MECHANISM OF HYDROCARBON BIOSYNTHESIS FROM ALDEHYDE IN SELECTED INSECT SPECIES - REQUIREMENT FOR O-2 AND NADPH AND CARBONYL GROUP RELEASED AS CO2

The mechanism of hydrocarbon biosynthesis was examined in the fleshfly Sarcophaga crassipalpis, the blowfly Phormia regina, the German cockr oach Blattella germanica, the house cricket Acheta domesticus, the Mor mon cricket Anabrus simplex, the dampwood termite Zoo-termopsis nevade nsis and compared to the house fly, Musca domestica. Microsomal prepar ations from each species readily converted [9,10-H-3(2)]octadecanal (1 8:0 Ald) to heptadecane. NADPH and 0, were required for enzymic activi ty in all cases, and very little hydrocarbon was formed under anaerobi c conditions, Radio-GLC analyses of the head space gas formed from the metabolism of [1-C-14]18:0 Aid by microsomes from M. domestica, S. cr assipalpis, P. regina and B. germanica clearly showed that (CO2)-C-14 and not (CO)-C-14 was formed, Quantitation of the products from the me tabolism of [1-C-14] and [9,10-H-3(2)]18:0 Aid in microsomes from M. d omestica, P. regina, S. crassipalpis, B. germanica and Z. nevadensis s howed that an approximate 1/1 ratio of (CO2)-C-14/[H-3]heptadeeane was formed, The data support a mechanism in which the aldehyde is convert ed to hydrocarbon and CO2 in insects.