Cracking the chemical code: European common lizards (Zootoca vivipara) respond to an hexane soluble predator kairomone

In many animals, chemosensation acts as a first line of defence against snake predators. However, in spite of their obvious importance, the chemical nature of cues used by prey to detect snakes remains to be discovered. Here, we analyse which neutral lipids, extracted with n-hexane, are present in t...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: van Moorleghem, Charlotte, Bauwens, Dirk, Claus, Katja, Martín Rueda, José, Van Damme, Raoul
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2020
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/230474
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/230474
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Non-polar lipids
Anti-predator behaviour
Viperidae
Lacertidae
Chemodetection
GC-MS
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spelling Cracking the chemical code: European common lizards (Zootoca vivipara) respond to an hexane soluble predator kairomonevan Moorleghem, CharlotteBauwens, DirkClaus, KatjaMartín Rueda, JoséVan Damme, RaoulNon-polar lipidsAnti-predator behaviourViperidaeLacertidaeChemodetectionGC-MSIn many animals, chemosensation acts as a first line of defence against snake predators. However, in spite of their obvious importance, the chemical nature of cues used by prey to detect snakes remains to be discovered. Here, we analyse which neutral lipids, extracted with n-hexane, are present in the skin of the European adder (Vipera berus) using Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry. The analyses revealed that the washes held a complex cocktail of chemical compounds, with a total of 165 different molecules, mostly steroids (82% of the total ion current) and alkanes (13%), and smaller amounts of carboxylic acids, wax esters, ketones, amides and alcohols. Using bio-assays in which we confronted individuals of a prey species (the European common lizard, Zootoca vivipara) with these washes, we were able to confirm that the kairomones can be extracted using n-hexane. In fact, lizards did not respond to chemical cues still present in adder skin after washing, indicating that the kairomones are indeed strongly n-hexane soluble. Consequently, we have set a next step in deciphering the chemical nature of the predator-prey interaction between the European adder and the European common lizard. We hope our results facilitate further investigation into the chemical ecology of snakes and their prey.Pergamon PressConsejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [https://ror.org/02gfc7t72]2021202120202021info:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501http://hdl.handle.net/10261/230474reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSICinstname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)Ingléshttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bse.2020.104161Síinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:digital.csic.es:10261/2304742026-05-22T06:33:51Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Cracking the chemical code: European common lizards (Zootoca vivipara) respond to an hexane soluble predator kairomone
title Cracking the chemical code: European common lizards (Zootoca vivipara) respond to an hexane soluble predator kairomone
spellingShingle Cracking the chemical code: European common lizards (Zootoca vivipara) respond to an hexane soluble predator kairomone
van Moorleghem, Charlotte
Non-polar lipids
Anti-predator behaviour
Viperidae
Lacertidae
Chemodetection
GC-MS
title_short Cracking the chemical code: European common lizards (Zootoca vivipara) respond to an hexane soluble predator kairomone
title_full Cracking the chemical code: European common lizards (Zootoca vivipara) respond to an hexane soluble predator kairomone
title_fullStr Cracking the chemical code: European common lizards (Zootoca vivipara) respond to an hexane soluble predator kairomone
title_full_unstemmed Cracking the chemical code: European common lizards (Zootoca vivipara) respond to an hexane soluble predator kairomone
title_sort Cracking the chemical code: European common lizards (Zootoca vivipara) respond to an hexane soluble predator kairomone
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv van Moorleghem, Charlotte
Bauwens, Dirk
Claus, Katja
Martín Rueda, José
Van Damme, Raoul
author van Moorleghem, Charlotte
author_facet van Moorleghem, Charlotte
Bauwens, Dirk
Claus, Katja
Martín Rueda, José
Van Damme, Raoul
author_role author
author2 Bauwens, Dirk
Claus, Katja
Martín Rueda, José
Van Damme, Raoul
author2_role author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [https://ror.org/02gfc7t72]
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Non-polar lipids
Anti-predator behaviour
Viperidae
Lacertidae
Chemodetection
GC-MS
topic Non-polar lipids
Anti-predator behaviour
Viperidae
Lacertidae
Chemodetection
GC-MS
description In many animals, chemosensation acts as a first line of defence against snake predators. However, in spite of their obvious importance, the chemical nature of cues used by prey to detect snakes remains to be discovered. Here, we analyse which neutral lipids, extracted with n-hexane, are present in the skin of the European adder (Vipera berus) using Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry. The analyses revealed that the washes held a complex cocktail of chemical compounds, with a total of 165 different molecules, mostly steroids (82% of the total ion current) and alkanes (13%), and smaller amounts of carboxylic acids, wax esters, ketones, amides and alcohols. Using bio-assays in which we confronted individuals of a prey species (the European common lizard, Zootoca vivipara) with these washes, we were able to confirm that the kairomones can be extracted using n-hexane. In fact, lizards did not respond to chemical cues still present in adder skin after washing, indicating that the kairomones are indeed strongly n-hexane soluble. Consequently, we have set a next step in deciphering the chemical nature of the predator-prey interaction between the European adder and the European common lizard. We hope our results facilitate further investigation into the chemical ecology of snakes and their prey.
publishDate 2020
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2020
2021
2021
2021
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10261/230474
url http://hdl.handle.net/10261/230474
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bse.2020.104161
Sí
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Pergamon Press
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Pergamon Press
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
instname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
instname_str Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
reponame_str DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
collection DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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