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Introduction
Chemical communication in a post-genomic world
May R. Berenbaum* and Gene E. Robinson
Department of Entomology, University of Illinois, 320 Morrill Hall, 505 South Goodwin, Urbana, IL 61801
With genome sequences accumulating at a rapid pace, one
major goal of biology is to understand the function of
genes. Many gene functions are comprehensible only within the
context of chemical communication, and emerging research on
genomics and chemical communication has catalyzed develop-
ment of this highly productive interface. Many of the most
abundantly represented genes in the genomes characterized to
date encode proteins mediating interactions among organisms,
including odorant receptors and binding proteins, enzymes
involved in biosynthesis of pheromones and toxins, and enzymes
catalyzing the detoxification of defense compounds. Chemosen-
sory signaling shares several features irrespective of t axon;
components of the vast majority of chemosensory signaling
systems include a receptor that interacts with a signal molecule,
a signal transducer, an amplifier, and a receiver. Across a wide
range of organisms, many of the same classes of molecules
perform these functions, even if the precise identity of the
molecule in particular systems differs. Genome sequencing
projects are bringing these similarities into sharp focus for the
first time, particularly in the area of chemical communication.
Determining the molecular underpinnings of the component
elements of chemical communication systems in all of their
forms has the potential to explain a vast array of ecological and
evolutionary phenomena. By the same token, ecologists who
elucidate the environmental challenges faced by the organisms
are uniquely well equipped to characterize natural ligands for
receptors and substrates for enzymes. Thus, partnerships be-
tween genome biologists and chemical ecologists can be ex-
tremely synergistic. To date, these groups have rarely had
1. Eisner, T. & Berenbaum, M. (2002) Science 295, 1973.
2 Eisner, T. & Meinwald, J., eds. (1995) Chemical Ecology: The Chemistry of
Biotic Interaction (Natl. Acad. Press, Washington, DC).
www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/ 10.1 073/pnas.2335883 100
opportunities to interact within a single forum. Such interactions
are vital given the considerable practical benefits potentially
stemming from these studies, including the development of
biorational products for agricultural and forest pest manage-
ment, for disease treatment, and for improving the quality of
ecosystem health (1~.
In 1994, the National Academy of Sciences sponsored a
colloquium on chemical ecology; that colloquium, the proceed-
ings of which were published in PNAS, resulted in the publica-
tion of a book edited by Thomas Eisner and Jerrold Meinwald,
and generated considerable interest in and excitement about the
field (2~. Since that time, with the availability of genomic tools,
the field has metamorphosed and progressed in unprecedented
quantum leaps. We organized this Arthur M. Sackler collo-
quium, held almost a decade later, to aid in the effort to integrate
chemical ecology into the broader context of modern molecular
biology. The articles in this volume, representing the proceedings
of the colloquium held January 17-19 at the Arnold and Mabel
Beckman Center in Irvine, California, provide not only examples
of cutting-edge work at the interface between molecular and
oganismal biology but also useful perspectives and guidelines for
future work in these and other systems. We thank Dr. James
Langer, vice president of the National Academy of Sciences, and
the Sackler selection committee for providing the resources to
support the colloquium; Miriam Glaser Heston, program officer
for the colloquium series, for superb logistical support and
advice; and Andrew Pillifant and Christina Colosimo of the
editorial staff of PNAS for invaluable assistance in assembling
this special issue. This volume is dedicated to Drs. Eisner and
Meinwald, trailblazers and intellectual leaders in this field.
This paper serves as an introduction to the following papers, which result from the Arthur
M. Sackler Colloquium of the National Academy of Sciences, "Chemical Communication in
a Post-Genomic World," held January 17-19, 2003, at the Arnolc] and Mabel Beckman
Center of the National Academies of Science and Engineering in Irvine, CA.
*E-mail: maybe~uiuc.edu.
2003 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA
PNAS 1 November 25, 2003 1 vol. 100 1 suppl. 2 1 14513
Representative terms from entire chapter:
beckman center
