JH biosynthesis by reproductive tissues and corpora allata in adult longhorned beetles, Apriona germari

Abstract

We report on juvenile hormone (JH) biosynthesis from long-chain intermediates by specific reproductive tissues and the corpora allata (CA) prepared from adult longhorned beetles, Apriona germari. The testes, male accessory glands (MAGs), ovaries, and CA contained the long-chain intermediates in the JH biosynthetic pathway, farnesoic acid (FA), methyl farnesoate (MF), and JH III. The testes and ovaries, but not CA, produced radioactive JH III after the addition of (3)H-methionine and, separately, unlabeled methionine, to the incubation medium. We inferred that endogenous FA is methylated to MF in the testes and ovaries. Addition of farnesol led to increased amounts of FA in the testes, MAGs, ovaries, and CA, indicating oxidation of farnesol to FA. Addition of FA to incubation medium yielded increased JH III, again indicating methylation of FA to MF in the testes, MAGs, ovaries, but not CA. Addition of MF to incubation medium also led to JH III, from which we inferred the epoxidation of MF to JH III. JH biosynthesis from farnesol in the testes, MAGs, and ovaries of A. germari proceeds via oxidation to FA, methylation to MF, and epoxidation to JH III. This is a well-known pathway to JH III, described here for the first time in reproductive tissues of longhorned beetles. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Decoupling the effects of nutrition, age, and behavioral caste on honey bee physiology, immunity, and colony health

“…This result suggests that mfe expression in other tissues reduces the difference in overall body expression. Consistent with this possibility, mfe expression has been detected in the ovaries of nurses honey bee ( Niu et al, 2014 ), and JH synthesis has been reported in the ovaries of beetles ( Tian et al, 2010 ) and mosquitoes ( Borovsky et al, 1994 ).…”

Expressional and functional analysis of CYP15A1, a juvenile hormone epoxidase, in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum

“…In the mosquito A. aegypti, JH was shown to be synthesized de novo in the male accessory gland (Borovsky et al, 1994). In the longhorned beetle Apriona germari, JH was reported to be synthesized in the adult testes, male accessory glands, and ovaries (Tian et al, 2010).…”

Transcriptome comparison between inactivated and activated ovaries of the honey bee Apis mellifera L

“…The CA has been considered the only source of JH in insects, including honey bees (Sullivan et al ., ). Although JH biosynthesis has also been shown in ovaries of beetles (Tian et al ., ) and mosquitoes (Borovsky et al ., ), Bomtorin et al . () recently showed that expression of mfe in worker bee ovaries is much lower compared with in the CA, suggesting that the ovarian contribution to overall circulating JH titres is insignificant.…”