Action of Pheromone Biosynthesis Activating Neuropeptide on Pheromone Glands of Bombyx mori and Spodoptera litura

Abstract

The effect of synthetic Bom-PBAN was studied in vivo and in vitro. In B. mori, injection of 0.01ng/female induced bombykol production and maximal production was attained at 1ng/female in vivo. Time-dependence studies revealed an optimum response after incubation for 90-120min at a dose of 0.5ng/female. In vivo, sex pheromone production was induced in B. mori at 0.5ng PBAN/150μl Grace's medium and in S. litura at 2ng/50μl concentrations. Pheromone production reached maximum at 10ng/150μl in B. mori and 15ng/50μl in S. litura, respectively. In both species, optimal incubation time was 90-120min in vitro. Induction of sex pheromone production in vitro clearly indicates that the target organ of PBAN action is the pheromone gland in B. mori and S. litura. Since sex pheromone production was also induced by calcium ionophore in vitro, Ca²⁺ is likely to mediate the action of PBAN.