The trail and alarm pheromones of the ant,Pristomyrmex pungens Mayr

Summary The trail and alarm pheromones of P. pungens were investigated. The nine fatty acids (C₁₄₀, C₁₆₀, C₁₆₁, C₁₈₀, C₁₈₁, C₁₈₂, C₁₈₃, C₂₀₄, C₂₀₅) were the components of the trail pheromone, while the alarm pheromone was found to be the mixture of 4 monoterpene hydrocarbons (-pinene, camphene, -pinene, limonene).The authors are indebted to Dr Masao Kubota for identification of the ant.     

Unique sex chromosome mediated behavioral response specificity of hybrid male European corn borer moths

Unlike the narrow response windows exhibited by the parent races, hybrid male European corn borers resulting from crosses of the E and Z races respond to a wide range of sex pheromone blends. The F₁ response profile consists of some individuals that respond to both the Z pheromone and the 6535 E/Z blend produced by F₁ females. Some F₁ males fail to respond to any blend and some do not respond as broadly as others. The hybrid male populations, however, are not tuned optimally to the pheromone blend produced by F₁ females and there is no coupling of F₁ blend production and response.     

Pheromone behavioral responses in unusual male European corn borer hybrid progeny not correlated to electrophysiological phenotypes of their pheromone-specific antennal neurons

In genetic studies on the sex pheromone communication system of two races of European corn borer, which use opposite pheromone blends of the E and Z compounds, it was found that antennal olfactory cell response amplitudes to the two compounds were controlled by an autosomal factor, whereas behavioral responses to the blends were controlled by a sex-linked locus. Because of the difference in genetic controls, it was postulated that some unusual males would be produced in F₂ crosses between these two races. These unusual males would have antennal olfactory cells that respond as the Z-race males, but would respond behaviorally to the E blend. The present studies combined behavioral studies in a flight tunnel and single cell electrophysiological studies to show that these unusual males do indeed exist. These findings show that the spike amplitude of peripheral olfactory cells is not important in regulating species- or race-specific pheromone responses, as compared to some central nervous system factor assesses the spike frequencies from different pheromone-component-specific cells on the antenna. This factor seems to be essential in governing the pheromone-blend specific behavioral responses of male moths.     

Identification and biological significance of 4-methyl-3Z,5-hexadienoic acid produced by males of the gall-forming tephritidsUrophora cardui (L.) andUrophora stylata (Fab.) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Summary A new natural substance has been identified in the rectal ampullae of gall-forming fruit flies. The substance was found to be the only volatile compound in the rectal ampulla of maleUrophora cardui andUrophora stylata. GC-MS methods were used to characterize its structure as 4-methyl-3Z,5-hexadienoic acid. Physiological parameters such as the amount of the acid at different ages and under different conditions were investigated. The biological significance of the new volatile as an arresting pheromone was tested in several bioassays. The arrestant function could not be established, but the results gave hints of a territorial function between conspecific males. The results are discussed with respect to gland morphology and predictions of communication models among fruit flies.     

Enhanced production of aggregation pheromones in four stored-product coleopterans feeding on methoprene-treated oats

Summary Production of aggregation pheromones by maleOryzaephilus surinamensis, O. mercator, Cryptolestes ferrugineus, andTribolium castaneum was enhanced by feeding on methoprene-treated oats, implicating juvenile hormone in control of pheromone production. Methoprene application to control insects in stored food products may cause enhanced pheromone production by these insects, thus drawing additional beetles into the treated product.Acknowledgments. We thank Dr. G. B. Staal of Zoëcon Corp. for a generous gift of methoprene. Particular thanks are due to J. Dodic for technical assistance. Research funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Science Council of British Columbia.     

Endogenous suppression of pheromone production in virgin female moths

Summary Sexual receptivity generally is reduced in moths after mating. We found that even in virginHeliothis zea females the titer of pheromone declines after the third night of adult life, although the number of eggs laid increases. Reduction in pheromone titer is not due to reduced amounts of pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide. We have discovered that a substance present in the bursa, ovaries and hemolymph of senescing virgins suppresses pheromone production. A similar factor was found in 2-day-old mated females indicating that both virgin and mated females use this factor to suppress pheromone production.     

Spruce budworm: Effects of different blends of sex pheromone components on disruption of male attraction

Summary Disruption of attraction of maleChoristoneura fumiferana to the natural sex pheromone in an atmosphere permeated by blends of the 2 pheromone components is greatest with ratios of the 2 components close to the natural blend.The (E)- and (Z)-TDALs were obtained from ChemSampCo, Columbus, Ohio, and were further purified by argentation column chromatography on Hi-Flosil-Ag (20% AgNo₃), 60/200 mesh, eluting with 91 pentane: ether. Following formulation, (E)(Z) ratios in the PVC were determined by extracting PVC pellets for 6 h in hexane and analyzing the solvent by GLC. The chemical analyses and purifications were carried out by Ms Linda MacDonald of the Forest Pest Management Institute, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., to whom I would like to express my thanks.Analyses of the data were done with the help of Dr J. Régnière of the Great Lakes Forest Research Centre, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. whom I would also like to thank.     

Biosynthesis of a monoene and a conjugated diene sex pheromone component of the lightbrown apple moth by Δ11 desaturation

Summary Fatty acyl moieties present in the female sex pheromone gland of the lightbrown apple moth,Epiphyas postvittana, include the analogues of the two sex pheromone components, (E)-11-tetradecenyl acetate and (E,E)-9,11-tetradecadienyl acetate. Application of deuterium-labelled fatty acids followed by analysis by gas chromatographymass spectrometry showed that biosynthesis of the two pheromone components involved initial 11-desaturation of myristic and palmitic acids respectively.     

Chemical attraction of the eastern yellowjacket,Vespula maculifrons (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Summary Workers and queens of the eastern yellowjacket,Vespula maculifrons, are attracted to the artificial long-range attractant pheromone of the predaceous pentatomid,Podisus maculiventris. A 11 mixture of linalool or -terpineol and (E)-2-hexenal is as attractive toV. maculifrons workers as the pheromone.We thank A.S. Menke of the Systematic Entomology Laboratory, USDA, for identifying the yellowjackets. Mention of a company name does not imply endorsement by the US Department of Agriculture.     

The clerid beetle,Thanasimus formicarius,is attracted to the pheromone of the ambrosia beetle,Trypodendron lineatum

Summary Sticky traps containing (+)-lineatin, the pheromone of the ambrosia beetle,Trypodendron lineatum, attracted the predatorThanasimus formicarius to about the same extent as traps baited with ipslure, the pheromone blend used for mass-trappingIps typographus. The results indicate thatT. lineatum is an important prey forT. formicarius early in the season before the main prey becomes active. Addition ofexo-brevicomin to ipslure and ethanol and/or -pinene to (+)-lineatin did not significantly influence the catches of the predator.     

Brain ischemia hypertension

Summary Hypertension was produced in anesthetized and conscious dogs when cerebral perfusion was reduced. It lasted up to 19 days in chronic studies, was not abolished by carotid sinus denervation nor with beta receptor blockade, but was absent after removal of brachiocephalic artery constriction (BCAC). The cardiovascular features of this neurogenic hypertension are presented.     

Effects of atmospheric pollution on human health

Most air pollutants do not lead to specific diseases. Depending on the pollutant, the concentration and the duration of exposure, some organs are more affected than others. The most frequent disorders are those caused by irritant gases and particulates on the mucous membranes and respiratory organs. The consequences are eye, nose and throat inflammations, diminished lung function, increased susceptability to respiratory infection and a higher incidence of chronic bronchitis. These disorders and diseases are, of course, influenced by other factors as well, such as immune deficiency, allergies, occupational exposure to pollutants, and particularly smoking. The effects of air pollutants are, therefore, multifactorially conditioned and nonspecific disorders are placed in the foreground. Evidence for an association of air pollution with adverse effects on human health is drawn from three sources: animal experiments, experimental human exposures, and epidemiologic studies of exposed human populations. The burden of atmospheric pollution must be reduced to protect human health by an adequate safety margin. In particular, the increased sensitivity of sick and aged people as well as children should be taken into account. In defining the maximum emmission levels, preventive aspects should have priority so as to keep the risk of damage to health and the harmful influences on the environment to a minimum.This article Effects of atmospheric pollution on human health by H. U. Wanner is a revised version of the same article that was first published in the Proceedings of the 1990 European Aerosol Conference; special issue of the J. Aerosol Sci., Vol. 21, Suppl. 1 (1990) 389–396.Reprinted with kind permission from Pergamon Press Ltd, Headington Hill Hall, Oxford OX3 0BW, Great Britain.     

Prostaglandin E1 induced salivary secretion

Summary PGE₁ but not PGF₂ at 500–1000 g/kg induced a slow and sparse flow from the parotid and no flow at all from submaxillary glands. Composition of PGE₁-induced parotid saliva was quite different from that evoked by any autonomic agonists. The present study suggests that PGE₁ might act directly on parotid acinar cells.Acknowledgment. This work was supported by NIDR grant DE05633. The authors wish to thank Ms Sonya Wynn for her technical assistance.     

Occurrence of a pheromone-producing gland in female tobacco beetles

Summary A pheromone-producing gland was discovered in the second abdominal segment of virgin female tobacco beetles,Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius). The gland duct extends to an orifice below the genital pore and is supported by a rigid invagination of the integument. Hexane extracts of intact pheromone glands were found attractive to male tobacco beetles and also induced high receptor potentials in the olfactory sensilla of the antennae of maleL. serricorne. A surface extract of virgin females proved to be significantly more attractive than an extract of pheromone glands.     

Sex pheromone of the pine sawflyDiprion pini (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae): Chemical identification,synthesis and biological activity

The main component of the sex pheromone secretion of femaleDiprion pini L. (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae) from insects collected both in Finland and in France has been identified as athreo-3,7-dimethyl-2-tridecanol (8 ng per female) stereoisomer by GC-MS and synthesis. The secretion also contains lower and higher homologues in small amounts (1–4% of the main component). Combined gas chromatographic-electroantennographic detection showed activity in both natural and esterified extracts (acetates and propionates); the esters of the main component gave the largest responses. The acetates and propionates of the eight stereoisomers of 3,7-dimethyl-2-tridecanol were synthesized from enantiomerically highly enriched (>99% ee) building blocks. The stereochemistry of the main component was established to be (2S,3R,7R)-3,7-dimethyl-2-tridecanol by GC analysis of the natural material. It was purified by liquid chromatography prior to the GC analysis of both its pentafluorobenzoates and its isopropylcarbamates on a non-chiral polar column (ECD) and a chiral column (NPD), respectively. Field tests demonstrated that both the acetate and propionate of the main component (100 g of each applied on cotton roll dispensers) were active in attracting males, with or without the presence of several of the minor compounds. Experiments with smaller amounts of the acetate and the propionate (1 g in France and 50 g in Finland) demonstrated that the propionate was more active than the acetate, and that it also caught more males than a blend of the two compounds.     

A preliminary note on the relationship between the number of adultPrays oleae Bern. caught in pheromone traps and the resulting level of infestation

Summary Preliminary studies in Granada, Spain, have shown a highly significant correlation between the number of adult malePrays oleae caught in pheromone traps and the resulting level of infestation in all the 3 annual generations of this species.The authors want to acknowledge Dr Owen T. Jones, Southampton University, for his assistance in drafting this paper.     

Hormonal control of pheromone responsiveness in the male black cutwormAgrotis ipsilon

In Lepidoptera, reproduction is linked to chemical communication between conspecific partners. When exposed to the female sex pheromone, males respond by exhibiting typical sexual behaviour which leads to mating. Here we show that presence of the juvenile hormone producing gland (corpora allata) of the male black cutworm,Agrotis ipsilon, is necessary for pheromone responsiveness. Allatectomized males do not show any sexual behaviour, although their antennal olfactory system is functional. Allatectomized males implanted with active corpora allata recover full pheromone receptivity. It is suggested that reproductive processes are synchronized in males and females through endocrine control; timing of the mating activity could serve as an adaptive strategy linked to the migratory behaviour of this species.     

Age-related perseveration of the precopulatory behaviour in maleDrosophila melanogaster

Summary In response to an interruption of their courtship, males ofD. melanogaster exhibit a lasting sexual arousal (up to 30–60 min), expressed behaviourally by characteristic wing displays. A study of this effect centered on two memory mutants of different ages suggests that it can be related to an ageing-dependent perseveration, rather than to modifications in memory processing.Acknowledgments. This research was supported by an exchange grant of the Royal Society. We are grateful to Dr Linda Partridge for advice and loan of apparatus.     

Studies on the thyroid in transgenic mice expressing the genes for human and bovine growth hormone

Summary The thyroid glands of transgenic mice (TM) expressing the genes for human (h) and bovine (b) growth hormone (GH) were studied. The percentages of larger follicles inhGH TM of either sex were significantly greater than in the corresponding normal littermates, and follicles ranging up to 350 m in diameter were present in malehGH TM. In contrast, thyroid follicles were only slightly enlarged in malebGH TM, and were unchanged in femalebGH TM. The serum concentrations of T4 were significantly decreased in malebGH TM and not altered in the other groups. Serum concentrations of T3 were slightly, but significantly increased in femalehGH TM and femalebGH TM, but were unaffected in male TM of either type. Since the principal difference between these foreign GHs in rodents is the additional lactogenic activity of human GH, these results may indicate that the effects of prolactin can influence the development of the thyroid.     

Sex pheromone conversion and degradation in antennae of the silkworm mothBombyx mori L.

Summary In living antennae of the silkworm mothBombyx mori L. the pheromone compound (E, Z)-10,12-hexadecadienol and hexadecanol are enzymatically converted to their corresponding fatty aldehydes, acids and long-chain fatty acid esters. The pheromone is completely degraded at high rates in the antennae of freshly hatched moths. The polar volatile [³H]metabolites exclusively consist of tritiated water. The half-life of the pheromone is about 2.5 min in males and 0.5 min in females. Drying inactivates the enzymes responsible for pheromone oxidation.Dedicated to Professor Adolf Butenandt on the occasion of his 85th birthday