Beta-ionone is a functional plant volatile that attracts the parasitic wasp, Microplitis pallidipes

Autor: Hao Zhang, Jin-Yan Wang, Jie-Xian Jiang, Chen Yijuan, Xiang-Yun Ji, Nian‐Feng Wan, Evan Siemann
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: BioControl. 67:1-13
ISSN: 1573-8248
1386-6141
DOI: 10.1007/s10526-021-10117-3
Popis: The effects of plant volatiles on parasitoids are important with regards to the tri-trophic interactions among host plants, insect herbivores, and their natural enemies. However, the effects of plant volatiles on the important parasitoid (Microplitis pallidipes Szepligeti; Hymenoptera: Braconidae) of noctuids have not been determined at the molecular, laboratory, and outdoor scales with complementary approaches. The odorant binding protein 8 of M. pallidipes (MpOBP8) with an open reading frame of 459 bp was cloned and successfully expressed in Escherichia coli (Eubacteriales: Enterobacteriaceae). The purified protein MpOBP8 had a relatively high binding capacity to the plant volatile β-ionone (Ki value was 28.86 μM) in the fluorescence competitive binding assay. Meanwhile, Y-tube olfactometer experiments indicated that β-ionone selectively attracts the parasitic wasp as the ratio of M. pallidipes selecting β-ionone vs. control was 2:1. Likewise, field screenhouse experiments verified the above results as the ratio of M. pallidipes selecting β-ionone vs. control was close to 2:1. This study suggested that β-ionone is a plant volatile that attracts the parasitoid M. pallidipes, and MpOBP8 may play a key role in the discrimination of M. pallidipes in searching for hosts via β-ionone. In general our results suggest that β-ionone has the potential to enhance the biocontrol effect of parasitoids on insect herbivores.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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