Japan JSPS Program: Isolation of Genetic Markers for Insect3B-forming-3-Ketoreductase

该奖项将提供补充支持 让杜克大学的多萝西·朗特里博士 大学进行合作研究 在金泽和樱井翔医生一起工作了12个月 日本的大学。 朗特里和樱井将 利用朗特里在分子生物学领域的专业知识， 内分泌学研究酮还原酶， 它在调节昆虫生理方面的作用， 发展 昆虫被甲壳质的外骨骼包裹 当昆虫生长时，它们会脱落或蜕皮。 这个蜕皮过程是由一个家庭控制的 被称为蜕皮激素的类固醇激素。 昆虫蜕皮甾体的合成 前胸腺是由释放的 促前胸腺激素（PTTH）， 昆虫大脑中的蜕皮激素 最近 另一种蜕皮类固醇，3-脱氢蜕皮激素， 被发现是一些人分泌的PTTH， 昆虫 这种PTTH通过以下方式被还原为蜕皮激素： 一种酶酮还原酶 樱井博士是 目前是世界上最好的调查员， 酮还原酶和Rountree博士的经验 利用分子和内分泌技术， 促进酮还原酶的研究 分子和基因水平， 酶的重要调节信息 在昆虫发育中的作用

This award will provide supplementary support to enable Dr. Dorothy Rountree of Duke University to conduct collaborative research with Dr. Sho Sakurai for 12 months at Kanazawa University in Japan. Rountree and Sakurai will utilize Rountree's expertise in molecular endocrinology to investigate ketoreductase and its role in regulating insect physiology and development. Insects are encased by a chitinous exoskeleton which is shed or molted when the insects grow. This molting process is controlled by a family of steroid hormones known as ecdysteroids. Synthesis of these ecdysteroids in the insect's prothoracic glands is triggered by the release of a prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH), ecdysone, from the insect's brain. Recently another ecdysteroid, 3-dehydro-ecdysone, was discovered to be the PTTH secreted by some insects. This PTTH is reduced to ecdysone by an enzyme, ketoreductase. Dr. Sakurai is currently the world's premier investigator of ketoreductase and Dr. Rountree's experience with molecular and endocrine techniques will facilitate the study of ketoreductase at the molecular and genetic level, providing information on the enzyme's vital regulatory role in insect development.