integrative investigation that bridges ecological, developmental, and molecular frameworks to explain dipteran attraction to decomposing remains and their potential application in biomedical detection. Over a 12-day semifield trial, we systematically documented the colonization dynamics and developmental timelines of three forensic indicator species, , and using euthanized albino rats as standardized vertebrate models. Statistical analyses, including one-way ANOVA, PCA, CVA, CCA, and path analysis, revealed distinct interspecies differences in larval development, pupation rate, adult emergence, and longevity. emerged as the primary colonizer with the fastest development and highest early stage abundance, while exhibited delayed emergence and extended longevity patterns. In a novel molecular dimension, we identified conserved odorant receptor (OR) proteins across the three species using TBLASTN alignment and structural modeling via AlphaFold2. Molecular docking simulations revealed that 's ORs showed the highest binding affinities to cadaverine and putrescinekey biogenic amines emitted during early decompositionsuggesting a biochemical basis for its rapid attraction. This is the first study to link behavioral ecology with protein-level chemosensory mechanisms and computational predictions. It opens promising translational avenues for using synthetic ORs in biomedical diagnostics, particularly for the early detection of necrotic and potentially cancerous tissues based on shared volatile organic compounds. This work thus redefines the forensic entomological framework and paves the way for biologically inspired biosensor technologies.
长期以来，法医昆虫学一直被用于通过研究腐食性昆虫在腐烂遗体上的生态演替来估计死后间隔时间（PMI）。然而，物种对腐烂组织的特异性吸引机制，尤其是在分解的早期阶段，仍然知之甚少。本研究首次进行了综合调查，将生态、发育和分子框架联系起来，以解释双翅目昆虫对腐烂遗体的吸引及其在生物医学检测中的潜在应用。在一项为期12天的半野外试验中，我们使用安乐死的白化大鼠作为标准化脊椎动物模型，系统地记录了三种法医指示物种（ 、 和 ）的定殖动态和发育时间线。包括单因素方差分析、主成分分析、典型变量分析、典范对应分析和路径分析在内的统计分析揭示了幼虫发育、化蛹率、成虫羽化和寿命方面明显的种间差异。 作为主要定殖者出现，发育最快且早期丰度最高，而 则表现出羽化延迟和寿命延长的模式。在一个新的分子维度上，我们通过TBLASTN比对和AlphaFold2结构建模，在这三个物种中鉴定出保守的气味受体（OR）蛋白。分子对接模拟表明， 的OR对尸胺和腐胺（早期分解过程中释放的关键生物胺）表现出最高的结合亲和力，这表明了其快速吸引的生化基础。这是第一项将行为生态学与蛋白质水平的化学感应机制及计算预测联系起来的研究。它为在生物医学诊断中使用合成OR开辟了有前景的转化途径，特别是基于共享挥发性有机化合物对坏死和潜在癌组织进行早期检测。因此，这项工作重新定义了法医昆虫学框架，并为受生物启发的生物传感器技术铺平了道路。
