biostudies-literatureXia YHSvenska Forskningsrådet FormasCarl Tryggers Stiftelse för Vetenskaplig ForskningH2020 European Institute of Innovation and TechnologyKungliga Fysiografiska Sällskapet i LundJörgen Lindström&apos;s Scholarship FundStiftelsen för Strategisk ForskningLund University80https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC8969271biostudies-literatureUnknown20(1)<h4>Background</h4>Using genetically modified plants as natural dispensers of insect pheromones may eventually become part of a novel strategy for integrated pest management.<h4>Results</h4>In the present study, we first characterized essential functional genes for sex pheromone biosynthesis in the rice stem borer Chilo suppressalis (Walker) by heterologous expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Nicotiana benthamiana, including two desaturase genes CsupYPAQ and CsupKPSE and a reductase gene CsupFAR2. Subsequently, we co-expressed CsupYPAQ and CsupFAR2 together with the previously characterized moth desaturase Atr∆11 in N. benthamiana. This resulted in the production of (Z)-11-hexadecenol together with (Z)-11-hexadecenal, the major pheromone component of C. suppressalis. Both compounds were collected from the transformed N. benthamiana headspace volatiles using solid-phase microextraction. We finally added the expression of a yeast acetyltransferase gene ATF1 and could then confirm also (Z)-11-hexadecenyl acetate release from the plant.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Our results pave the way for stable transformation of plants to be used as biological pheromone sources in different pest control strategies.BMC biologyRelease of moth pheromone compounds from Nicotiana benthamiana upon transient expression of heterologous biosynthetic genes.PMC8969271TC4FRBP 14-00372010-857; 2015-1336760798CTS 14:307; CTS KF17:15Wang HLXia YHHofvander PDing BJDong SLLofstedt CfalseRelease of moth pheromone compounds from Nicotiana benthamiana upon transient expression of heterologous biosynthetic genes.<h4>Background</h4>Using genetically modified plants as natural dispensers of insect pheromones may eventually become part of a novel strategy for integrated pest management.<h4>Results</h4>In the present study, we first characterized essential functional genes for sex pheromone biosynthesis in the rice stem borer Chilo suppressalis (Walker) by heterologous expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Nicotiana benthamiana, including two desaturase genes CsupYPAQ and CsupKPSE and a reductase gene CsupFAR2. Subsequently, we co-expressed CsupYPAQ and CsupFAR2 together with the previously characterized moth desaturase Atr∆11 in N. benthamiana. This resulted in the production of (Z)-11-hexadecenol together with (Z)-11-hexadecenal, the major pheromone component of C. suppressalis. Both compounds were collected from the transformed N. benthamiana headspace volatiles using solid-phase microextraction. We finally added the expression of a yeast acetyltransferase gene ATF1 and could then confirm also (Z)-11-hexadecenyl acetate release from the plant.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Our results pave the way for stable transformation of plants to be used as biological pheromone sources in different pest control strategies.2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Mar2026-05-30T20:58:45.916Z2025-04-04T10:01:36.862ZS-EPMC89692713536118210.1186/s12915-022-01281-8