Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Commons^™

Regulation Of Juvenile Hormone Synthesis By 20-Hydroxyecdysone In The Yellow-Fever Mosquito, Aedes Aegypti, Maria Areiza

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In Aedes aegypti, development and reproduction are regulated by juvenile hormone III (JH). This master regulatory hormone is synthesized by the corpora allata (CA), a pair of endocrine glands with neural connections to the brain. JH titers are largely determined by the rate of biosynthetic activity of the CA and are regulated by inhibitory and stimulatory factors. Like JH, the ecdysteroid 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) is a key hormonal regulator and has been proposed as an allatoregulator in other insects. However, its part in the regulation of JH biosynthesis of mosquitoes was unknown. The specific aims of this dissertation were to …

Characterization Of Juvenile Hormone Biosynthetic Enzymes In The Mosquito, Aedes Aegypti, Pratik Nyati

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The juvenile hormones (JHs) are sesquiterpenoid compounds that play a central role in insect reproduction, development and behavior. They are synthesized and secreted by a pair of small endocrine glands, the corpora allata (CA), which are intimately connected to the brain. The enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of JH are attractive targets for the control of mosquito populations. This dissertation is a comprehensive functional study of five Aedes aegypti CA enzymes, HMG-CoA synthase (AaHMGS), mevalonate kinase (AaMK), phosphomevalonate kinase (AaPMK), farnesyl diphosphate synthase (AaFPPS) and farnesyl pyrophosphate phosphatase (AaFPPase).

The …