Premium
Endogenous control of circadian rhythms of pheromone production in the turnip moth, Agrotis segetum
Author(s) -
Rosén WenQi
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
archives of insect biochemistry and physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.576
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1520-6327
pISSN - 0739-4462
DOI - 10.1002/arch.10026
Subject(s) - pheromone , biology , circadian rhythm , hemolymph , sex pheromone , suboesophageal ganglion , agrotis ipsilon , insect , botany , ventral nerve cord , endocrinology , lepidoptera genitalia , noctuidae , cutworm , central nervous system
The circadian variation of pheromone production in the turnip moth, Agrotis segetum, was characterized by quantifying ( Z )‐7‐dodecenyl acetate (Z7‐12:OAc), the most abundant pheromone component produced by female turnip moth, at different times of day. Under 17:7 h light‐dark cycle (LD), the peak of Z7‐12:OAc production occurred around 4 h into the scotophase, while there was very little pheromone production during the photophase. When females were maintained under constant darkness (DD), the periodicity of pheromone production was sustained for 3 consecutive days. Furthermore, the rhythm in pheromone production could be entrained to a shifted LD. These results demonstrate that the pheromone production in the turnip moth is regulated endogenously by a circadian clock. To understand how the circadian rhythm of pheromone production is generated, circadian variation of pheromone‐ biosynthesis‐activating neuropeptide (PBAN)‐like activity in the brain‐suboesophageal ganglion complexes (Br‐SOG), hemolymph, and ventral nerve cord (VNC) was also examined. Under both LD and DD, only the VNC displayed a circadian variation in the PBAN‐like activity, which was significantly higher during the late‐photophase than that in the scotophase. In addition, the present study showed that removal of VNC in isolated abdomen did not affect PBAN stimulation of pheromone production, while severing the VNC impaired normal pheromone production. The role of Br‐SOG, VNC, and hemolymph in the regulation of the periodicity of pheromone production is discussed. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 50:21–30, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.