2001 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Study on mechanisms for production and reception of epoxy sex pheromones produced by Geometrid moths
| Project/Area Number |
10660315
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Applied molecular and cellular biology
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| Research Institution | Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology |
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Principal Investigator |
ANDO Tetsu Tokyo University of Agriculture and Tecnology Gradnate School of BASE, Prof., 大学院・生物システム応用科学研究科, 教授 (50151204)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1998 – 2001
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| Keywords | pheromone / Sex pheromone / Lepidoptera / biosynthesis / offactory perception / epoxidation / neuropeptide / pheromore binding protein |
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| Research Abstract |
Female moths in the family of Geometridae produce cis-epoxides of poly-unsaturated hydrocarbons with a straight chain. In vivo experiments using deuterium-labeled compound revealed substrate specificity of enzymes for a step of mono-epoxidation in the pheromone biosynthesis. Analysis of hemolymph of the virgin females showed occurrence of the hydrocarbons, indicating that the precursors of the epoxy pheromones were produced.outside of the pheromone gland and transported to the gland via hemolymph for perfection of the biosynthesis. This production system is different from that proposed for the silkworm moth. Furthermore, experiments with incubated pheromone glands showed that the pheromone production was regulated by a hormone (pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide, PBAN) secreted from a subesophageal ganglion. The neuropeptide did not stimulate the epoxidation enzyme, but activate transport of the hydrocarbons into the glands.
The antennae of male moths include pheromone-binding protein (PBP). The amino acid sequence of a gerometrid PBP showed positional conservation of six cysteine residues and high homology (about 80 %) with the PBP of the silkworm moth. In order to understand the mechanism of olfactory perception, its binding specificity and function is studying.
Epoxy pheromones have been also identified from females in other families ; I.e. Noctuidae, Arctiidae, and Lymantriidae. These families include a large number of species, and it is expected that some females produced further modified compounds. From two lymantriid species in, we successfully identified novel pheromone components with two epoxy rings or a trans-epoxy ring, which offered new interesting subjects for research of the epoxy sex pheromones.
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