Journal of Chemical Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Selective Sequestration of Cardenolides Shapes Chemical Defense in an Aposematic Butterfly.","authors":"Saleem Mushtaq, Krushnamegh Kunte, Radhika Venkatesan","doi":"10.1007/s10886-026-01695-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10886-026-01695-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Aposematic insects often sequester plant toxins as chemical defenses, but the extent to which they selectively retain or eliminate specific compounds remains poorly understood. We investigated toxin sequestration in Danaus chrysippus, a chemically defended butterfly that feeds on the cardenolide-rich milkweed Calotropis gigantea. Using untargeted metabolomics, targeted cardenolide quantification, and Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase inhibition assays, we tested whether sequestration is compound-selective and compared the biochemical potency of plant and insect samples. Untargeted profiles showed that caterpillars and adults converge on an insect-specific metabolome, while frass retains a plant-like chemical signature. Targeted analyses showed consistent retention of four cardenolides (calotropagenin, coroglaucigenin, uzarigenin, frugoside) across developmental stages, complete exclusion of uscharin, and progressive loss of calotropin and calotoxin across metamorphosis. Enzyme assays revealed strong differences among sample types: frass showed the strongest inhibition (~ 5-fold weaker than the ouabain standard), adults were intermediate (~ 18-19-fold), and leaves and caterpillars were the weakest (~ 45-58-fold). These potency differences mirrored qualitative composition, frass contained the full set of detected cardenolides, whereas adults retained only a reduced subset. While porcine Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase assays quantify biochemical activity rather than predator deterrence, our results demonstrate clear compound-level selectivity and suggest that physiological filtering shapes the repertoire of plant toxins available for defense in aposematic insects.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"52 2","pages":"20"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146226724","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Effects of Acorn Origin, Environmental Microbiomes and Local Adaptation on the Leaf Metabolome.","authors":"Chandrasekar Ramanathan, Lisse Goris, Arti Mishra, Jenna Lihavainen-Bag, Katharina Pawlowski, Benedicte Riber Albrectsen, Ayco J M Tack","doi":"10.1007/s10886-026-01692-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10886-026-01692-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plants are associated with microbial communities, which are inherited through the seed and acquired from the environment. These microbiomes influence plant physiology, chemistry, and functioning. Yet, we lack insights into how seed origin and the environmental microbiome jointly influence the leaf metabolome. We used untargeted metabolomics (gas chromatography/mass spectrometry) on leaves of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) seedlings to examine metabolic responses to different seed origins and environmental microbiomes, as well as home and away environments. For this, acorns were collected from three mother trees and grown in a multifactorial design with soil and canopy microbiomes originating from the local mother tree (i.e., the home treatment) and neighbouring trees (i.e., the away treatment). We also measured two plant traits-plant height and leaf chlorophyll content-to examine relationships between plant traits and the metabolome. The leaf metabolome did not differ significantly between plants growing with different soil and canopy microbiomes. However, the leaf metabolome differed among acorn origins and between seedlings growing in home vs. away treatments. We found no clear link between plant traits and the leaf metabolome. This study is one of the first to disentangle the combined effects of seed origin and environmental microbiomes on plant leaf chemistry, and the home vs. away framework provides novel insights into local adaptation effects on plant metabolomes within forest ecosystems. These findings have practical implications for the use of local genotypes and the development of microorganism-based management practices in sustainable forestry and agriculture.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"52 1","pages":"18"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12904930/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146180204","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Temperature and Pollinators Drive Evolutionary and Plastic Variation in Leaf and Petal Epicuticular Waxes.","authors":"Corinne Hertaeg, Florian P Schiestl","doi":"10.1007/s10886-026-01691-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10886-026-01691-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plants rely on epicuticular waxes to withstand stress and mediate interactions with other organisms, yet floral waxes remain largely unexplored despite their potential key role in reproduction. We examined how temperature and pollinators shaped leaf and petal waxes in Brassica rapa after six generations of experimental evolution under hot and ambient conditions with bumblebees (Bombus terrestris), Pieris rapae butterflies, acting as \"pollinating herbivores\" and also involving larval herbivory, or hand-pollination as a control. Leaves contained more wax but shorter aliphatic chains than petals. Heat reduced leaf waxes yet elongated chains, while petals lost wax and shortened chains, revealing opposite responses across organs. Insect-pollinated plants, especially those pollinated by bumblebees, showed reduced heat-driven wax loss in petals, mitigated reductions in chain length or even increases, and altered potential signalling compounds such as methyl-alkanes and α/β-amyrins, while in leaves exhibiting reduced wax amounts and dampened increases in chain-length. P. rapae exposure increased or maintained high levels of compounds linked to herbivore defence (long alcohols, indole-3-acetonitrile), suggesting possible herbivore-specific responses. These results uncover a leaf-petal wax trade-off and identify pollinators as key drivers of wax chemistry under heat. We show that leaf and petal waxes are both plastic and evolvable, emphasizing floral waxes as integral components at the crossroads of stress tolerance, herbivory, and pollination.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"52 1","pages":"17"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13649830/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146180149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cuticular Hydrocarbon Differentiation Between Body Parts of Schistocerca gregaria Locusts.","authors":"Selina Huthmacher, Florian Menzel","doi":"10.1007/s10886-025-01687-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10886-025-01687-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Insects cover their bodies with a layer of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) that reduce water loss and serve as communication signals and potentially as lubricants. CHC composition is highly diverse, varying among individuals and species. However, CHC variation has been rarely studied between different body parts of the same individual. Whether intra-individual CHC variation across the insect body arises from differences in diffusion rates between different CHCs or from distinct functional roles of the CHC layer across body regions remains unknown. Here, we analyzed the CHC composition of antennae, head, thorax, abdomen, front legs, hind femur and tibia, as well as whole-body extracts of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria subadults using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). While most body parts were relatively similar in CHC composition, head and antennae were distinct from the others. Both had shorter n-alkanes and more branched alkanes than the other body parts, which should lower the CHCs’ melting temperatures and hence render the CHC layer more fluid. On the antennae, this likely reflects their role as sensory organs in chemical communication, as more fluid CHCs have been suggested to be more easily perceived. We additionally examined the femoro-tibial joint of the hind leg using solid-phase microextraction (SPME). The joint contained fewer and shorter n-alkanes than the femur, indicating a relative enrichment of more fluid CHCs, which may facilitate lubrication. Together, these results show that CHC composition in S. gregaria varies systematically across body regions. This likely reflects that CHCs are optimised for distinct functions in desiccation resistance, chemical communication, and mechanical lubrication, depending on the body part.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"52 1","pages":"16"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12901264/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146165660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Responses of the Egg Parasitoid Psix saccharicola towards Volatiles from the Pistachio Green Stink Bug Acrosternum arabicum.","authors":"Reyhane Sattari Nasab, Mahdi Ziaaddini, Astrid T Groot","doi":"10.1007/s10886-025-01686-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10886-025-01686-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Egg parasitoids have evolved various strategies to overcome the reliability-detectability problem and efficiently parasitize host eggs. Identifying what cues egg parasitoids use is important to increase their efficiency as biocontrol agents. In this study, we investigated the role of chemical cues from eggs and defensive compounds of the pistachio green stink bug (PGSB), Acrosternum arabicum (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), on the foraging behavior and adult sex discrimination by the egg parasitoid Psix saccharicola (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae). Parasitoid responses to volatiles from PGSB egg masses and sex-specific metathoracic gland (MTG) extracts were evaluated using a Y-tube olfactometer. We found that P. saccharicola was significantly attracted to volatiles emitted by egg masses and to MTG extracts from both sexes. However, parasitoids did discriminate between males and females by displaying longer residence times in the arm containing the female MTG extract. Gas chromatography analysis showed that MTG and egg masses extracts contained largely similar chemical profiles, consisting of various alkanes, aldehydes and esters, with the major compounds being tridecane, (E)-2-decenal, and (E)-2-decenyl acetate. Our SEM analysis suggest that MTG secretions are passively deposited onto the eggs. Together, our findings suggest that PGSB volatile compounds from the MTG attract the egg parasitoid, which may be useful in developing semiochemical-based biological control strategies against PGSB.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"52 1","pages":"15"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146113154","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Variable Signaling of Defense Status in Natural Populations of the Wild Radish Raphanus raphanistrum (Brassicaceae).","authors":"Jeremy K Chan, Laura Pellegrini, Basil Zuellig, Lorenzo Guzzetti, Davide Sala, Francesco Loreto, Giovanni Scopece, Salvatore Cozzolino","doi":"10.1007/s10886-025-01677-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10886-025-01677-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Glucosinolates (GS) are sulfur-containing compounds that serve as a deterrentto herbivores, though are tolerated by some specialized insects. The correlation of GS with floral traits such as colour and scent might represent a signaling of defense status, a pattern rarely recorded in natural populations. We used Raphanus raphanistrum to discover GS signaling patterns and their effects on plant fitness. We recorded fitness, floral colour, GS, and floral Volatile Organic Compounds (fVOCs) from five natural populations. We then tested correlations among traits at the species level and at the population level. Plant fitness was not correlated with any of the GS and fVOCs analysed. At the species level, flower colour was correlated with GS levels in leaves indicating that there might be visual signaling of defense status, while there was a weak correlation between minor GS and fVOCs. However, at the population level, we found multiple and discordant significant correlations, mainly negative, between GS and fVOCs. Our study indicates that signaling channels used by R. raphanistrum to advertise its chemical defense are complex and variable among populations suggesting that they can be shaped by biotic networks of pollinators and herbivores varying in space.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"52 1","pages":"14"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146085927","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification of the Sex Pheromone of the Macadamia Felted Coccid, Acanthococcus Ironsidei (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae).","authors":"Marc Clement Bouwer, Divan Gerald van Greunen, Anthony Michael King, Marnus Enslin","doi":"10.1007/s10886-026-01690-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10886-026-01690-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The macadamia felted coccid, Acanthococcus ironsidei (Williams), was recently discovered in South Africa. The insect has the potential to become a serious pest in South Africa’s macadamia industry and some areas in the Mpumalanga Province are already reporting damage due to A. ironsidei. The sex pheromone of A. ironsidei could provide a valuable monitoring tool for the pest, but has not been identified previously. In this study, the sex pheromone for A. ironsidei was identified as a 4:1 blend of racemic lavandulyl acetate and lavandulyl isobutyrate. The pheromone compounds were isolated from samples taken from plant material infested with adult virgin female scale insects. The compound identities were verified by mass spectral comparison and chromatographic retention indexes that were compared to synthetic compounds. The biological activity of these compounds was confirmed through field trials. This is the first report that confirms lavandulyl isobutyrate as a pheromone compound of a scale insect. Synthetic sex pheromones can now be used to enhance monitoring traps and could potentially be used for mass trapping and mating disruption of the pest.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"52 1","pages":"13"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146085887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Volatilized Metabolites Produced by Soilborne Aspergillus flavus Regulate Fungal Conidiation, and Production of Secondary Metabolites.","authors":"Lina Castano-Duque, Imtiaz Ahmad, Steven W Lloyd, Matthew D Lebar, Carol Carter-Wientjes, Nathaniel B McCartney, Jared G Ali, Geromy G Moore","doi":"10.1007/s10886-025-01657-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10886-025-01657-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Corn plants are susceptible to infection by fungi such as Aspergillus flavus that have the potential to produce several types of mycotoxins, one of the most potent ones known to exist is aflatoxin. Since aflatoxin contaminated corn must be destroyed, causing annual monetary losses in billions of dollars, it would be helpful to detect the presence of aflatoxin producing fungi at pre-harvest and pre-planting stages. To this end, it may be possible to capture volatile organic compounds these fungi produce while overwintering in the soil or while infecting corn plants. In this study, we acquired A. flavus VOCs from conidia and sclerotia, while residing in the soil environment. We concluded that soilborne conidia and sclerotia have specific VOC signatures, and sclerotia tend to emit specific VOCs at greater abundance compared to soilborne conidia or fungus-free soil. These sclerotium-specific VOCs include geranyl acetone, caryophyllene compounds, and methanone. Bioassays using toxin producing and non-producing fungi showed that β-caryophyllene increased spore concentration, and both β-caryophyllene and caryophyllene oxide were able to modulate aerial hyphae, sclerotia production and decrease aflatoxin, cyclopiazonic acid and ditryptophenaline production in A. flavus strains. Our results show insights into the ecological roles that β-caryophyllene and caryophyllene oxide have over A. flavus' development and metabolism, although their effect on multitrophic interactions among corn, fungi and other potential organisms are still not fully understood. These VOCs could serve as an agricultural surveillance management system that enables early mitigation of aflatoxin producing fungi outbreaks in the field.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"52 1","pages":"12"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12827406/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146029533","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Structure-activity Relationships of Triterpenoid Saponins Across Phylogenetically Diverse Organisms.","authors":"Malbor Dervishi, Franz Marius Schmitt, Jan Günther, Nina Cedergreen, Søren Bak","doi":"10.1007/s10886-025-01666-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10886-025-01666-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Saponins are structurally diverse bioactive metabolites found in more than 100 plant families and are synthesized by plants as protection against insects, fungi, and other organisms. The mode of action is related to their interference with membranes, and particularly the membrane sterols. As membrane sterol composition varies across kingdoms and species, species-specific differences in toxicity may therefore be expected. The aim of this study was to elucidate the structure-activity relationships of different saponins across four different organisms (Daphnia magna, Enchytraeus crypticus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Raphidocelis subcapitata) representing three eukaryotic kingdoms of life using either immobility tests or growth inhibition assays. We hypothesized that monodesmosidic saponins are more bioactive due to higher amphiphilicity/polarity and that species susceptibility depends on sterol composition, with organisms containing plant sterols being less susceptible than those with animal or fungal sterols. The hypothesis was supported for monodesmosidic saponins, as α-hederin and hederacolchiside A1 exhibited significant cytotoxicity (EC50 values ranging from 8.7 to 36.9 and 2.0- 68.9 mg/L, respectively, for the different organisms), whereas bidesmosidic saponins such as hederacoside C and ginsenoside-Ro were inactive at concentrations up to 100 mg/L. The aglycone backbone and sugar moiety composition, however, also play critical roles, with simpler, linear saccharide chains leading to increased toxicity. C-23 hydroxylation has been shown to enhance mortality against insects; however, its absence did not affect the ability of hederacolchiside A1 to exhibit toxic properties. Additionally, species-specific sensitivities varied, with the crustacean D. magna being the most sensitive species, followed by the anelid worm E. crypticus, yeast S. cerevisiae, and the least-sensitive was, as hypothesized, the algae R. subcapitata. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of saponin structure-activity relationships and open new avenues for the targeted development of saponin-based applications in agriculture, medicine, and biotechnology.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"52 1","pages":"11"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145989223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification of VOCs from Lemon Plants Infested and Non-Infested with the Citrus Mealybug and the Attractiveness of Linalyl Acetate for Natural Enemies.","authors":"Saif Khattawi, Murat Muştu","doi":"10.1007/s10886-025-01675-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10886-025-01675-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In this study, the volatile compounds found in lemon trees infested and uninfested with Planococcus citri (Risso) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) were investigated. In addition, the interest of the predator Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and the parasitoid Leptomastix dactylopii (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) in lemon trees infested and uninfested with P. citri and some volatile compounds was investigated. According to the results obtained, most of the volatile compounds obtained from mealybug-infested lemon trees showed changes compared to healthy lemon trees. Since volatile compounds play an important role in attracting pests and natural enemies, linalyl acetate was selected as the compound showing the highest amount of changes, and its attractiveness to predators and parasitoids was tested first in the laboratory using a Y-olfactometer and then in a lemon orchard in combination with a yellow sticky trap. In the olfactometer tests, linalyl acetate was found to be attractive to predators and parasitoids. In field studies, the number of predators and parasitoids increased in traps containing linalyl acetate compared to traps containing only paraffin oil. Our results suggest that linalyl acetate may play a role in attracting both predators and parasitoids and can be combined with these natural enemies in biological control studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"52 1","pages":"10"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145989303","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}