Elucidation of insect steroid hormone biosynthetic pathway

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H02214
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 39050:Insect science-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Ono Hajime 京都大学, 農学研究科, 准教授 (70452282)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 片岡 宏誌 東京大学, 大学院新領域創成科学研究科, 教授 (60202008)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: エクダイソン / ステロイドホルモン / 生合成 / 前胸腺 / 重水素ラベル体 / 生理活性物質 / ショウジョウバエ / カイコ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The biosynthetic pathway of the insect steroid hormone ecdysone has not been elucidated. Notably, the reaction process in which the ecdysteroid-specific skeleton has not been characterized. The pathway has been considered as the rate-limiting step, and therefore, is an important biological reaction process. In this study, two novel compounds, T1-a and T2-c, have been identified to be possible candidate intermediates. We synthesized deuterium-labeled T1-a and T2-c compounds. The synthesized deuterium-labeled compounds were incubated with the prothoracic glands of the silkworm which is the steroid hormone biosynthetic tissue, and we confirmed that the labeled compounds were converted to labeled ecdysone. Thus, compounds T1-a and T2-c were converted to ecdysone in the prothoracic glands, therefore, we conclude that these compounds are intermediates of the unknown pathway.

Free Research Field

昆虫生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の成果により、エクダイソンが関与する昆虫の発育制御や環境応答の機構の解明につながると同時に、農薬開発等の応用研究にも結びつくことが期待できる。また、昆虫のみならず哺乳類のステロイドホルモン生合成の中間体でもある7-デヒドロコレステロールの重水素ラベル体の簡易合成法を確立した。本法を用いることで7-デヒドロコレステロールおよび類縁化合物のラベル体の有機合成が可能となる。ステロイドホルモンは様々な生物の発育を制御しているため、基礎研究における波及性が大きいと考えられる。