Identification of semiochemicals in bumblebees and their social parasites

该项目的主要目的是确定具有调节大黄蜂宿主及其社会寄生虫生殖功能的化学信息素。在比较的方法中，我们将包括一个高度宿主特异性的寄生虫和寄生虫，使用不同的宿主物种。我们将进行气相色谱与触角检测（GC-EAD）和测量嗅觉诱导的心脏反应的气味样本的主机和寄生虫检测化合物，可能发挥重要作用的化学信息素。随后，GC-EAD活性化合物将通过使用气相色谱和质谱（GC-MS）组合的化学分析进行鉴定并合成。最后，将对暴露于GC-EAD活性化合物的各种合成混合物的未成熟宿主工蜂进行生物测定，以确定宿主蜂王或寄生虫雌性的优势信号。我们将比较的机制，分别化学信息素的工人在两个，主机和寄生虫的两个调查主机-寄生虫系统的调节作用。在该项目的第二部分，我们将确定化学信号参与主机巢识别的主机特异性和非主机特异性Psithyurs物种。我们将进行Y型管测试，以比较各种宿主和非宿主物种的巢标记信号对寄生虫雌性的吸引力，并进行电生理和化学分析（GC-MS）以识别活性化合物。最后，我们将测试是否在主机上的殖民地印记巢搜索寄生虫女性发挥了作用。一种比较的方法可能会打开机会，检测和跟踪的化学通讯的基本机制参与熊蜂主机和布谷鸟熊蜂。

A primary aim of the project is the identification of semiochemicals with a function in the regulation of reproduction in bumblebee hosts and their social parasites. In a comparative approach, we will include a highly host specific parasite and a parasite that uses different host species. We will perform gas chromatography with antennographic detection (GC-EAD) and measure olfactory induced cardiac responses of odour samples of hosts and parasites to detect compounds that may play a major role as semiochemicals. Subsequently, GC-EAD active compounds will be identified by chemical analyses using the combination of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and synthesized. Finally, bioassays with callow host workers that are exposed to various synthetic mixtures of GC-EAD active compounds will be performed in order to identify dominance signals of the host queens or parasite females. We will compare the mechanisms, respectively semiochemicals that act in regulation of worker reproduction in both, hosts and parasites of the two investigated host-parasite systems. In a second part of the project we will identify chemical signals involved in host nest-recognition of the host specific and non host-specific Psithyurs species. We will perform Y-tube tests to compare the attractiveness of nest marking signals of various host- and non-host species to parasite females and electrophysiological and chemical analyses (GC-MS) to identify the active compounds. Finally we will test whether imprinting on host colonies plays a role in host nest searching parasite females. A comparative approach may open the chance to detect and trace basic mechanisms of chemical communication involved in bumblebee hosts and cuckoo bumblebees.