Endocrine Regulation of Sex Phermone Production in the Housefly

这项工作的目标是详细了解来自卵巢的产物在普通家蝇中引发性信息素产生的生化过程。家蝇的性信息素是雌性家蝇产生的一种化学引诱剂，用于吸引雄性家蝇交配。我们需要更好地了解性信息素的产生，利用昆虫中这种重要的化学交流形式。昆虫的性信息素产生的调节是通过鳞翅目的脑因子，蟑螂和甲虫的幼年激素，家蝇和其他双翅目的表皮类固醇来实现的。在这些系统中，我们都不清楚哪些酶的活性受到影响来控制性信息素的产生。本文的研究旨在明确受蜕皮激素影响而导致性信息素产生的酶，并为制定基于抑制性信息素产生的昆虫防治策略提供必要的基础信息。

The goal of the proposed work is to gain a detailed understanding of the biochemical processes by which a product from the ovary initiates sex pheromone production in the common housefly. The housefly sex pheromone is a chemical attractant produced by the female to attract males for mating. A better understanding of sex pheromone production is needed to take advantage of this essential form of chemical communication in insects. The regulation of sex pheromone production in insects occurs via a brain factor in Lepidoptera, by juvenile hormones in cockroaches and beetles and by ecdysteroids in the housefly and perhaps in other Diptera. In none of these systems is it clearly understood which enzyme activities are affected to control sex pheromone production. The work proposed here is designed to gain a clear understanding of the enzymes influenced by ecdysone which result in sex pheromone production and to provide the basic information necessary to develop insect control strategies based on inhibiting sex pheromone production.