Acquisition of a Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer for Insect Biology Research

请拨经费购买一台耦合气相色谱仪/质谱仪，主要用于研究昆虫的生态学、行为和生理学。提出了几个项目。该仪器将用于从栖息在松树上的树皮甲虫中识别信息素和其他行为活性化合物。另一个项目将研究果蝇体内酚类物质的生物合成途径，以及蝼蛄体内重要的防水剂表皮脂质的生物合成途径。另一项研究将使用该仪器研究昆虫体内负责酶诱导的同种异体化学物质及其代谢物。心脏苷类和吡咯利西啶类生物碱被蝴蝶用作防御化合物，将用该仪器进行鉴定。最后，还将确定参与宿主与寄生虫相互作用的昆虫激素。

Funds are requested to purchase a coupled gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer that will be used primarily in studies of the ecology, behavior and physiology of insects. Several projects are proposed. The instrument will be used to identify pheromones and other behaviorally active compounds from bark beetles that inhabit pine trees. Another project will study the biosynthetic pathway of phenromones in fruit flies and also cuticular lipids that are important water proofing agents in mole crickets. Another study will use the instrument to study allochemicals and their metabolites that are responsible for enzyme induction in insects. Cardiac glycosides and pyrrolizidine alkaloids used as defensive compounds by butterflies will be identified with the instrument. Finally, the insect hormones involved in host parasite interactions will also be determined.