Spurge toxins as a winder of evolution in hawkmoths: Phorbol ester detoxification by Hyles euphorbiae (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae)

大戟属植物大戟科的几种大戟属植物是大戟幼虫的食源，这些植物含有具有多种有害生物活性的酚酯类。因此，研究表明，大戟对高剂量的共致癌物硫酚双酯TPA（12-十四烷醇-硫酚-13-乙酸酯）完全不敏感。申请人公布的实验和初步实验表明，幼虫代谢二萜酯，而不是像以前所建议的那样将它们隔离。在食用TPA的幼虫的粪便中检测到几种假定的TPA代谢物，这表明有几种生物学途径参与其中。在本项目中，将阐明和鉴定大戟对磷酯可能的解毒途径。这个跨学科项目结合了分析化学和分子生物学，以获得所涉及的酶促反应的详尽见解。为了理解这一生态性状作为Hyles属的关键创新的进化相关性，将把大戟属的代谢物与其他具有不同偏好（食用植物光谱、对TPA的敏感性）和候选酶的Hyles物种的代谢物进行比较。

The larvae of Hyles euphorbiae feed on several spurge species of the genus Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae), containing phorbol esters with numerous harmful biological activities. Accordingly, it has been shown, that H. euphorbiae is completely insensitive to high doses of the co-carcinogenic phorbol diester TPA (12-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate). Published and preliminary experiments by the applicant indicated, that the larvae metabolise the diterpene esters, rather than sequestering them as had been previously suggested. Several putative metabolites of TPA have been detected in the faeces of TPA-fed larvae, suggesting several biological pathways involved. In this project, possible detoxification pathways of phorbol esters by H. euphorbiae shall be elucidated and identified.This interdisciplinary project combines analytical chemistry and molecular biology to gain an exhaustive insight of the enzymatic reactions involved. To understand the evolutionary relevance of this ecological trait as a key innovation within the genus Hyles, metabolites of H. euphorbiae will be compared to those of additional Hyles species with different preferences (food plant spectra, sensitivity to TPA) and enzyme candidates will be characterized.