In vitro studies of sex pheromone biosynthesis in the yellow mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Abstract

The mature female yellow mealworm beetle, 'Tenebrio molitor', uses 4-methylnonanol as a sex attractant pheromone. Data from 'in vivo ' studies suggest that the terminal biosynthetic step, reduction of 4-methylnonanoic acid (or derivative) to 4-methylnonanol, is regulated by Juvenile Hormone (JH) III. The goals of this study were (i) to develop synthetic routes to commercially unavailable substrates and standards required to study the reduction of 4-methylnonanoic acid (or derivative); (ii) to develop an 'in vitro' assay for the reduction of 4-methylnonanoic acid (or derivative) to 4-methylnonanol in the yellow mealworm beetle; (iii) and to confirm that the reduction of 4-methylonanoic acid is regulated by JH. Preliminary results suggest that females and not males are able to perform the conversion. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)