Life Sciences Commons^™

Regulation Of Pheromone Biosynthesis By A Brain Hormone In Two Moth Species, Juliet D. Tang, Ralph E. Charlton, Russell A. Jurenka, Walter A. Wolf, P. Larry Phelan, Leam Sreng, Wendell L. Roelofs

Russell A. Jurenka

Experiments were performed to characterize the action of a brain hormone on pheromone biosynthesis in female redbanded leafroller and cabbage looper moths. Results showed that the two species differed in their respective control mechanisms. In the cabbage looper, pheromone titer from decapitated females that received either saline or brain extract injections was not significantly different from control females, suggesting that pheromone biosynthesis was not dependent on the presence of the brain hormone. In contrast, with redbanded leafroller females, studies using radiolabeled acetate incorporation as well as incorporation of deuterium-labeled hexadecanoic acid showed that (i) the brain hormone was required for …