Role of juvenile hormone-esterase in mating-stimulated egg development in the moth Heliothis virescens

Juvenile hormone (JH) titer in virgin females of Heliothis virescens is sig nificantly lower than that in mated females of the same age. The JH titer i n virgin females follows a diel pattern in which it begins to increase towa rds the end of photophase, remains high around the onset of scotophase, and declines during scotophase. The titer reaches its lowest levels at the ons et of photophase, and remains low during the first half of photophase. In m ated females, the diel pattern of SH titers is not as pronounced. JH-estera se (JHE) activity in mated females is significantly lower than that of virg in females during photophase; JHE levels in the former are similar to level s seen in newly emerged females. JHE activity in mated females also exhibit s a diel pattern, in which activity is low during photophase and high at th e onset of scotophase. Evidence for the indirect involvement of JHE in the mating-stimulated egg development is provided by the effect of selected JHE inhibitors in inhibiting JHE activity and stimulating egg production in vi rgin females. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.