Production of insect juvenile hormone III and its precursors in cell suspension cultures of the sedge, Cyperus iria L.

Juvenile hormones (JHs) are sesquiterpenoids that regulate metamorphosis an d reproduction in most insect species. There has been one report of an inse ct JH in plants: JE-I III, methyl-10R,11-epoxy-3,7,11-trimethyl 2E, 6E-dode cadienoate, has been identified in two sedge species, Cyperus iria L. and C . aromaticus (Ridley) Mattf and Kuk. This is the first report of callus and cell suspension cultures derived from C. iria. Farnesol and methyl farneso ate, two biosynthetic intermediates of JH III in insects, as well as JH III have been identified in suspension culture cell extracts by gas chromatogr aphy-mass spectroscopy. These cultures thus provide a useful in vitro model to investigate the biosynthesis of JH III in the sedge, C. iria.