Two fatty acyl reductases involved in moth pheromone biosynthesis.

Fatty acyl reductases (FARs) constitute an evolutionarily conserved gene family found in all kingdoms of life. Members of the FAR gene family play diverse roles, including seed oil synthesis, insect pheromone biosynthesis, and mammalian wax biosynthesis. In insects, FAR genes dedicated to sex pheromone biosynthesis (pheromone-gland-specific fatty acyl reductase, pgFAR) form a unique clade that exhibits substantial modifications in gene structure and possesses unique specificity and selectivity for fatty acyl substrates.

Construction of an in vivo system for functional analysis of the genes involved in sex pheromone production in the silkmoth, Bombyx mori.

Moths produce species-specific sex pheromones to attract conspecific mates. The biochemical processes that comprise sex pheromone biosynthesis are precisely regulated and a number of gene products are involved in this biosynthesis and regulation. In recent years, at least 300 EST clones have been isolated from Bombyx mori pheromone gland (PG) specific cDNA libraries with some of those clones [i.

Studies of sex pheromone production under neuroendocrine control by analytical and morphological means in the oriental armyworm, Pseudaletia separata, Walker (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Most female moths produce species-specific sex pheromone blends in the modified epidermal pheromone gland (PG) cells generally located between the 8 and 9th abdominal segments. The biosynthesis is often regulated by pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN) either in or prior to de novo fatty acid synthesis or at the formation of oxygenated functional group. In Pseudaletia separata, information about life span, calling, PG morphology, daily fluctuation of pheromone production and its hormonal regulation is limited.

Pheromone-gland-specific fatty-acyl reductase in the adzuki bean borer, Ostrinia scapulalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae).

The adzuki bean borer moth, Ostrinia scapulalis, uses a mixture of (E)-11- and (Z)-11-tetradecenyl acetates as a sex pheromone. At a step in the pheromone biosynthetic pathway, fatty-acyl precursors are converted to corresponding alcohols by an enzyme, fatty-acyl reductase (FAR). Here we report the cloning of FAR-like genes expressed in the pheromone gland of female O.

Molecular mechanisms underlying sex pheromone production in the silkmoth, Bombyx mori: characterization of the molecular components involved in bombykol biosynthesis.

Many species of female moths produce sex pheromones to attract conspecific males. To date, sex pheromones from more than 570 moth species have been chemically identified. Most moth species utilize Type I pheromones that consist of straight-chain compounds 10-18 carbons in length with a functional group of a primary alcohol, aldehyde, or acetate ester and usually with several double bonds.

Cloning and characterization of the pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide receptor from the silkmoth, Bombyx mori. Significance of the carboxyl terminus in receptor internalization.

In most Lepidoptera, pheromone biosynthesis is regulated by a neuropeptide termed pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN). Although much is known about the cellular targets of PBAN, identification and functional characterization of the PBAN receptor (PBANR) has proven to be elusive. Given the sequence similarity between the active C-terminal regions of PBAN and neuromedin U, it was hypothesized that their respective receptors might also be similar in structure (Park, Y.

Involvement of a bifunctional fatty-acyl desaturase in the biosynthesis of the silkmoth, Bombyx mori, sex pheromone.

The straight-chain C(10) to C(18) unsaturated aliphatic compounds containing an oxygenated functional group (aldehyde, alcohol, or acetate ester) derived from saturated C(16) or C(18) fatty acids are a major class of sex pheromone components produced by female moths. In the biosynthesis of these pheromone components, various combinations of limited chain-shortening and regio- and stereospecific desaturation reactions significantly contribute to the production of a vast number of the species-specific pheromone components in Lepidoptera. Biosynthesis of the silkmoth sex pheromone bombykol, (E,Z)-10,12-hexadecadien-1-ol, involves two consecutive desaturation steps, the second of which is unique in that it generates a conjugated diene system from the Delta11-monoene C(16) intermediate.

Pheromone gland-specific fatty-acyl reductase of the silkmoth, Bombyx mori.

The C10-C18 unsaturated, acyclic, aliphatic compounds that contain an oxygenated functional group (alcohol, aldehyde, or acetate ester) are a major class of sex pheromones produced by female moths. In the biosynthesis of these pheromone components, the key enzyme required to produce the oxygenated functional groups is fatty-acyl reductase (FAR). This enzyme converts fatty-acyl pheromone precursors to their corresponding alcohols, which, depending on the moth species, can then be acetylated or oxidized to the corresponding aldehydes.

Cell-specific expression of enhanced green fluorescence protein under the control of neuropeptide gene promoters in the brain of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, using Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus-derived vectors.

Using the larvae of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, we examined the baculovirus expression vector system for the expression of the enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) gene under the control of several gene promoters in vivo. To investigate the gene-delivery efficiency of the baculovirus into various larval tissues, we constructed two recombinant baculoviruses carrying the EGFP gene downstream of the Drosophila melanogaster hsp70 gene promoter from B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) and Autographa californica nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcNPV).