| Title: | Sex pheromone biosynthesis in the processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa by delta-13 desaturation |
| Author(s): | Arsequell G; Fabrias G; Camps F; |
| Address: | "Department of Biological Organic Chemistry (CID--CSIC), Barcelona, Spain" |
| Journal Title: | Arch Insect Biochem Physiol |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 0739-4462 (Print) 0739-4462 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "In vivo treatments of female sex pheromone glands of the processionary moth, Thaumetopoea pityocampa, with mass-labeled fatty acids showed that (Z)-13-hexadecen-11-ynyl acetate, the main sex pheromone component, is biosynthesized from palmitic acid by the combined action of delta-11 and delta-13 desaturases. The involvement of this unusual delta-13 has been proven by application of [16,16,16-2H3] [1,2-13C2]-hexadecanoic acid to the glands with a resultant incorporation of all labeled atoms into the pheromone and each one of the corresponding intermediates. These results seem to exclude alternative biosynthetic pathways, such as chain shortening and elongation combined with delta-11 desaturation. The delta-11 desaturase responsible for the formation of the triple bond in both the 11-hexadecynoyl and (Z)-13-hexadecen-11-ynoyl intermediates is also an unusual enzyme not previously reported in lepidopteran sex pheromone biosynthesis" |
| Keywords: | Animals Fatty Acid Desaturases/*metabolism Female Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Moths/enzymology/*metabolism Sex Attractants/*biosynthesis; |
| Notes: | "MedlineArsequell, G Fabrias, G Camps, F eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 1990/01/01 Arch Insect Biochem Physiol. 1990; 14(1):47-56. doi: 10.1002/arch.940140106" |
