Abstract
Abstract
Pheromone gland-specific fatty acyl reductase (pgFAR) is a key enzyme involved in the conversion of fatty acyl precursors to the corresponding alcohols in moth sex pheromone biosynthesis. The gene (pgFAR) encoding for this enzyme is a major contributor to pheromone-based reproductive isolation in moths. Despite the significance of this gene, the tissue-specific expression has not yet been reported. In this study, we amplified pgFAR from Ostrinia scapulalis Walker (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) 1 day before adult eclosion and in adult female moths that were 0-5 days old. We confirmed that the transcripts were upregulated from 1 day before adult eclosion until the 3rd day after adult emergence; however, the expression level appeared to decrease drastically in female moths that were 4-5 days old. To study the tissue-specific expression of pgFAR, a cDNA encoding pgFAR was cloned, and an RNA probe was designed to localize gene expression in pheromone gland cells using in situ hybridization. The results unambiguously and specifically confirmed the expression of pgFAR in the modified epidermal cells, which are designated as pheromone-producing cells, located at the dorsal end of the 8th-9th intersegmental membrane. This study is the first report of the tissue-specific localization of pgFAR expression in moths.