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Chemical studies of pheromone receptors in insects
Author(s) -
Prestwich Glenn D.
Publication year - 1993
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.940220108
Subject(s) - receptor , biology , second messenger system , biochemistry , pheromone , olfactory receptor , olfaction , ion channel , stereochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , botany , neuroscience
In the current molecular model for insect olfaction, pheromones are recognized in a minimum‐energy conformation by specific receptor proteins in a dendritic membrane following their binding‐protein‐mediated transit through the extracellula sensory lymph. Binding to the receptor protein then triggers a G‐protein‐linked phospholipase C, which releases a short pulse of the second messenger inositol 1,4,5‐trisphate (IP 3 ). IP 3 may act via its receptor to mobilize Ca + + ions, eventually leading to a transmembrane ion current; alternatively, IP 3 may directly gate the ion channel. To understand this process, we have synthesized photoaffinity labels for the pheromone receptor sites and for the IP 3 receptor sites. The latter probe, [ 125 I]‐ASA‐IP 3 , is now being employed in joint projects to identify membrane IP 3 receptors in the rat brain, locust brain, rat olfactory cilia, catfish olfactory cilia, and in cockroach and moth sensilla. Fluorine‐substituted pheromone analogs have also been synthesized as probes of receptor site hydrophobicity. The rationale for this approach is presented, and biological studies with selectively‐fluorinated analogs of (Z)‐5‐decenyl acetate (Z5‐10:Ac), (Z)‐7‐dodecenyl acetate (Z7‐12:Ac), (Z)‐9‐dodecenyl acetate (Z9‐12:Ac), (Z)‐9‐tetradecenyl acetate (Z9‐14:Ac), (Z)‐11‐hexadecenal (Z11‐16:Al), and several functional group derivatives for a number of economically important moth species are described. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.