Biochemistry and Endocrine Regulation of Insect Pheromone

9630916布洛姆奎斯特 拟开展的工作的目标是详细了解卵巢产生的蜕皮激素调节家蝇性信息素产生的生化过程。 NSF资助的这一项目的工作已经阐明了信息素合成的位点，信息素生产中使用的代谢途径，Z9-23：Hy形成的机制以及20-hydroxyecdysone在信息素生产中的作用。三种不同类型的激素调节昆虫信息素的产生：许多鳞翅目（蛾和蝴蝶）中的神经分泌肽（PBAN），网翅目（蟑螂）和鞘翅目（甲虫）中的保幼激素，以及双翅目（包括家蝇）中的蜕皮类固醇。在这些系统中没有一个是有一个明确的理解，具体的酶的活动，这是经尿道改变，导致信息素的生产。在家蝇中，已经获得了强有力的证据表明蜕皮类固醇影响脂肪酰基CoA延伸活性，而不是将脂肪酰基CoA转化为脂肪醛然后转化为烃的步骤的链长特异性。研究拟探讨蜕皮激素如何诱导性信息素的主要成分的合成。本工作将为深入了解双翅目昆虫性信息素的生物化学和内分泌调控提供基础，并为昆虫纲烃类合成的调控提供模型。为了充分利用信息素在昆虫控制中的作用，需要对昆虫性信息素产生的生物化学和调控有详细的了解。

9630916 Blomquist The goal of the proposed work is to gain a detailed understanding of the biochemical processes by which ovarian-produced ecdysteroids regulate sex pheromone production in the housefly, Musca domestica L. NSF-funded work on this project has elucidated the site of pheromone synthesis, the metabolic pathways used in pheromone production, the mechanism of Z9-23:Hy formation and the role of 20hydroxyecdysone in pheromone production. Three distinct types of hormones regulate pheromone production in insects: a neurosecretory peptide (PBAN) in many Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies), juvenile hormones in Dictyoptera (cockroaches) and Coleoptera (beetles), and ecdysteroids in the Diptera (including the housefly). In none of these systems is there a clear understanding of the specific enzyme activities that are hormonally altered to result in pheromone production. In the housefly, strong evidence has been obtained that ecdysteroids affect fatty acylCoA elongation activity, and not the chain length specificity of the steps that convert the fatty acyl-CoA to fatty aldehyde and then to hydrocarbon. Studies are proposed to examine how ecdysteroids induce the synthesis of the major sex pheromone components. This work will provide the basis of an in-depth understanding of the biochemistry and endocrine regulation of dipteran sex pheromones and provide a model for the regulation of hydrocarbon synthesis in the Insecta. A detailed understanding of the biochemistry and regulation of sex pheromone production in insects is required to take full advantage of pheromones in insect control.