In vivo and in vitro biosynthesis and metabolism of methyl farnesoate, juvenile hormone III, and juvenile hormone III acid in the mosquito Aedes aegypti.

Biosynthesis and metabolism of juvenile hormone (JH) III in vivo and in vitro were studied in female Aedes aegypti (L.). [12-3H]Methyl farnesoate was used to follow the synthesis and [12-3H]-(10R)-JH III to study metabolism. The rate of biosynthesis of [12-3H]JH III in vivo after adult eclosion increased from 9 fmol/h per female at 1 h to 22 fmol/h per female at day 6. The rate of biosynthesis by exposed corpora allata (CA) in vitro was 23 fmol/h per CA during the 1st d after adult eclosion, then dropped to 4.8 fmol/h per CA on day 3, then increased again to a constant level of synthesis (12 fmol/h per CA) at days 4-6. Immediately after blood feeding, the rate of synthesis of [12-3H]JH III in vivo and in vitro increased to 27 fmol/h per female and to 23 fmol/h per CA, respectively. The rate of synthesis then decreased in vivo to 12 fmol/h per female at 4 h and in vitro to 6 fmol/h per CA 10 h after the blood meal. After this decrease, the rate of synthesis of [12-3H]JH III increased again reaching a peak of 25 fmol/h per female at 48-96 h in vivo and 12 fmol/h per CA at 72 h in vitro. These results indicated that the CA of sugar-fed and blood-fed female A. aegypti synthesized JH III in vivo and in vitro from [12-3H]methyl farnesoate. When [12-3H]-(10R)-JH III metabolism was followed in vivo in female A. aegypti, the ratio between JH III diol acid:JH III acid:JH III diol was 17:4:1, indicating that JH III was first hydrolyzed by JH III esterase to the acid form, then hydrated to the diol acid by JH III epoxide hydrase. Females treated with [12-3H]JH III acid converted 46% of the JH III acid in 60 min to the diol acid. These results indicated that the enzyme epoxide hydrase acted on JH III acid 17 times faster than JH III.