Characterization of the pheromone receptors in Mythimna loreyi reveals the differentiation of sex pheromone recognition in Mythimna species

Pheromone receptors (PRs) are key proteins in the molecular mechanism of pheromone recognition, and exploring the functional differentiation of PRs between closely related species helps to understand the evolution of moth mating systems. Pheromone components of the agricultural pest Mythimna loreyi have turned into (Z)-9-tetradecen-1-yl acetate (Z9-14:OAc), (Z)-7-dodecen-1-yl acetate (Z7-12:OAc), and (Z)-11-hexadecen-1-yl acetate, while the composition differs from that of M. separata in the genus Mythimna. To understand the molecular mechanism of pheromone recognition, we sequenced and analyzed antennal transcriptomes to identify 62 odorant receptor (OR) genes. The expression levels of all putative ORs were analyzed using differentially expressed gene analysis. Six candidate PRs were quantified and functionally characterized in the Xenopus oocytes system. MlorPR6 and MlorPR3 were determined to be the receptors of major and minor components Z9-14:OAc and Z7-12:OAc. MlorPR1 and female antennae (FA)-biased MlorPR5 both possessed the ability to detect pheromones of sympatric species, including (Z,E)-9,12-tetradecadien-1-ol, (Z)-9-tetradecen-1-ol, and (Z)-9-tetradecenal. Based on the comparison of PR functions between M. loreyi and M. separata, we analyzed the differentiation of pheromone recognition mechanisms during the evolution of the mating systems of 2 Mythimna species.