Hormonal Controls of Moth Sex Pheromone Production

由于分离技术和结构表征仪器的进步，神经肽领域在过去几年中呈现出爆炸式的活跃。虽然许多昆虫神经肽最近已经被表征，但关于它们的受体和作用方式的信息确实很少。在研究一种调节红带飞蛾信息素产生的脑神经肽时，Roelofs博士发现，法氏囊对这种神经肽的活动是必不可少的。他现在已经从法氏囊中分离出一种因子，当脑神经肽存在时，法氏囊就会释放这种因子，而这种因子反过来又参与了信息素的产生。提出了一个独特的机会来定义这些多肽在信息素生产中的作用。这不仅为比较其他昆虫物种中的激素控制提供了基础，并暗示了这种内分泌系统是如何进化的，而且还将允许识别编码这些激素的特定基因，以便可能用于新型昆虫控制计划的转基因操作。

The field of neuropeptides has exploded with activity in the past few years because of advances in isolation techniques and instrumentatation for structural characterization. Although many insect neuropeptides have recently been characterized there is a real paucity of information on their receptors and mode of action. In researching a brain neuropeptide that regulates pheromone production in redbanded leafroller moths, Dr. Roelofs discovered that the corpus bursae was essential for activity of this neuropeptide. He now has isolated a factor from the bursa that is released when the brain neuropeptide is present and this factor, in turn, is involved in turning on pheromone production. A unique opportunity is presented to define the role of these peptides in pheromone production. This not only provides a basis for comparison of hormonal controls in other insect species, with implications on how this endocrine system evolved, but also will allow the identification of specific genes encoding these hormones for possible use in transgenic manipulations for novel insect control programs.//