Catnip and pea aphids came up with different ways to make the same molecule

According to a new study in PNAS, the substance nepetalactone is produced by both the plant and the insect.

The specific biosynthetic steps are not the same as in the plant. It is the first time that researchers have been able to understand the biosynthetic pathway of a complex molecule.

There are complex molecule with different ecological functions.

Iridoids, a group of monoterpenes, are found in a lot of plant species. The name is derived from the defensive secretions of the ant. Plants have a role to play in defending against herbivores and protecting from pathogens. There are more than 50 plant families with iridescentoids.

Sarah O'Connor and her team presented the evolution of the iridoid nepetalactone. We were able to show how it's made. Since the 1980s, it has been known that females produce nepetalactone and use it as a sex signal. We wanted to find out how plants and insects make this compound. Sarah O'Connor, head of the Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, said that the motivation for the research project was the fact that they have an expert on aphids.

Natural products from insects have been neglected.

The researchers were able to determine the genes that regulate nepetalactone production by harvesting the legs from the aphids. The basic information for the production of proteins is provided from tissue in the hind legs of sexual and asexual females and males.

We looked more closely at the genes that were active in the hind legs of sexual females and found that some of them were active only in the chest area. Only a small number of genes were found to be responsible for the production of nepetalactone in aphids.

The entire biosynthetic pathway was identified using this approach. While the intermediates in the biosynthetic pathway were the same in both catnip and aphid, the six identified aphid enzymes were completely different to their counterparts in catnip. The plant enzymes for nepetalactone are allsoluble, but most of the insect enzymes are associated with a membranes.

One of the longest and most complex biosynthetic pathways for insect-derived natural products has been described. Natural products derived from insects have been neglected in research. In the past, it has been difficult to sequence small amounts ofRNA. Sarah O'Connor says that we now have the ability to get high-quality sequence data from hard to obtain tissues.

The borders of the plants and animals have convergent evolution.

The comparison of biosynthetic pathways in plants and insects is of interest. "convergent evolution" is the fact that different organisms came up with the same solution. Birds and mammals have the ability to fly. The convergent evolution of metabolism in insects and plants is reported by researchers.

The researchers led by Tobias Kllner and Sarah O'Connor want to combine knowledge about biosynthesis with the role that iridoids play in insects. With the help of colleagues at the institute, we will be able to understand the biological, ecological and behavioral basis of these natural products from insects.

More information: Köllner, Tobias G. et al, Biosynthesis of iridoid sex pheromones in aphids, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2022). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2211254119. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2211254119 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Citation: Catnip and pea aphids came up with different ways to make the same molecule (2022, October 13) retrieved 13 October 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-10-catnip-pea-aphids-ways-molecule.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.