Title: | "Biosynthetic pathway for producing the sex pheromone component (Z,E)-9,12-tetradecadienyl acetate in moths involves a delta 12 desaturase" |
Address: | "Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames 50011-3222, USA. rjurenka@iastate.edu" |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1420-682X (Print) 1420-682X (Linking) |
Abstract: | "Sex pheromones are used by insects as a form of chemical communication for the purpose of attracting conspecific mates. Female moths Cadra cautella and Spodoptera exigua use the diene (Z,E)-9,12-tetradecadienyl acetate as the major pheromone component. Biosynthesis of this pheromone component was demonstrated to occur through delta 11 desaturation of hexadecanoic acid (palmitate) to produce (Z)-11-hexadecenoic acid which is then chain-shortened to (Z)-9-tetradecenoic acid. A unique delta 12 desaturase uses the (Z)-9-tetradecenoic acid to produce (Z,E)-9,12-tetradecenoic acid which is reduced and acetylated to form the acetate ester pheromone component. Both moths also use a pheromonotropic peptide to stimulate pheromone biosynthesis" |
Keywords: | Animals Fatty Acid Desaturases/*metabolism Fatty Alcohols/*metabolism Female Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Moths/enzymology/*metabolism Pheromones/*metabolism; |
Notes: | "MedlineJurenka, R A eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Switzerland 1997/06/01 Cell Mol Life Sci. 1997 Jun; 53(6):501-5. doi: 10.1007/s000180050062" |