Site of pheromone biosynthesis and isolation of HMG-CoA reductase cDNA in the cotton boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis

• Published in: Archives of insect biochemistry and physiology Vol. 62; no. 4; pp. 153 - 163
• Main Authors: Taban, A.H, Fu, J, Blake, J, Awano, A, Tittiger, C, Blomquist, G.J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.08.2006
• Subjects: Age Factors; aggregation pheromones; Amino Acid Sequence; amino acid sequences; Animals; Anthonomus grandis; Base Sequence; biosynthesis; Blotting, Northern; boll weevil; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Cluster Analysis; complementary DNA; de novo pheromone biosynthesis; Digestive System - metabolism; digestive tract; DNA Primers; DNA, Complementary - genetics; Gene Expression; gut tissues; gut tract tissue; HMG-CoA reductase; Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases - genetics; Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases - metabolism; hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase; juvenile hormones; Male; male age; messenger RNA; Molecular Sequence Data; nucleotide sequences; Pheromones - biosynthesis; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; sequence analysis; Sequence Analysis, DNA; site of pheromone biosynthesis; Species Specificity; tissue distribution; Weevils - metabolism
• ISSN: 0739-4462; 1520-6327
• DOI: 10.1002/arch.20125

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.