JUVENILE-HORMONE CATABOLISM IN MANDUCA-SEXTA - HOMOLOG SELECTIVITY OFCATABOLISM AND IDENTIFICATION OF A DIOL-PHOSPHATE CONJUGATE AS A MAJOR END-PRODUCT

We studied time-dependent metabolism of (10R)-[H-3] juvenile hormone ( JH) III and (10R, 11S)-[H-3 JH I injected into Manduca sexta larvae; t he hormones are metabolized to polar metabolites, especially the JH ac id-diol, and an unknown. Products were analyzed using a reversed-phase liquid chromatography assay. (10R)-JH III is metabolized much more ra pidly than (10R, 11S)-[H-3]JH 1, whether injected seperately or as a m ixture of hormones. The unknown metabolites of JH I and JH III were id entified as phosphate conjugates of JH I and JH III diol by tandem mas s spectral analysis of isolated samples: The phosphate conjugate of JH I diol is the principle end product of JH I metabolism.