Pheromone biosynthesis in Nasonia

The genus Nasonia has become a frequently used model system for the study of all aspects of parasitoid wasp biology. Males produce fatty acid-derived chiral hydroxylactones as pheromones in their rectal vesicle that attract and arrest virgin females. The pheromone of Nasonia vitripennis differs from all other species of the genus in that it contains an additional stereoisomer of the major hydroxylactone component. This compound enables N. vitripennis females to discriminate males of sympatric species from conspecific males thus decreasing the risk of heterospecific sexual interactions. In this chapter, we summarize the current knowledge on the biosynthesis of male pheromones in Nasonia. Starting with the de novo biosynthesis of fatty acids, this biosynthesis includes Δ9- and Δ12-desaturation, epoxidation, epoxide hydrolysis, β-oxidation, lactonization and finally epimerization. We discuss functionally characterized and putative enzymes involved in catalyzing each of these steps and present proteomics data demonstrating that the implicated enzymes are present in the male pheromone gland.