An antennal circadian clock and circadian rhythms in peripheral pheromone reception in the moth Spodoptera littoralis. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Circadian rhythms are observed in mating behaviors in moths: females emit sex pheromones and males are attracted by these pheromones in rhythmic fashions. In the moth Spodoptera littoralis, we demonstrated the occurrence of a circadian oscillator in the antenna, the peripheral olfactory organ. We identified different clock genes, period (per), cryptochrome1 (cry1) and cryptochrome2 (cry2), in this organ. Using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), we found that their corresponding transcripts cycled circadianly in the antenna as well as in the brain. Electroantennogram (EAG) recordings over 24 h demonstrated for the first time a circadian rhythm in antennal responses of a moth to sex pheromone. qPCR showed that out of one pheromone-binding protein (PBP), one olfactory receptor (OR), and one odorant-degrading enzyme (ODE), all putatively involved in the pheromone reception, only the ODE transcript presented a circadian rhythm that may be related to rhythms in olfactory signal resolution. Peripheral or central circadian clock control of olfaction is then discussed in light of recent data.

published proceedings

  • J Biol Rhythms

author list (cited authors)

  • Merlin, C., Lucas, P., Rochat, D., Franois, M., Mabche-Coisne, M., & Jacquin-Joly, E.

citation count

  • 61

complete list of authors

  • Merlin, Christine||Lucas, Philippe||Rochat, Didier||François, Marie-Christine||Maïbèche-Coisne, Martine||Jacquin-Joly, Emmanuelle

publication date

  • December 2007