Insect Chemoreception

Insect Chemoreception PDF

Author: M.F. Ryan

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2007-05-08

Total Pages: 342

ISBN-13: 0306475812

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

In this time of edited volumes when the list of individual contributors may reach double figures, it is appropriate to question the usefulness of a volume, with such a broad scope, by a single author. The answer is simple. For years he has believed that the rather sharp distinction between fundamental and applied aspects of this discipline, has ill-served the significance of each; and has diminished the incidence of fruitful synergies. Yet the need for these was never greater, and this case may be developed by a single author with experience of each aspect. The inclusion of a Chapter on Genetic Engineering may raise some doubts, but it is enabled by the chosen title “Chemoreception”, as distinct from Chemoperception: the latter implies detection of a chemical, followed by a behavioural response. But the former broader category subsumes Chemoperception and allows for the reception of a chemical toxin so potent as to prelude a behavioural or physiological response, other than death. Accordingly, chemical toxins are a legitimate inclusion. In which event, their delivery through a GM plant is as appropriate for study as their application in a spray.

Insect Chemoreception

Insect Chemoreception PDF

Author: M. Ryan

Publisher: Springer

Published: 1996

Total Pages: 250

ISBN-13: 9780412326608

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Recent research has added much to our knowledge of the nature and significance of chemoreception in insects. This text deals with both pure and applied aspects at the ecological level, and goes on to discuss the mechanisms by which insects detect and respond to chemicals at the molecular level. Throughout the text reference is made to appropriate techniques in both field and laboratory situations in order to provide an insight into the means of investigating the subject and to indicate the areas of likely future advances. Plant-insect interactions are considered in terms of plant chemical defences and of the co-evolved insect response to these. The role of pheromones is described with an account of the factors governing their synthesis and secretion. A chapter on pheromone gland morphology is also included. The electrophysiological approach is described and also the novel use of biochemical techniques to ascertain the mode of action of plant and insect-produced chemicals. Practical applications reported include the use of natural toxins in plant protections and the exploitation of pest-resistant crop varieties.

Functional Characterization of Insect Chemoreceptors: Receptivity Range, Expression and Evolution

Functional Characterization of Insect Chemoreceptors: Receptivity Range, Expression and Evolution PDF

Author: William B. Walker

Publisher: Frontiers Media SA

Published: 2016-06-11

Total Pages: 165

ISBN-13: 288919860X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Olfaction and taste are of critical importance to insects and other animals, since vital behaviours, including mate, food and host seeking, as well as predator and toxin avoidance, are guided by chemosensory cues. Mate and habitat choice are to a large extent determined by chemical signals, and chemoreceptors contribute accordingly to pre-mating isolation barriers and speciation. In addition to fundamental physiological, ecological and evolutionary consideration, the knowledge of insect taste and especially olfaction is also of great importance to human economies, since it facilitates a more informed approach to the management of insect pests of agricultural crops and forests, and insect vectors of disease. Chemoreceptors, which bind to external chemical signals and then transform and send the sensory information to the brain, are at the core of the peripheral olfactory and gustatory system and have thus been the focus of recent research in chemical ecology. Specifically, emphasis has been placed on functional characterization of olfactory receptor genes, which are derived from three large gene families, namely the odorant receptors, gustatory receptors and ionotropic receptors. Spatial expression patterns of olfactory receptors in diverse chemosensory tissues provide information on divergent functions, with regards to ecologically relevant behaviours. On the other hand, characterization of olfactory receptor activation profiles, or “deorphanization”, provides complimentary data on the molecular range of receptivity to the fundamental unit of the olfactory sense. The aim of this Research Topic is to give an update on the breadth and depth of research currently in progress related to understanding the molecular mechanisms of insect chemoreception, with specific emphasis on the olfactory receptors.

Functional Characterization of Insect Chemoreceptors: Receptivity Range, Expression and Evolution

Functional Characterization of Insect Chemoreceptors: Receptivity Range, Expression and Evolution PDF

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Olfaction and taste are of critical importance to insects and other animals, since vital behaviours, including mate, food and host seeking, as well as predator and toxin avoidance, are guided by chemosensory cues. Mate and habitat choice are to a large extent determined by chemical signals, and chemoreceptors contribute accordingly to pre-mating isolation barriers and speciation. In addition to fundamental physiological, ecological and evolutionary consideration, the knowledge of insect taste and especially olfaction is also of great importance to human economies, since it facilitates a more informed approach to the management of insect pests of agricultural crops and forests, and insect vectors of disease. Chemoreceptors, which bind to external chemical signals and then transform and send the sensory information to the brain, are at the core of the peripheral olfactory and gustatory system and have thus been the focus of recent research in chemical ecology. Specifically, emphasis has been placed on functional characterization of olfactory receptor genes, which are derived from three large gene families, namely the odorant receptors, gustatory receptors and ionotropic receptors. Spatial expression patterns of olfactory receptors in diverse chemosensory tissues provide information on divergent functions, with regards to ecologically relevant behaviours. On the other hand, characterization of olfactory receptor activation profiles, or "deorphanization", provides complimentary data on the molecular range of receptivity to the fundamental unit of the olfactory sense. The aim of this Research Topic is to give an update on the breadth and depth of research currently in progress related to understanding the molecular mechanisms of insect chemoreception, with specific emphasis on the olfactory receptors.

Perspectives in Chemoreception and Behavior

Perspectives in Chemoreception and Behavior PDF

Author: R.F. Chapman

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 211

ISBN-13: 146124644X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

In the study of the physiological basis of animal behavior Vince Dethier has been a pioneer, a guiding star. Although his own work has centered on the blowfly and the caterpillar, his interests and influence have spread far beyond the insects. The breadth of this impact is indicated by the contributions from colleagues and former students in this volume. These papers were originally presented at a meeting to honor Vince's 70th birthday held at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in May 1985. It was attended by friends and col leagues of all ages from many parts of the world. However, the picture presented by these papers is not the whole story. What it does not show is the extent of Vince's interest and influence beyond the rigorous, though friendly, atmosphere of the research laboratory. His idyllic summers in Maine have produced studies on the natural history of feeding by insects culminating in The Tent Makers, with more to come. In these studies we see his real love and, dare we say, understanding of the insect. Vince Dethier is not concerned simply with reaching the established scientist. In To Know a Fly he reaches out to those just beginning, perhaps even to those who will never begin, and provides insight both to the experimentalist's approach and to the fun of research. His sense of fun and his elegant, fluent writing have given us, too, his tongue-in-cheek fictional writings for children of all ages.

Chemical Ecology of Insects 2

Chemical Ecology of Insects 2 PDF

Author: R.T. Carde

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 438

ISBN-13: 1461517656

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

During the past decade, the study of the chemical structures used by insects has advanced from a subject that could be reviewed in a single volume to a vastly more advanced level. This important new volume brings together a focused group of reviews that offer perspective on the most interesting advances in insect chemical ecology. Chemical Ecology of Insects 2 brings together an internationally respected group of experts covering such topics as chemoreception and integration, orientation mechanisms, plant-insect interactions and insect-insect interactions. An important benefit of these reviews lies in the identification of the boundaries of our current knowledge and the most profitable areas in which we should expect these areas to develop. This important work will appeal to entomologists and ecologists working directly with insects. In addition, plant scientists interested in the interaction of plants and insects will find much valuable information. The book is intended to benefit both field and laboratory researchers as well as advanced students.

Advances in Insect Chemical Ecology

Advances in Insect Chemical Ecology PDF

Author: Ring T. Cardé

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2004-06-21

Total Pages: 358

ISBN-13: 9781139453257

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Chemical signals mediate all aspects of insects' lives and their ecological interactions. The discipline of chemical ecology seeks to unravel these interactions by identifying and defining the chemicals involved, and documenting how perception of these chemical mediators modifies behaviour and ultimately reproductive success. Chapters in this 2004 volume consider how plants use chemicals to defend themselves from insect herbivores; the complexity of floral odors that mediate insect pollination; tritrophic interactions of plants, herbivores, and parasitoids and the chemical cues that parasitoids use to find their herbivore hosts; the semiochemically mediated behaviours of mites; pheromone communication in spiders and cockroaches; the ecological dependency of tiger moths on the chemistry of their host-plants; and the selective forces that shape the pheromone communication channel of moths. The volume presents descriptions of the chemicals involved, the effects of semiochemically mediated interactions on reproductive success, and the evolutionary pathways that have shaped the chemical ecology of arthropods.

Chemosensory Systems in Mammals, Fishes, and Insects

Chemosensory Systems in Mammals, Fishes, and Insects PDF

Author: Wolfgang Meyerhof

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2009-04-23

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 3540699198

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The sense of smell has an essential role in locating food, detecting predators, navigating, and communicating social information. Accordingly, the olfactory system has evolved complex repertoires of receptors to face these problems. Although the sense of taste has less far-reaching tasks, they are every bit as essential for the animals well-being, allowing it to reject toxic materials and to select nutritionally valuable food. The last decade has seen a massive advance in understanding the molecular logic of chemosensory information processing, beyond that already achieved in the rst few years following Linda Bucks discovery of odorant receptors. Shortly afterwards, the major principles of olfactory representation had been established in mammals as the one neuron/ one receptor rule and the convergence of neurons, which express the same receptor, onto individual modules in the olfactory bulb. In recent years, such studies have been extended to lower vertebrates, including shes and other phyla, i. e. , arthropods, worms, and insects, showing both the general validity of these concepts and some exceptions to the rule. In parallel, hallmarks of the molecular logic of taste sensation have been deciphered and found to differ in interesting ways from those of smell sensation.