Polar Lipids from Insect and Tick Cuticle. Analysis and Discovery of Their Roles in Semiochemical Signaling

摘要

Insects and ticks display short-range semiochemicals on their surface that can be quickly analyzed by LC/MS/MS methods. Inferences about biological function are obtained by comparing males and females, or social insect colony workers performing different tasks. LC fractions containing the identified semiochemicals are subsequently available for testing in bioassays. Glandular sources of the semiochemicals can be identified by imaging mass spectrometry, even on very small insects. Although phospholipids, steroids, and esters can be easily identified from MS/MS spectra, automated identification methods for other lipids are needed.