蛾类昆虫性信息素受体及其作用机理

蛾类昆虫性信息素受体首先从烟芽夜蛾Heliothis virescens和家蚕Bombyx mori中鉴定出来， 到目前为止已经克隆得到了19种蛾类昆虫的几十种性信息素受体基因， 并且这些基因在系统发育树中聚成一个亚群。性信息素受体从蛾类蛹期开始表达， 主要表达在雄性触角的毛形感器中， 少部分受体在雌性触角、 雄性触角其他感器以及身体其他部位中也有表达。大部分蛾类性信息素受体的配体并不是单一的， 而是能够对多种性信息素组分有反应， 部分性信息素受体还能够识别性信息素以外的其他物质， 还有一部分性信息素受体的识别配体目前尚不清楚。另外发现在雌性蛾类触角中也存在一些嗅觉受体能够识别雄性分泌的性信息素。在蛾类性信息素受体与性信息素识别的过程中， 性信息素结合蛋白不仅能够特异性地运送配体到嗅觉神经元树状突上， 还能够提高性信息素与性信息素受体之间的结合效率。另外， OrCo类受体与性信息素受体共表达在嗅觉神经元中， 在蛾类性信息素受体与配体的识别过程中扮演了重要角色。但是蛾类信息素对神经元刺激的终止并非由性信息素受体控制， 而是由细胞中的气味降解酶等其他因子调控。蛾类性信息素受体研究中还有很多疑问需要解答， 其过程可能比我们想象的更为复杂。

Pheromone receptors and their function in moths

The pheromone receptors in moths were first identified from Heliothis virescens and Bombyx mori. Dozens of pheromone receptor genes were cloned from 19 moth species and clustered into a sub group in the phylogeny of olfactory receptors. Moth pheromone receptors can be detected in the pupal stage and many receptors are exclusively or mainly expressed in the olfactory neurons of male antennae. Some moth receptors are also expressed in the female antennae, other neurons of male antennae or other tissues. The majority of moth pheromone receptors respond to more than one pheromone compound. Some moth pheromone receptors can be excited by non-pheromone compounds. The ligands of several identified moth receptors are still unknown. The olfactory receptors only expressed in antenna of female moth to detect pheromones secreted by male moths have been identified. In the process of pheromone recognization, pheromone binding proteins not only transport the moth pheromone molecules to the dendrites of olfactory neurons by selectively binding to pheromone, but also improve the combination between pheromones and receptors. OrCo-like is very important in the process of moth pheromone recognization and always co-expressed with pheromone receptor in the same neuron. However, the termination of neuron response to moth pheromone is not controlled by pheromone receptors, but by ordorant-degrading enzymes. Many questions about the function of pheromone receptors need to be answered and the process of insect pheromone recognization is complexed than we known.