A Δ⁹ Desaturase from <i>Bombus lucorum</i> Males: Investigation of the Biosynthetic Pathway of Marking Pheromones

Abstract

Abstract The knowledge of the molecular basis of communication in bumblebee communities is limited. None of the enzymes that participate in pheromone production have been characterized. Here, we cloned the gene encoding the Δ 9 desaturase from cDNA prepared from the total RNA of the pheromone gland and fat bodies of Bombus lucorum male. Functional expression of BlucNPVE desaturase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and GC‐MS analyses revealed its preference for C 18 saturated fatty acids. This suggests that Δ 9 desaturase is involved in the desaturation of metabolic fatty acids stored in triacylglyceroles (TAGs), because oleic acid is the most abundant fatty acid bound in TAG in B. lucorum and it is present in low concentration in the pheromone blend. The incubation of pheromone precursors with a dissected labial gland as well as direct injection of labelled pheromone substrates into B. lucorum males revealed that esterification of pheromone products occurs in the labial gland. These results support both the biosynthesis of pheromones from common lipids and the de novo synthesis of unsaturated pheromones in the labial gland.