Neuroendocrine Role of Biogenic Amines in the Photoperiodic Control of Pheromone Perception

昆虫每年毁坏的庄稼不计其数。喷洒杀虫剂来控制害虫已经引起了严重的关注，因为它对其他物种，特别是人类产生了辅助作用。信息素是个体释放到外部环境中的化学信号，影响其他个体的行为和/或生理状态。在昆虫中，信息素是主要的交流方式之一。由于这些化学信号提供了一种非侵入性的昆虫种群控制方法，信息素的使用作为许多鳞翅目害虫综合治理计划的一个组成部分是相当重要和有趣的。昆虫间这种交流的一个显著特征是雌性信息素的释放和雄性信息素的反应发生在一个物种特征时间内。这种时间上的同步性保证了雄性和雌性能够在环境条件最适合交配的时候找到彼此。Drs。Linn和Roelofs的研究项目旨在了解昆虫利用这些化学信号的机制。在这个项目中，他们将确定雄性昆虫如何识别时间，以便在雌性释放化学信号时对其做出反应。他们将专注于生物胺，章鱼胺，血清素和褪黑素。之所以选择章鱼胺和血清素，是因为他们之前的研究表明，这两种胺会影响雄性对信息素的时间和敏感性。褪黑激素是一种极好的候选药物，因为这种激素在调节包括人类在内的脊椎动物的昼夜节律调节激活中起着重要作用。Linn和Roelofs博士将确定这些生物胺、行为和与昼夜节律活动相关的神经区域之间的关系。这些基础生物学研究的结果提供了有关无脊椎动物和脊椎动物神经生物学的基本信息。此外，他们的研究将有助于继续发展信息素引诱剂的实际农业用途。

Insects destroy inestimable amount of crops each year. Spraying insecticides to control pests has raised serious concerns because of ancillary effects upon other species, especially humans. Pheromones are chemical signals that individuals release into the external environment that affect the behavior and/or physiological states of other individuals. In insects, pheromones are one of the major forms of communication. Since these chemical signals provide a non-invasive method for control of insect populations, the use of pheromones as an integral part of integrated pest management programs for many lepidopterous pest species is of considerable importance and interest. One of the prominent features of this communication in insects is that release of the pheromone by females and response by males occurs during a species-characteristic time. This temporal synchrony assures that males and females will be able to locate one another at a time when environmental conditions ar most favorable for mating. Drs. Linn and Roelofs' research program is aimed at understanding the mechanisms by which these chemical signals are used by insects. In this project, they will determine how male insects can tell time so that they are responsive to the chemical signals when the females are releasing it. They will focus on the biogenic amines octopamine, serotonin and melatonin. Octopamine and serotonin were selected because their previous work indicates that these two amines affect both the timing and the sensitivity of males to pheromones. Melatonin is an excellent candidate given the significant role of this hormone in the regulation of circadian-regulated activates in vertebrates, including humans. Drs Linn and Roelofs will determine the relationship between these biogenic amines, behavior and the neural regions associated circadian activity. The results from these basic biological studies provide fundamental information about invertebrate and vertebrate neurobiology. Moreover, their research will aid in the continuing development of pheromone attractants for practical agricultural use.