Biosynthetic pathway for producing the sex pheromone component (Z,E)-9,12-tetradecadienyl acetate in moths involves a delta 12 desaturase.
Sex pheromones are used by insects as a form of chemical communication for the purpose of attracting conspecific mates. Female moths Cadra cautella and Spodoptera exigua use the diene (Z,E)-9,12-tetradecadienyl acetate as the major pheromone component. Biosynthesis of this pheromone component was demonstrated to occur through delta 11 desaturation of hexadecanoic acid (palmitate) to produce (Z)-11-hexadecenoic acid which is then chain-shortened to (Z)-9-tetradecenoic acid. A unique delta 12 desaturase uses the (Z)-9-tetradecenoic acid to produce (Z,E)-9,12-tetradecenoic acid which is reduced and acetylated to form the acetate ester pheromone component. Both moths also use a pheromonotropic peptide to stimulate pheromone biosynthesis.
Jurenka
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Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames 50011-3222, USA. rjurenka@iastate.edu
D000818:Animals; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005233:Fatty Alcohols / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D009036:Moths / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010675:Pheromones / Q000378:metabolism*
D005233:Fatty Alcohols; D010675:Pheromones; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases; C040448:delta-12 fatty acid desaturase