Lewis M J, Prosser I M, Mohib A, Field L M
Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 2JQ, UK.
Insect Mol Biol. 2008 Aug;17(4):437-43. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2583.2008.00815.x.
The majority of aphid species release an alarm pheromone with the most common component being the sesquiterpene (E)-beta-farnesene, sometimes accompanied by other sesquiterpenes or monoterpenes. The genes/enzymes involved in the production of these compounds have not been identified in aphids although some components of isoprenoid biosynthesis have been identified in other insect species. Here we report the cloning, expression and characterisation of a prenyltransferase from the aphid Myzus persicae which can act as a farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase or a geranyl pyrophosphate synthase to produce both sesquiterpenes and monoterpenes and hence could be responsible for the biosynthesis of the observed components of the alarm pheromones. In addition, the enzyme can utilise geranyl pyrophosphate to produce farnesyl pyrophosphate showing that the synthesis of the latter involves the sequential condensation of isoprenyl pyrophosphate units.
大多数蚜虫种类会释放一种警报信息素，其最常见的成分是倍半萜（E）-β-法尼烯，有时还伴有其他倍半萜或单萜。尽管在其他昆虫物种中已鉴定出类异戊二烯生物合成的一些成分，但参与这些化合物生成的基因/酶在蚜虫中尚未得到鉴定。在此，我们报告了来自桃蚜的一种异戊烯基转移酶的克隆、表达及特性研究，该酶可作为法尼基焦磷酸合酶或香叶基焦磷酸合酶，生成倍半萜和单萜，因此可能负责警报信息素中观察到的成分的生物合成。此外，该酶可利用香叶基焦磷酸生成法尼基焦磷酸，这表明后者的合成涉及异戊烯基焦磷酸单元的顺序缩合。
