Comprehensive analysis of nutrition metabolism regulator FACs in Arthropod

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26850063
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Applied biochemistry
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Yoshinaga Naoko 京都大学, (連合)農学研究科(研究院), 助教 (40456819)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 昆虫 / 窒素代謝 / FACｓ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Fatty acid-amino acid conjugates (FACs), identified from lepidopteran larval regurgitant, are known plant volatile elicitors. Since the released plant volatile compounds attract parasitic wasp (a natural enemy of the larvae), such plant volatile emission is considered as an indirect plant defense reaction. The FACs also function as enhancer of larval nitrogen assimilation and we identified these FACs from outside of lepidopteran insects. The research aimed to identify a synthase of FACs from insects. The other question was how such simple and popular chemical compounds could become a key elicitor in insect-plant interaction. In order to understand the ecological background of FACs, detailed analysis was conducted using different plant seedlings treated with purified each FAC compounds. It was suggested that plants have developed herbivory-detection systems customized to their herbivorous enemies.

Free Research Field

化学生態学