Abstract
Oviposition is an important reproductive behavior that is triggered by mating in insects, and biogenic amines might be involved in its regulation. The effects of biogenic amines on oviposition have only been studied in a few insect species, and the findings to date have not been conclusive. In addition, there are few studies on the effects of biogenic amines on oviposition of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L. Here, we tested how mating and biogenic amines regulate oviposition of P. xylostella by injecting amines and amine receptor antagonists into virgin and mated females and counting the number of eggs laid afterward. Biogenic amines of octopamine and tyramine could induce virgin adults of P. xylostella to lay eggs, while dopamine and serotonin had no such effect on oviposition. Furthermore, the octopamine antagonists mianserin, epinastine, and phentolamine inhibited oviposition by mated females. The tyramine antagonist yohimbine, dopamine antagonist SCH23390, and serotonin antagonist ketanserin did not block oviposition by mated females, and octopamine and tyramine-inducing oviposition by virgin females could be inhibited by the octopamine antagonists mianserin and epinastine instead of the tyramine antagonist yohimbine. We conclude that octopamine and its receptors are involved in mating-triggered oviposition in P. xylostella, while tyramine acts as a subsidiary. Further, the inducing effect of tyramine on oviposition is achieved via octopamine receptors instead of tyramine receptors. This experiment is helpful to further understand the role of biogenic amines in mating regulation and to provide a new strategy for controlling P. xylostella.
Highlights
In insects, mating triggers many changes in the behavior and physiology of females, such as increasing oviposition, suppressing calling and pheromone synthesis, and re-mating (Gillott, 2003; Hirashima et al, 2007; Avila et al, 2011; Al-Wathiqui et al, 2016)
The number of eggs laid by virgin females injected with 0.3 μL of 0.2 mol/L octopamine and tyramine was significantly higher than the control on days 1 and 2, while the dopamine and serotonin treatments showed no significant difference to the control on days 1 and 2 after injection
The main findings of this study on P. xylostella were that mating-induced oviposition; octopamine and tyramine induced virgin females to lay eggs whereas dopamine and serotonin slightly inhibited oviposition; mianserin, phentiolamine, and epinastine inhibited egg-laying of mated females whereas yohimbine, SCH23390, and ketanserin did not; and mianserin and epinastine blocked octopamine and tyramine-induced oviposition in P. xylostella
Summary
In insects, mating triggers many changes in the behavior and physiology of females, such as increasing oviposition, suppressing calling and pheromone synthesis, and re-mating (Gillott, 2003; Hirashima et al, 2007; Avila et al, 2011; Al-Wathiqui et al, 2016). Biogenic amines, including octopamine, tyramine, dopamine, and serotonin, serve as neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, and neurohormones, and they have essential effects on the regulation of physiological functions and behavior in insects (Roeder, 2005; Lange, 2009; Blenau and Thamm, 2011; Farooqui, 2012; Verlinden, 2018). Besides some similar functions to octopamine, tyramine has distinct effects on insect behavior such as regulating locomotion (Fox et al, 2006), excretion (Blumenthal, 2003; Cole et al, 2005), sensory signal processing (Blenau et al, 2000), gustatory responsiveness (Scheiner et al, 2017) and productive transition of queenless worker honeybees (Sasaki and Harano, 2007). The effects of biogenic amines on oviposition are not consistent in different insect species
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