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Video ViewAttendees 2

Member Symposium

Physiology, Biochemistry, and Toxicology

On-Demand

Insect Chemosensory Systems and Semiochemicals: From Molecular Genetics to Neuroethology On-Demand Presentations

Palm weevil odorant receptors: Omics, functional characterization, and evolution

On-Demand
On-Demand

The Red Palm Weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier), is the most destructive and invasive insect pest of palm trees worldwide.  The weevils synchronizes mass gathering on palm trees for feeding and mating, regulated by a male-produced pheromone. As an environmental-friendly control solution, this pheromone is used in blend with plant volatile compounds as synergists to trap weevils for population monitoring and mass trapping. However, the molecular bases of the red palm weevil olfactory mechnisms are still poorly understood. To fullfil this gap, we generated omics data using Illumina and PacBio, and manually curated chemosensory genes, especially chemosensory receptors. In insects, chemosensory receptors include three main families, the odorant receptors (ORs) involved in volatile detection at a distance or close range, the gustatory receptors (GRs) involved in detection at contact, and the ionotropic receptors (IRs) involved in olfaction and taste. Manual curation allowed us to annotate an impressive number of IRs, the highest number of IRs described in Coleoptera so far. We identified less GRs than reported earlier, and extended the previously described repertoire of ORs. We evidenced tandem duplication of key ORs, whose function could be addressed by heterologous expression in Drosophila neurons coupled to single-sensillum recording and extensive screenings of volatile organic compounds. The observed response spectra led us to proposing a scenario for OR functional specialization.


Our collection of curated chemosensory genes constitutes a valuable resource for such functional characterization, and our functional data pinpoint interesting volatiles to be included in olfactory-based control strategies of this weevil.