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The scent of the fly

Paul G. Becher, Sebastien Lebreton, Erika A. Wallin, Erik Hedenström, Felipe Borrero, Marie Bengtsson, Volker Jörger, View ORCID ProfilePeter Witzgall
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/206375
Paul G. Becher
1Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 102, 23053 Alnarp, Sweden
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Sebastien Lebreton
1Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 102, 23053 Alnarp, Sweden
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Erika A. Wallin
2Department of Chemical Engineering, Mid Sweden University, Holmgatan 10, 85170 Sundsvall, Sweden
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Erik Hedenström
2Department of Chemical Engineering, Mid Sweden University, Holmgatan 10, 85170 Sundsvall, Sweden
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Felipe Borrero
3Biological Control Laboratory, Colombian Corporation of Agricultural Research, AA 240142 Las Palmas, Bogota, Colombia
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Marie Bengtsson
1Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 102, 23053 Alnarp, Sweden
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Volker Jörger
4Staatliches Weinbauinstitut, Merzhauserstr. 119, 79100 Freiburg, Germany
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Peter Witzgall
1Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 102, 23053 Alnarp, Sweden
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  • ORCID record for Peter Witzgall
  • For correspondence: peter.witzgall@slu.se
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Abstract

(Z)-4-undecenal (Z4-11Al) is the volatile pheromone produced by females of the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster. Female flies emit Z4-11Al at few nanograms per hour, for species-specific communication and mate-finding. Tests with synthetic Z4-11Al show that it has a characteristic off-flavour, which we perceive even at the small amounts produced by one female fly. Since only females produce Z4-11Al, and not males, we can reliably distinguish between single D. melanogaster males and females, according to their scent. A wine-tasting panel finds that we sense as little as 1 ng synthetic Z4-11Al in a glass of wine, and 10 ng Z4-11Al is perceived as a loud off-flavour. This corroborates the observation that a glass of wine is spoilt by a single D. melanogaster fly falling into it, which we here show is caused by Z4-11Al. The biological role of Z4-11Al or structurally related aldehydes in humans and the basis for this semiochemical convergence remains yet unclear.

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Posted October 20, 2017.
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The scent of the fly
Paul G. Becher, Sebastien Lebreton, Erika A. Wallin, Erik Hedenström, Felipe Borrero, Marie Bengtsson, Volker Jörger, Peter Witzgall
bioRxiv 206375; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/206375
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The scent of the fly
Paul G. Becher, Sebastien Lebreton, Erika A. Wallin, Erik Hedenström, Felipe Borrero, Marie Bengtsson, Volker Jörger, Peter Witzgall
bioRxiv 206375; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/206375

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