Institut für Biologie

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    SNMP1 is critical for sensitive detection of the desert locust aromatic courtship inhibition pheromone phenylacetonitrile
    (2024) Lehmann, Joris; Günzel, Yannick; Khosravian, Maryam; Cassau, Sina; Kraus, Susanne; Libnow, Johanna S.; Chang, Hetan; Hansson, Bill S.; Breer, Heinz; Couzin-Fuchs, Einat; Fleischer, Joerg; Krieger, Jürgen
    Background: Accurate detection of pheromones is crucial for chemical communication and reproduction in insects. In holometabolous flies and moths, the sensory neuron membrane protein 1 (SNMP1) is essential for detecting long-chain aliphatic pheromones by olfactory neurons. However, its function in hemimetabolous insects and its role for detecting pheromones of a different chemical nature remain elusive. Therefore, we investigated the relevance of SNMP1 for pheromone detection in a hemimetabolous insect pest of considerable economic importance, the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria , which moreover employs the aromatic pheromone phenylacetonitrile (PAN) to govern reproductive behaviors. Results: Employing CRISPR/Cas-mediated gene editing, a mutant locust line lacking functional SNMP1 was established. In electroantennography experiments and single sensillum recordings, we found significantly decreased electrical responses to PAN in SNMP1-deficient (SNMP1 −/− ) locusts. Moreover, calcium imaging in the antennal lobe of the brain revealed a substantially reduced activation of projection neurons in SNMP1 −/− individuals upon exposure to PAN, indicating that the diminished antennal responsiveness to PAN in mutants affects pheromone-evoked neuronal activity in the brain. Furthermore, in behavioral experiments, PAN-induced effects on pairing and mate choice were altered in SNMP1 −/− locusts. Conclusions: Our findings emphasize the importance of SNMP1 for chemical communication in a hemimetabolous insect pest. Moreover, they show that SNMP1 plays a crucial role in pheromone detection that goes beyond long-chain aliphatic substances and includes aromatic compounds controlling reproductive behaviors.