Drosophila athabasca Cuticular Hydrocarbon Synthesis

Pheromones secreted by plants and animals can serve a number of roles, including sexual selection, communication, and signaling. Most frequently studied are sex pheromones, which are linked to sexual preference during mating in insects. In one particular population of insects, Drosophila athabasca, the role of pheromones is being investigated as a potential driver for sexual selection leading to speciation. However, the role these fruit fly’s pheromones play is still yet to be determined and further research needs to be done to better understand what purpose these race-specific pheromones serve within the population. Each race-specific pheromone is composed of vary ratios of unsaturated hydrocarbons locate on the cuticles of the fly, known as cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs). Each race-specific pheromone cannot be collected from the flies in sufficient quantity as needed to conduct experiments to determine their effect. As a result, syntheses of these cuticular hydrocarbons are integral to understanding the role of pheromones in the driving force of speciation. This research focuses on the efficient production of the cuticular hydrocarbons that make up each of the D. athabasca pheromones. Production of cuticular hydrocarbons must be efficient, relatively pure, and in ample yield. Synthetic organic methods including acid-base, nucleophilic substitution, and selective hydrogenation are implemented for quantitative yields of pure substance. Syntheses of these cuticular hydrocarbons were evaluated using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy for purity, reaction progress, and product identification. Using these methods, the synthesis of race-specific cuticular hydrocarbons was successfully completed with relative purity and in high yield. This work, along with further identification and synthesis of active cuticular hydrocarbons, will contribute to understanding the role of pheromones within the D. athabasca population, including their potential effect on speciation.