Co-Authors:
Eliyahu, D., Department of Entomology, Hebrew University, P.O. Box 12, Rehovot 76100, Israel, Inst. Technol./Storage Agric. Prod., ARO, Volcani Center, P.O. Box 6, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
Nagalakshmi, V., Department of Entomology, Hebrew University, P.O. Box 12, Rehovot 76100, Israel, Inst. Technol./Storage Agric. Prod., ARO, Volcani Center, P.O. Box 6, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
Applebaum, S.W., Department of Entomology, Hebrew University, P.O. Box 12, Rehovot 76100, Israel
Kubli, E., Zoological Institute, University of Zurich-Irchel, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
Choffat, Y., Zoological Institute, University of Zurich-Irchel, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
Rafaeli, A., Inst. Technol./Storage Agric. Prod., ARO, Volcani Center, P.O. Box 6, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
Abstract:
Male insect accessory glands contain factors that are transferred during mating to the female, some inducing post-mating behavior, including the cessation of pheromone production, non-receptivity and the initiation of oviposition. One such factor is the Drosophila melanogaster sex-peptide (DrmSP). A pheromone suppression peptide, termed HezPSP, was identified in the moth Helicoverpa zea, isolated by HPLC and the active peak sequenced, but the activity of the synthesized peptide has not been reported to date. HezPSP bears no sequence homology to DrmSP. However, both peptides contain a disulfide bridge separated by an equal number, but dissimilar, amino acids. We herein report on the pheromonostatic activity of HezPSP partial peptides in the moth Helicoverpa armigera. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.