EDRI Federal Project Inventory:
Biochemistry and Endocrine Regulation of Insect Pheromone
- Sponsor Organization: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
- Project Title: BIOCHEMISTRY AND ENDOCRINE REGULATION OF INSECT PHEROMONE
- Project Focus: ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS
- Description: The goal of the proposed work is to gain a detailed understanding of
the biochemicalprocesses by which ovarian-produced ecdysteroids
regulate sex pheromone productionin the housefly, Musca domestica L.
NSF-funded work on this project has elucidatedthe site of pheromone
synthesis, the metabolic pathways used in pheromoneproduction, the
mechanism of Z9- 23:Hy formation and the role of 20-hydroxyecdysonein
pheromone production. Three distinct types of hormones regulate
pheromoneproduction in insects: a neurosecretory peptide (PBAN) in
many Lepidoptera (mothsand butterflies), juvenile hormones in
Dictyoptera (cockroaches) and Coleoptera(beetles), and ecdysteroids in
the Diptera (including the housefly). In none of thesesystems is there
a clear understanding of the specific enzyme activities that
arehormonally altered to result in pheromone production. In the
housefly, strong evidencehas been obtained that ecdysteroids affect
fatty acylCoA elongation activity, and notthe chain length specificity
of the steps that convert the fatty acyl-CoA to fatty aldehydeand then
to hydrocarbon. Studies are proposed to examine how ecdysteroids
inducethe synthesis of the major sex pheromone components. This work
will provide the basisof an in- depth understanding of the
biochemistry and endocrine regulation of dipteransex pheromones and
provide a model for the regulation of hydrocarbon synthesis in
theInsecta. A detailed understanding of the biochemistry and
regulation of sex pheromoneproduction in insects is required to take
full advantage of pheromones in insect control.
- References:
- Category: MODELS
- Subcategory: BASIC RESEARCH
- Keywords for Experimental System/Species: INVERTEBRATES, IN VIVO, LABORATORY STUDY
- Keywords for Experimental Endpoints: NEUROLOGICAL, REPRODUCTIVE, HORMONE MEASURES, SEX STEROIDS, PEPTIDE
HORMONES,PHYSIOLOGY, BREEDING BEHAVIOR
- Chemical Agents: Sex Steroids
- Performing Institution: University of Nevada Reno
- Contact: Gary J Blomquist, Reno, NV 89557 702 784-1110
blomquis@fs.scs.unr.edu
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