Control of the biosynthetic pathway of Sesamia nonagrioides sex pheromone by the pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide

(Z)-11-Hexadecenyl acetate, the main pheromone component of Sesamia nonagri oides sex pheromone, is biosynthesized from palmitic acid by Delta(11)-desa turation followed by reduction and acetylation. Production of (Z)-11-hexade cenyl acetate is regulated by the Pheromone Biosynthesis Activating Neurope ptide (PBAN). Transformation of (Z)-11-hexadecen-1-ol into the correspondin g acetate is a target step for PBAN in the regulation of this biosynthetic sequence, thus being the first example of a PBAN-activated acetylation. The production of the minor component (Z)-11-hexadecenal is also stimulated by PBAN. The usefulness of pentafluorobenzyloxime-derivatives for the analysi s of aldehyde pheromone constituents by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry is also reported. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights re served.