Monday, December 10, 2007 - 3:47 PM
0687

“Olfactory lens” capabilities of cuticular lipid coatings on the sensilla trichodea of male Helicoverpa zea moths

Thomas Baker, tcb10@psu.edu1, Masato Maitani, tcb10@psu.edu2, Seong Gyu Lee, sglee@psu.edu1, Kye Chung Park, kcpark@psu.edu1, Katalin Borocsky, kub13@psu.edu1, David Allara, dla3@psu.edu1, John Badding, dla3@psu.edu1, and Jim Tumlinson, jht2@psu.edu1. (1) Penn State University, Center for Chemical Ecology, Department of Entomology, 105 Chemical Ecology Laboratory, University Park, PA, (2) Penn State University, Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Building, University Park, PA

“Olfactory Lens” Capabilities of Cuticular Lipid Coatings on the Sensilla Trichodea of Male Helicoverpa zea Moths

T. C. Baker, M. Maitani*, S.-G. Lee, K.C. Park, K. Borocsky, D.L. Allara*, J.V. Badding*, and J.H. Tumlinson

Center for Chemical Ecology, Department of Entomology *Department of Chemistry, Penn State University University Park, PA, USA 16802

We found that the cuticular lipid coatings on the surface of sensilla trichodea of Helicoverpa zea males facilitated the transport of certain pheromone-related molecules and impeded the transport of other molecules into the sensillar lymph of the sensilla. We used electrophysiological recordings employing both airborne puffs of candidate molecules and direct introduction of the molecules into the sensillum lymph using the saline recording electrode. We also employed atomic force microscopy (AFM) and chemical force microscopy (CFM) that showed that the chemical composition of the surface of a single sensillum is heterogeneous, with more hydrogen-bonding-friendly regions existing around the pores and pore tubules and under the many ridges that sculpt the terrain of the sensillum. Furthermore, the chemical composition of the sensilla trichodea of male H. zea and Manduca sexta was shown by GC/MS analyses to be dissimilar to the lipid coatings of other body parts.



Species 1: Lepidoptera Noctuidae Helicoverpa zea (corn earworm)
Species 2: Lepidoptera Sphingidae Manduca sexta (tomato hornworm)