Guixia Hao, Marion O'Connor, Weitian Liu, Wendell L. Roelofs
Journal of Insect Science 2 (26), 1-7, (1 December 2002) https://doi.org/10.1673/031.002.2601
KEYWORDS: Z9-desaturase, Z/E11-desaturase, Choristoneura rosaceana, RT-PCR, RACE PCR, Functional assay, YEpOLEX, pYES2, Sex pheromone biosynthesis
A ▵11-desaturase gene was cloned from the sex pheromone gland of the obliquebanded leafroller moth, Choristoneura rosaceana. The desaturase cDNA sequence spans 1300 nucleotides with an open reading frame encoding a 335 amino-acid protein, which has 81% identity to a Z/E11-desaturase of the redbanded leafroller moth, Argyrotaenia velutinana. A functional assay with a pYES2 yeast expression system demonstrated that the ▵11-desaturase exhibits unusual substrate and stereospecificities in producing a Z/E11 mixture (7:1) of only C14 acids. A metabolic Z9-desaturase also was cloned from fat body of this species, and proved to be in the class that produces more Z9-16:Acid than Z9-18:Acid.