The Odorant Binding Protein, SiOBP5, Mediates Alarm Pheromone Olfactory Recognition in the Red Imported Fire Ant, <i>Solenopsis invicta</i>

Olfaction is crucial in mediating various behaviors of social insects such as red imported fire ants, <i>Solenopsis invicta</i> Buren. Olfactory receptor (OR) complexes consist of odor-specific ORs and OR co-receptors (Orco). Orcos are highly conserved across insect taxa and are widely c...

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Main Authors: Yuzhe Du, Jian Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-10-01
Series:Biomolecules
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/11/11/1595
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author Yuzhe Du
Jian Chen
author_facet Yuzhe Du
Jian Chen
author_sort Yuzhe Du
collection DOAJ
description Olfaction is crucial in mediating various behaviors of social insects such as red imported fire ants, <i>Solenopsis invicta</i> Buren. Olfactory receptor (OR) complexes consist of odor-specific ORs and OR co-receptors (Orco). Orcos are highly conserved across insect taxa and are widely co-expressed with ORs. Odorant binding proteins (OBPs) can transport semiochemicals to ORs as protein carriers and thus constitute the first molecular recognition step in insect olfaction. In this study, three OBP genes highly expressed in <i>S. invicta</i> antenna, OBP1, OBP5, OBP6, and Orco were partially silenced using RNA interference (RNAi). RNAi SiOBP5- and Orco-injected ants showed significantly lower EAG (electroantennography) responses to fire ant alarm pheromones and the alkaloid, 2,4,6-trimethylpyridine than water- or GFP-injected ants 72 h post injection. Subsequent qRT-PCR analysis demonstrated that the transcript level of the OBP1, OBP5, OBP6, and Orco significantly decreased 72 h after ants were injected with dsRNAs; however, there were no transcript level or EAG changes in ants fed dsRNAs. Our results suggest that <i>S. invicta</i> Orco and SiOBP5 are crucial to fire ants for their responses to alarm pheromones. RNAi knocking down SiOBP5 can significantly disrupt alarm pheromone communication, suggesting that disrupting SiOBP5 and Orcos could be potentially useful in the management of red imported fire ants.
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spelling doaj.art-fc49df1bfa7e4aedbb2233e143b0cda32023-11-22T22:33:30ZengMDPI AGBiomolecules2218-273X2021-10-011111159510.3390/biom11111595The Odorant Binding Protein, SiOBP5, Mediates Alarm Pheromone Olfactory Recognition in the Red Imported Fire Ant, <i>Solenopsis invicta</i>Yuzhe Du0Jian Chen1Southern Insect Management Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 141 Experiment Station Road, Stoneville, MS 38776, USABiological Control of Pests Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 59 Lee Road, Stoneville, MS 38776, USAOlfaction is crucial in mediating various behaviors of social insects such as red imported fire ants, <i>Solenopsis invicta</i> Buren. Olfactory receptor (OR) complexes consist of odor-specific ORs and OR co-receptors (Orco). Orcos are highly conserved across insect taxa and are widely co-expressed with ORs. Odorant binding proteins (OBPs) can transport semiochemicals to ORs as protein carriers and thus constitute the first molecular recognition step in insect olfaction. In this study, three OBP genes highly expressed in <i>S. invicta</i> antenna, OBP1, OBP5, OBP6, and Orco were partially silenced using RNA interference (RNAi). RNAi SiOBP5- and Orco-injected ants showed significantly lower EAG (electroantennography) responses to fire ant alarm pheromones and the alkaloid, 2,4,6-trimethylpyridine than water- or GFP-injected ants 72 h post injection. Subsequent qRT-PCR analysis demonstrated that the transcript level of the OBP1, OBP5, OBP6, and Orco significantly decreased 72 h after ants were injected with dsRNAs; however, there were no transcript level or EAG changes in ants fed dsRNAs. Our results suggest that <i>S. invicta</i> Orco and SiOBP5 are crucial to fire ants for their responses to alarm pheromones. RNAi knocking down SiOBP5 can significantly disrupt alarm pheromone communication, suggesting that disrupting SiOBP5 and Orcos could be potentially useful in the management of red imported fire ants.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/11/11/1595red imported fire ants<i>Solenopsis invicta</i>odor-binding proteins (OBPs)RNA interference (RNAi)electroantennography (EAG)qRT-PCR
spellingShingle Yuzhe Du
Jian Chen
The Odorant Binding Protein, SiOBP5, Mediates Alarm Pheromone Olfactory Recognition in the Red Imported Fire Ant, <i>Solenopsis invicta</i>
Biomolecules
red imported fire ants
<i>Solenopsis invicta</i>
odor-binding proteins (OBPs)
RNA interference (RNAi)
electroantennography (EAG)
qRT-PCR
title The Odorant Binding Protein, SiOBP5, Mediates Alarm Pheromone Olfactory Recognition in the Red Imported Fire Ant, <i>Solenopsis invicta</i>
title_full The Odorant Binding Protein, SiOBP5, Mediates Alarm Pheromone Olfactory Recognition in the Red Imported Fire Ant, <i>Solenopsis invicta</i>
title_fullStr The Odorant Binding Protein, SiOBP5, Mediates Alarm Pheromone Olfactory Recognition in the Red Imported Fire Ant, <i>Solenopsis invicta</i>
title_full_unstemmed The Odorant Binding Protein, SiOBP5, Mediates Alarm Pheromone Olfactory Recognition in the Red Imported Fire Ant, <i>Solenopsis invicta</i>
title_short The Odorant Binding Protein, SiOBP5, Mediates Alarm Pheromone Olfactory Recognition in the Red Imported Fire Ant, <i>Solenopsis invicta</i>
title_sort odorant binding protein siobp5 mediates alarm pheromone olfactory recognition in the red imported fire ant i solenopsis invicta i
topic red imported fire ants
<i>Solenopsis invicta</i>
odor-binding proteins (OBPs)
RNA interference (RNAi)
electroantennography (EAG)
qRT-PCR
url https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/11/11/1595
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