Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37891331›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2023

Non-targeted metabolomics aids in sex pheromone identification: a proof-of-concept study with the triangulate cobweb spider, Steatoda triangulosa.

Andreas Fischer, Andrea C Roman-Torres, Jane Vurdela, Yerin Lee, Nastaran Bahar, Regine Gries, Santosh Alamsetti, Hongwen Chen, Gerhard Gries

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Olfaction with legs-Spiders use wall-pore sensilla for pheromone detection.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Andreas FischerDepartment of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada. andreas.fischer@uni-greifswald.de.
Andrea C Roman-TorresDepartment of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
Jane VurdelaDepartment of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
Yerin LeeDepartment of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
Nastaran BaharDepartment of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
Regine GriesDepartment of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
Santosh AlamsettiDepartment of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
Hongwen ChenDepartment of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
Gerhard GriesDepartment of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Targeted metabolomics has been widely used in pheromone research but may miss pheromone components in study organisms that produce pheromones in trace amount and/or lack bio-detectors (e.g., antennae) to readily locate them in complex samples. Here, we used non-targeted metabolomics-together with high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS), gas chromatography-MS, and behavioral bioassays-to unravel the sex pheromone of the triangulate cobweb spider, Steatoda triangulosa. A ternary blend of three contact pheromone components [N-4-methylvaleroyl-O-isobutyroyl-L-serine (5), N-3-methylbutyryl-O-isobutyroyl-L-serine (11), and N-3-methylbutyryl-O-butyroyl-L-serine (12)] elicited courtship by S. triangulosa males as effectively as female web extract. Hydrolysis of 5, 11 and 12 at the ester bond gave rise to two mate-attractant pheromone components [butyric acid (7) and isobutyric acid (8)] which attracted S. triangulosa males as effectively as female webs. Pheromone components 11 and 12 are reported in spiders for the first time, and were discovered only through the use of non-targeted metabolomics and GC-MS. All compounds resemble pheromone components previously identified in widow spiders. Our study provides impetus to apply non-targeted metabolomics for pheromone research in a wide range of animal taxa.

Indexed as

Sex AttractantsSpidersAnimalsFemaleHydrolasesMalePheromonesSerineSexual Behavior, AnimalHydrolasesPheromonesSerineSex Attractants

Identifiers

PMID37891331
PMCPMC10611747

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.