Isolated pheromone glands of Helicoverpa zea were utilized to investigate the physiological action of PBAN with regard to the role of calcium ions in stimulating pheromone biosynthesis under various incubation conditions. In the time course of pheromone production with PBAN, pheromone was produced from 5 min and reached a maximum value at 30 min. Gland incubations with PBAN for 1 min and then without PBAN for 30 min showed pheromone production whether or not extracellular calcium ion was present during the first 1 min. The presence of lanthanum as a calcium channel blocker did not affect pheromone production if present during the first 1 min incubation with PBAN. However, if the calcium ions were absent or lanthanum ion was present during the continuous incubation no the pheromone was produced. A maximum amount of pheromone was reached when glands were incubated for 1 min with PBAN and for 10 min without PBAN, and repeated three times. The present data indicate that a physical time interval between PBAN binding to opening the calcium channel exists. Calcium increasing and the maintaining with high level of calcium concentration in the cytosol are required for PBAN to stimulate pheromone production. This could be archived by PBAN binding periodically to the receptor.
Species 1: Lepidoptera Noctuidae Helicoverpa zea (corn earworm)
Keywords: calcium channel, PBAN
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