Rooney Alejandro P
Microbial Genomics and Bioprocessing Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Peoria, Illinois 61604, USA.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2009 Jul;1170:506-10. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.03876.x.
Moth sex pheromone communication has evolved to use complex blends of relatively simple long-chain fatty acid precursors. Species specificity is derived from the unique stereochemistry of double bonds introduced into exact locations along the hydrocarbon backbone of fatty acids, which are reduced and then undergo a variety of chain-shortening and functionalization reactions to form the pheromone blend. Key enzymes that have evolved to function in this system are the acyl coenzyme A desaturases, which catalyze the introduction of the double bonds. This report gives an overview of the evolution of these enzymes, with an introduction to the newly arisen field of "semiochemical genetics."
蛾类性信息素通讯已经进化到利用相对简单的长链脂肪酸前体的复杂混合物。物种特异性源于沿着脂肪酸碳氢化合物主链特定位置引入的双键独特立体化学结构，这些双键先被还原，然后经历各种链缩短和官能团化反应以形成信息素混合物。在这个系统中进化出功能的关键酶是酰基辅酶A去饱和酶，它催化双键的引入。本报告概述了这些酶的进化，并介绍了新兴的“化学生态遗传学”领域。
