Moth Sex Pheromone Biosynthesis: Key Enzyme Characteriza- tion

蛾性信息素通讯系统是影响田间物种繁殖专一性的重要因素，已被用于害虫管理项目中，以监测和抑制某些害虫物种。本提案中的研究将调查雌蛾使用的不同生化路线，以产生每一物种使用的独特的信息素化学混合物。将对在新西兰发现的原始物种使用的生物合成路线与北美物种使用的生物合成路线进行比较，以获得关于这些酶系统进化的信息。这些生化途径中使用的关键酶，特别是一种独特的去饱和酶，将在不同物种之间进行特征和比较。与这些特征同步进行的还有一项对编码这些独特酶的信使核糖核酸的研究。这项工作的长期目标将是确定与性信息素化合物的产生有关的基因和基因表达的调节。在以后的某个日期，将这些基因插入农作物中的技术可能会成为开发新的昆虫控制程序的一种手段。

Moth sex pheromone communication systems are an important factor in effecting species reproductive specificity in the field, and they have been utilized in pest management programs to monitor and suppress certain pest species. Research in the present proposal will investigate different biochemical routes that are used by female moths to produce the unique chemical blends of pheromones used by each species. A comparison of biosynthetic routes used by primitive species found in New Zealand to those used by species in North America will be carried out to obtain information on the evolution of these enzyme systems. Key enzymes, particularly a unique desaturase, used in these biochemical pathways will be characterized and compared among species. Concurrent with these characterizations will be a study of the mRNA's that encode for those unique enzymes. The long-term goal of this effort will be to identify the genes and the regulation of the expression of the genes involved in the production of the sex pheromone compounds. At some later date, the techniques may be available to insert these genes in agricultural crops as a means for developing novel insect control programs.