Pheromone receptors for japonilure in Anomala corpulenta and Popillia japonica

作者：Yinliang Wang, Feng Ke, Haoqin Ke, Huanhuan Dong, Kebin Li, Bingzhong Ren, Chen Luo, Cheng Qu, Ran Wang, Jiao Yin, Walter Scares LEAL · 发表于：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.1073/pnas.2532942123 · 被引用次数：3 · 研究领域：Insect Pheromone Research and Control、Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies、Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research

Using gas chromatography-electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and chiral capillary GC with synthetic stereoisomers, followed by laboratory and field validation, we identified the sex pheromone of the copper green chafer ( Anomala corpulenta ) as ( R )-japonilure, with its antipode, ( S )-japonilure, acting as a behavioral antagonist. Single sensillum recordings (SSR) revealed two types of pheromone-responsive sensilla, one narrowly tuned to the sex pheromone, and another that responded to both ( R )- and ( S )-japonilure, albeit with lower sensitivity to the latter. Functional characterization of A. corpulenta odorant receptors (ORs) by two-electrode voltage clamp (TEVC) led to the identification of two key receptors, AcorOR18, which was selective for ( R )-japonilure, and AcorOR29, which was activated by both enantiomers, and 10 ORs sensitive to plant-derived compounds. SSR combined with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) experiments suggested that AcorOR18 is expressed in pheromone-specific sensilla, whereas AcorOR29 is localized in sensilla responsive to both the pheromone and its antagonist. RNA interference (RNAi) knockdown of either receptor reduced male attraction to ( R )-japonilure, while simultaneous knockdown of both genes abolished behavioral responses, confirming that both receptors are required for full pheromone detection. Three orthologous receptors were identified in the Japanese beetle ( Popillia japo...