Pheromone binding protein is involved in temporal olfactory resolution in the silkmoth
Yusuke Shiota,
Takeshi Sakurai,
Noriyasu Ando,
Stephan Shuichi Haupt,
Hidefumi Mitsuno,
Takaaki Daimon,
Ryohei Kanzaki
Affiliations
Yusuke Shiota
Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan
Takeshi Sakurai
Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan; Department of Agricultural Innovation for Sustainability, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture, 1737 Funako, Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0034, Japan; Corresponding author
Noriyasu Ando
Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan
Stephan Shuichi Haupt
Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan
Hidefumi Mitsuno
Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan
Takaaki Daimon
Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
Ryohei Kanzaki
Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan
Summary: Male moths utilize spatio-temporal female sex pheromone information to orient toward conspecific females. Pheromones are distributed as discontinuous plumes owing to air turbulence; thus, efficient tracking of intermittent stimuli is expected to require a high temporal resolution. Here, using pheromone binding protein (BmPBP1)-knockout silkmoths, we showed that a loss of functional PBP lowered the temporal sensory resolution of male antennae. This altered temporal resolution resulted in significantly reduced straight walking and longer turning behavior, which respectively occurred when males detected and lost contact with pheromones, indicating that temporal resolution was also lowered at the behavioral level. BmPBP1-knockout males required significantly longer time than wild-type males in locating pheromone sources and female moths. Our results suggest that BmPBP1 plays a critical role in determining olfactory response kinetics. Accordingly, high temporal olfactory and behavioral resolutions, as shaped by PBP, are essential for tracking pheromone plumes and locating females efficiently.
