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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Imported Fire Ant and Household Insects Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #298633
Title: Phermone biosynthesis activation in fire ants

Author
item Vander Meer, Robert - Bob
item Choi, Man-Yeon

Submitted to: Imported Fire Ants Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/17/2016
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Over 20 years ago, a neurohormone, pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN), was identified to stimulate sex pheromone biosynthesis in a moth. Since then, the physiological role, target site and signal transduction of PBAN has become well understood for sex pheromone biosynthesis in moths. Despite that PBAN-like peptides (~ 200) have been identified from various insect Orders, their role in pheromone regulation had not expanded to other insect groups. Here, we present PBAN regulation of fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, trail pheromone biosynthesis in the Dufour’s gland (DG). In addition, RNAi knock down of the PBAN gene (in the subesophageal ganglia) or PBAN receptor gene (in the DG) expression inhibited trail pheromone biosynthesis. Reduced trail pheromone was documented analytically and through a behavioral bioassay.