Incorporation of (1− 14 C) Acetate into cis -7-Dodecen-1-ol Acetate, a Sex Pheromone in the Cabbage Looper ( Trichoplusia ni ) 1

Abstract

Adult female cabbage loopers (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) injected with (1− ¹⁴ C) acetate produce pheromone containing ¹⁴ C activity. Pheromone production in μ g and rate of (1− ¹⁴ C) acetate uptake varies with age and temperature in a manner indicative of metabolic activity. Purification and partial degradation of the pheromone molecule from both live moths and in vitro incubated glands show that the ¹⁴ C activity is distributed throughout the molecule. De novo synthesis from acetate, occurring only in the glandular epithelium of the sex pheromone-producing gland, is indicated.