| Title: | Terminal fatty-acyl-CoA desaturase involved in sex pheromone biosynthesis in the winter moth (Operophtera brumata) |
| Author(s): | Ding BJ; Lienard MA; Wang HL; Zhao CH; Lofstedt C; |
| Address: | "Functional Zoology, Department of Biology, Lund University, Solvegatan 37, SE-22362 Lund, Sweden. bao-jian.ding@biol.lu.se" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.ibmb.2011.05.003 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1879-0240 (Electronic) 0965-1748 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "The winter moth (Operophtera brumata L., Lepidoptera: Geometridae) utilizes a single hydrocarbon, 1,Z3,Z6,Z9-nonadecatetraene, as its sex pheromone. We tested the hypothesis that a fatty acid precursor, Z11,Z14,Z17,19-nonadecanoic acid, is biosynthesized from alpha-linolenic acid, through chain elongation by one 2-carbon unit, and subsequent methyl-terminus desaturation. Our results show that labeled alpha-linolenic acid is indeed incorporated into the pheromone component in vivo. A fatty-acyl-CoA desaturase gene that we found to be expressed in the abdominal epidermal tissue, the presumed site of biosynthesis for type II pheromones, was characterized and expressed heterologously in a yeast system. The transgenic yeast expressing this insect derived gene could convert Z11,Z14,Z17-eicosatrienoic acid into Z11,Z14,Z17,19-eicosatetraenoic acid. These results provide evidence that a terminal desaturation step is involved in the winter moth pheromone biosynthesis, prior to the decarboxylation" |
| Keywords: | "8, 11, 14-Eicosatrienoic Acid/metabolism Amino Acid Sequence Animals Arachidonic Acid/metabolism Base Sequence Cloning, Molecular DNA, Complementary Fatty Acid Desaturases/*genetics/metabolism Fatty Acids/metabolism Female Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectromet;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineDing, Bao-Jian Lienard, Marjorie A Wang, Hong-Lei Zhao, Cheng-Hua Lofstedt, Christer eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2011/06/10 Insect Biochem Mol Biol. 2011 Sep; 41(9):715-22. doi: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2011.05.003. Epub 2011 May 30" |
