Structure-Activity Studies of Semiochemicals from the Spider Orchid Caladenia plicata for Sexual Deception

Title
Structure-Activity Studies of Semiochemicals from the Spider Orchid Caladenia plicata for Sexual Deception
Publication Date
2018-05
Author(s)
Bohman, Bjorn
Karton, Amir
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7981-508X
Email: akarton@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:akarton
Flematti, Gavin R
Scaffidi, Adrian
Peakall, Rod
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Springer New York LLC
Place of publication
United States of America
DOI
10.1007/s10886-018-0946-0
UNE publication id
une:1959.11/51119
Abstract

Sexually deceptive orchids attract specific pollinators by mimicking insect sex pheromones. Normally this mimicry is very specific and identical compounds have been identified from orchids and matching females of the pollinators. In this study, we conduct a detailed structure-activity investigation on isomers of the semiochemicals involved in the sexual attraction of the male pollinator of the spider orchid Caladenia plicata. This orchid employs an unusual blend of two biosynthetically unrelated compounds, (S)-β-citronellol and 2-hydroxy-6-methylacetophenone, to lure its Zeleboria sp. thynnine wasp pollinator. We show that the blend is barely attractive when (S)-β-citronellol is substituted with its enantiomer, (R)-β-citronellol. Furthermore, none of the nine-possible alternative hydroxy-methylacetophenone regioisomers of the natural semiochemical are active when substituted for the natural 2-hydroxy-6-methylacetophenone. Our results were surprising given the structural similarity between the active compound and some of the analogues tested, and results from previous studies in other sexually deceptive orchid/wasp systems where substitution with analogues was possible. Interestingly, high-level ab initio and density functional theory calculations of the hydroxy-methylacetophenones revealed that the active natural isomer, 2-hydroxy-6-methylacetophenone, has the strongest intramolecular hydrogen bond of all regioisomers, which at least in part may explain the specific activity.

Link
Citation
Journal of Chemical Ecology, 44(5), p. 436-443
ISSN
1573-1561
0098-0331
Pubmed ID
29549571
Start page
436
End page
443

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