Involvement of a bifunctional fatty-acyl desaturase in the biosynthesis of the silkmoth, Bombyx mori, sex pheromone.

ABSTRACT: The straight-chain C(10) to C(18) unsaturated aliphatic compounds containing an oxygenated functional group (aldehyde, alcohol, or acetate ester) derived from saturated C(16) or C(18) fatty acids are a major class of sex pheromone components produced by female moths. In the biosynthesis of these pheromone components, various combinations of limited chain-shortening and regio- and stereospecific desaturation reactions significantly contribute to the production of a vast number of the species-specific pheromone components in Lepidoptera. Biosynthesis of the silkmoth sex pheromone bombykol, (E,Z)-10,12-hexadecadien-1-ol, involves two consecutive desaturation steps, the second of which is unique in that it generates a conjugated diene system from the Delta11-monoene C(16) intermediate. In expe

SUBMITTER: Moto K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC423246 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature