title: Site of pheromone biosynthesis and isolation of HMG-CoA reductase cDNA in the cotton boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis.
abstract: Isolated gut tissue from male cotton boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), incorporated radiolabeled acetate into components that co-eluted with monoterpenoid pheromone components on HPLC. This demonstrates that pheromone components of male A. grandis are produced de novo and strongly suggests that pheromone biosynthesis occurs in gut tissue. A central enzyme in isoprenoid biosynthesis is 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMG-R), and a full-length HMG-R cDNA was isolated from A. grandis. The predicted translation product was 54 and 45% identical to HMG-R from Ips paraconfusus and Drosophila melanogaster, respectively. HMG-R gene expression gradually increased with age in male A. grandis, which correlates with pheromone production. However, topical application of JH III did not significantly increase HMG-R mRNA levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, 89557, USA.
authors.forename: A Huma
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Taban
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blake
authors.forename: Ami
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Awano
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tittiger
authors.forename: Gary J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Blomquist
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004064:Digestive System / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010675:Pheromones / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity; D048889:Weevils / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D010675:Pheromones; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases