Moth sex pheromone communication systems are an important factor in effecting species reproductive specificity in the field, and they have been utilized in pest management programs to monitor and suppress certain pest species. Research in the present proposal will investigate different biochemical routes that are used by female moths to produce the unique chemical blends of pheromones used by each species. A comparison of biosynthetic routes used by primitive species found in New Zealand to those used by species in North America will be carried out to obtain information on the evolution of these enzyme systems. Key enzymes, particularly a unique desaturase, used in these biochemical pathways will be characterized and compared among species. Concurrent with these characterizations will be a study of the mRNA's that encode for those unique enzymes. The long-term goal of this effort will be to identify the genes and the regulation of the expression of the genes involved in the production of the sex pheromone compounds. At some later date, the techniques may be available to insert these genes in agricultural crops as a means for developing novel insect control programs.
