| Title: | Aphid sex pheromones: from discovery to commercial production |
| Address: | "Biological Chemistry Division, Rothamsted Research, Hertfordshire, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, UK" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/s0031-9422(02)00568-x |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 0031-9422 (Print) 0031-9422 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "This review charts the progress made with aphid sex pheromone chemistry, from initial identification of cyclopentanoid nepetalactones, for example (4aS,7S,7aR)-nepetalactone (1). and (1R,4aS,7S,7aR)-nepetalactol (2). to commercial production from a renewable non-food crop, the catmint, Nepeta cataria (Lamiaceae). The availability of aphid sex pheromone components is now facilitating the development of new aphid pest control strategies, incorporating the use of other semiochemicals, particularly in the manipulation of populations of aphid parasitoids and aphid predators such as lacewings, which can utilise the nepetalactones and closely related molecules to locate their hosts and prey. This is the first example of a plant resource being developed as a feedstock for the production of a commercially valuable insect pheromone. The development of a plant-based production route highlights the tremendous potential that higher plants offer as cheap and renewable resources for the production of insect semiochemicals, through the wide array of secondary metabolites that they can generate" |
| Keywords: | Animals Aphids/*chemistry/growth & development Biotechnology/*methods Chemical Fractionation/methods Cyclopentanes/chemistry Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Nepeta/chemistry/metabolism Sex Attractants/analysis/biosynthesis/*chemistry Stereoisomerism; |
| Notes: | "MedlineBirkett, Michael A Pickett, John A eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Review England 2003/03/07 Phytochemistry. 2003 Mar; 62(5):651-6. doi: 10.1016/s0031-9422(02)00568-x" |
