title: Juvenile hormone bisepoxide biosynthesis in vitro by the ring gland of Drosophila melanogaster: a putative juvenile hormone in the higher Diptera.
abstract: The in vitro production of juvenile hormone (JH) was investigated by using isolated ring glands from third instar Drosophila melanogaster. A JH-like molecule is secreted that comigrates with a synthetic sample of methyl 6,7;10,11-bisepoxy-3,7,11-trimethyl-(2E)-dodecenoate (JHB3) during TLC, liquid chromatography, and GC analysis. Purified product from farnesoic acid-stimulated ring glands was analyzed by electron impact GC/MS and gave a mass spectrum identical to synthetic JHB3. Additional structure confirmation was obtained following conversion of product from unstimulated biosynthesis to a derivative that comigrated on liquid chromatography with the derivative prepared from synthetic JHB3. Physiological studies revealed that JHB3 is produced solely by the corpus allatum portion of the ring gland in vitro. Isolated ring glands from other cyclorrhaphous dipteran larvae also produce JHB3 almost exclusively in vitro. Corpora allata from mosquito larvae, however, produce only JH III, indicating that JHB3 production may be restricted to the higher Diptera. Topically applied synthetic JHB3 caused developmental responses in newly formed D. melanogaster white puparia similar to those obtained with JH III. The data suggest that JHB3 is a fly juvenile hormone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-3280.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Applebaum
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Sliter
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Schooley
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Reuter
authors.forename: V C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Henrich
authors.forename: L I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Gilbert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay; D004175:Diptera / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000378:metabolism*; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D012627:Sebaceous Glands / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity; D014316:Tritium
chemical_list: D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D014316:Tritium; C058633:methyl 6,7-10,11-bis(epoxy)-3,7,11-trimethyl-2-dodecenoate