The expression of circadian rhythm in the tobacco cutworm, Spodoptera litura
Date Issued
2008
Date
2008
Author(s)
Chen, Wei-Lun
Abstract
Circadian clock plays an important role in metabolism, physiological process, and behavior in insects. It mediates insect to anticipate the daily changes of environmental conditions. Insects use external cues to entrain the clock, and then adjust its activities phase to accord with conditions. Reproduction is the most important event in insect life. Circadian rhythm is expressed in reproductive behavior. Since the timing is very important in solitary species, the release of sex pheromone, the response to sex pheromone, and any other physiological mechanisms of mating are hypothetically synchronizing under the control of circadian clock. In my study, I focus on the expression of circadian rhythm in attraction response of sex pheromone, and mating behavior in tobacco cutworm, Spodoptera litura. The mating observation was carried out under LD cycles and constant darkness to demonstrate its circadian control. The Y-tube olfactometer was used to monitor the daily fluctuation of attractiveness of sex pheromone. Furthermore, the expression of clock gene, period (per) mRNA was detected by real-time PCR to monitor the fluctuation pattern. Since the sex pheromone attraction and copulation occurred at night and subjective night, the mating behavior was demonstrated under the control of its circadian clock. The expression of per in antennae and head also show daily fluctuation, the time that presents the highest expression of per in head is more accord with the behavior level of circadian rhythm. These results hint that the mating behavior may control by head where the central nerve system is. It is not control by the peripheral level.
Subjects
pheromone
Y-tube oifactometer
antennae
mating behavior
clock gene
Type
thesis
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