| Title: | "A novel sex-specific and inducible monoterpene synthase activity associated with a pine bark beetle, the pine engraver, Ips pini" |
| Author(s): | Martin D; Bohlmann J; Gershenzon J; Francke W; Seybold SJ; |
| Address: | "Biotechnology Laboratory and Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, 6174 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada" |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s00114-003-0410-y |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 0028-1042 (Print) 0028-1042 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Ecological interactions of conifers and coniferophagous bark beetles are determined in part by terpenoids (isoprenoids), which are major defense metabolites of conifer oleoresin. Curiously, similar compounds are important aggregation pheromones of conifer-attacking bark beetles. Terpene synthases are responsible for generating the enormous variety of terpenoid carbon skeletons found in nature. These catalysts convert short-chain prenyl diphosphates to a diverse assortment of hemiterpene, monoterpene, sesquiterpene, and diterpene natural products. While terpene synthases have frequently been characterized from plant and microbial sources, they have not yet been described in animals. Here we report the discovery of a monoterpene synthase activity in an insect, the pine engraver, Ips pini (Say) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). Cell-free assays of I. pini revealed that geranyl diphosphate (GDP) is converted to the acyclic monoterpene myrcene in whole-body extracts from males, but not females. Furthermore, the monoterpene synthase activity in males can be induced by prior treatment with juvenile hormone III (JH III) or by feeding on phloem from the host trees, Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi Grev. & Balf.) or red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.). The sex-specificity and endocrine induction of this activity argue for its involvement in the biosynthesis of monoterpenoid pheromones mediated by enzymes from insect tissue. This discovery is the first example of a monoterpene synthase in the Metazoa and evokes exciting new questions about the origin, evolution, and occurrence of terpene synthases" |
| Keywords: | Animals Coleoptera/*enzymology Enzyme Induction Female Intramolecular Lyases/biosynthesis/*metabolism Kinetics Male Pinus Sex Characteristics; |
| Notes: | "MedlineMartin, Diane Bohlmann, Jorg Gershenzon, Jonathan Francke, Wittko Seybold, Steven J eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Germany 2003/04/25 Naturwissenschaften. 2003 Apr; 90(4):173-9. doi: 10.1007/s00114-003-0410-y. Epub 2003 Apr 1" |
