Pheromones releasers

Hudson R. and Distel H. (1986). Pheromonal release of suckling in rabbits does not depend on the vomeronasal organ. Physiol Behav 37, 123-129. 

Preti G. and Wysocki C.J. (1999). Human pheromones releasers or primers, fact or myth In Advances in Chemical Signals in Vertebrates (Johnston R.E., Miiller-Schwarze D. and Sorenson P., eds.). Kluwer Academic Press/Plenum, New York, pp. 315-332. 

Regier F. and Goodwin M. (1977). On the chemical and environmental modulation of pheromone release from vertebrate scent marks. In Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 1 (Muller-Schwarze D. and Mozell M.M., eds.), pp. 115-134. 

Some male arctiid moths produce their courtship pheromone from dietary pyrrolizidine alkaloids acquired during feeding by the larvae [ 126]. Conversion of monocrotaline to hydroxydanaidal by males is accomplished by aromatiza-tion, ester hydrolysis and oxidation of an alcohol to the aldehyde [7]. In the case of Utetheisa ornatirx the stereo-configuration at C7 of the dietary alkaloid is the same as the pheromone released (R). In contrast, another arctiid, Creatono-tos transiens, can convert a dietary precursor alkaloid with the (S) configuration at C7 (heliotrine) to (l )-hydroxydanaidal. The biosynthesis occurs by first oxidation-reduction at C7 to convert the stereochemistry and then proceeds through aromatization, hydrolysis, and oxidation [7]. 

Attractive Compounds. Pheromones of three Bostrychid species have been identified. Males of the lesser grain borer, Rhizopertha dominica, produce (S)-l-methylbutyl (E)-2-methyl-2-pentenoate (dominicalure 1) 112 and (S)-l-methyl-butyl (E)-2,4-dimethyl-2-pentenoate (dominicalure 2) 113 (Scheme 13). Both compounds induce aggregation of males and females however, the mixture does not show synergistic effects [226]. Pheromone release and inter-male variation as well as effects of different hosts and the presence of conspecific females on pheromone production by males of Rhizopertha have been recently investigated [227,228]. 

This long-chain unsaturated ester serves as one component of a mnlticomponent female sex pheromone for 140 species of moths as well as the Asian elephant. This is nnlikely to cause any real confnsion in nature. On the one hand, the 140 species of moths keep ont of each other s way and out of the elephant s way by varying the nature and relative concentrations of other components in the multicomponent pheromone. On the other hand, the male elephant is not likely to detect the extremely small amonnts of this pheromone released by female moths. Chemistry aside, there are other obvions difficnlties in moths mating with elephants in the wild. 

There are four classes of pheromones. Releaser pheromones elicit immediate, behavioral responses. Primer pheromones elicit longer-term physiological or endocrine responses. Signaler pheromones act to provide information to the recipient. Modulator pheromones determine how a recipient organism will respond to a signal in a specific context. 

Most compounds in vertebrates and insects contain polar functional groups (wheeler, 1977). An intriguing question is whether marking pheromones are less polar than water-soluble ones, such as those in urine. The polarity of non-pheromonal compounds in a mixture greatly affects pheromone release into the environment (Regnier and Goodwin, 1977). 

Physical means of information are found with all living organisms. Chemical signaling is typical ofthe lower organisms and, through the vomeronasal neurons, the animals (Leinders-Zufall 2000). The latter rely also on sound and colors as information systems. Sound is flatly repetitive, such as with birds, to avoid breeding between closely related species. With man (MacNeilage 2000), and perhaps also apes and dolphins (Nowak 2000), soimd is syntactic. Man seems to have also inherited a rudimentary chemical information system, that is, sexual attraction exerted by pheromones released fi om the armpits (Stem 1998). However, the claim remains to be fiilly substantiated. 

Pardosa hortensis s Female contact pheromone releases courtship behavior in males Robert and Krafft, 1981... 

Cyrba algerina Female volatile pheromone releases courtship in males Pollard etal., 1987... 

This study provided necessary information toward the chemical identification of the sex pheromone of P lata, which can then be used to monitor its population in relation to that of P. borealis, or as a means to control the cockroach itself, as it is an occasional indoor pest. We have carried out a similar study with Caudell s wood cockroach, Parcoblatta caudelli Hebard, and have demonstrated that in this species calling also is associated with pheromone release and that the sex pheromone is produced in tergites 1-7 (Gemeno et al, 2003b). 

Spangler, H. G. (1987). Acoustically mediated pheromone release in Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera Pyralidae). Journal of Insect Physiology 33 465M68. 

Pheromone releaser distributions and/or point-source release rates have pronounced effects on the disruption of trap captures of spruce budworm (39). Small field plot studies with hand-placed releasers in moderate- to-high density budworm populations indicate an increase in trap disruption as the point sources of the synthetic pheromone are increased in release rate and decreased in number per unit area (Fig. 1). Identical pheromone dosages per plot were present in each treatment. Optimizing the releaser spacing and point-source release rate is therefore important and implies the need for a formulation re-design. This effect of releaser distribution and point-source release rate on trap disruption and mating disruption has been demonstrated in several insect species (40). 

We have recently assessed the pheromone release characteristics of a number of commercially available formulations suitable for... 

Christensen T. A., Lashbrook J. M. and Hildebrand, J. G. (1994) Neural activation of the sex-pheromone gland in the moth Manduca sexta real-time measurement of pheromone release. Physiol. Entomol. 19, 265-270. 

Cusson M. and McNeil J. N. (1989) Involvement of juvenile hormone in the regulation of pheromone release activities in a moth. Science 243, 210-212. 

Hollander A. L. and Yin C.-M. (1985) Lack of humoral control in calling and pheromone release by brain, corpora cardiaca, corpora allata and ovaries of the female gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.). J. Insect Physiol. 31, 159-163. 

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