文章的通讯作者是中科院动物研究所的李枢强教授,其现任中国科学院动物研究所研究员、博士研究生导师。是国家基础科学人才培养基金动物分类学科点负责人,国家基础科学人才培养基金生物学科会审专家组成员,教育部留学回国人员科研启动基金评审专家。
李枢强研究员主要从事无脊椎动物形态分类学、分子系统学、DNA分类学、动物地理学和无脊椎动物的物种多样性研究。这项研究是其与张健旭研究组继发现**个蜘蛛多组分雌性信息素后,又一合作成果。
研究人员使用化学、电生理及行为试验方法,发现(Z)-9-二十三烯是北京幽灵蛛 (Pholcus beijingensis)的求偶期雄蛛全提取液中特有的化合物成分,这种物质能够刺激成熟雌蛛步足跗节的化学感受器产生电位反应。行为试验结果显示(Z)-9-二十三烯对交配期雌蛛没有吸引性,不会激发交配期雌蛛的捕猎行为,但暴露于(Z)-9-二十三烯环境的雌成蛛与对照组相比更易于与寻偶雄蛛交配,其配对雄蛛的求偶时间显著缩短。
研究结果证实(Z)-9-二十三烯是北京幽灵蛛雄蛛释放的**激发信息素(aphrodisiac),该信息素不是性引诱剂,其主要功能是向同种雌蛛传递性的信息,激发雌蛛的交配行为。这是蜘蛛类群**个得到鉴定的雄蛛性信息素,也是李枢强研究组与张健旭研究组继发现**个蜘蛛多组分雌性信息素后,又一合作成果。这种蜘蛛的性信息素与其它种类不同。信息素通讯很可能对生活于黑暗环境中的洞穴蜘蛛的生殖行为有及其重要的调节作用,并通过种间特有的信息素保证种间生殖隔离,信息素的分化也可能是蜘蛛物种分化与物种形成的机制之一。
原文检索:
Male-specific (Z)-9-tricosene stimulates female mating behaviourin the spider Pholcus beijingensisChemical signals play an important role in spider sexualcommunication, yet the chemistry of spider sex pheromones remainspoorly understood. Chemical identification of male-producedpheromone-mediating sexual behaviour in spiders has also, to ourknowledge, not been reported before. This study aimed to examinewhether chemically mediated strategies are used by males of thespider Pholcus beijingensis for increasing the probability ofcopulation. Based on data from gas chromatography–mass spectrometryanalysis, electroantennography assay and a series of behaviouraltests, we verified that (Z)-9-tricosene is a male-specific compoundin the spider P. beijingensis. This compound acts as anaphrodisiac: it increases the likelihood that a female will mate.Mate-searching males release (Z)-9-tricosene to stimulate sexualbehaviour of conspecific females. In the two-choice assay, however,sexually receptive females show no preference to the chamberscontaining (Z)-9-tricosene. This indicates that the male pheromoneof P. beijingensis is not an attractant per se to the conspecificfemales. This is, to our knowledge, the first identification of amale-produced aphrodisiac pheromone in spiders.