A Sexy Moth Model – The Molecular Basis of Sex Pheromone Biosynthesis in the Silkmoth Bombyx mori

The reproductive behaviors of many insects are coordinated by the synthesis and release of species-specific volatiles that communicate the location of potential mates. Given their biological importance, structural elucidation of these compounds (i.e., sex pheromones) and molecular determination of the underlying biosynthetic pathways have been the focus of numerous studies. Among the various model species that have been examined, the silkmoth (Bombyx mori) has had an outsized impact on the research field. Indeed, it was Adolf Butenandt’s pioneering publication in 1959 on chemical characterization of the silkmoth sex pheromone (E,Z)-10,12-hexadecadien-1-ol (i.e., bombykol) that ushered in a new era of chemical ecology. Since then, B. mori has been at the forefront of each new advancement in our understanding of the pre- and postadult eclosion processes that culminate in pheromone production – from demonstration of hormonal regulation by a neuropeptide to identification of the cognate receptors and characterization of the genes comprising the biosynthetic and regulatory pathways. In honor of the 60th anniversary of bombykol’s elucidation, we provide a perspective on the spectrum of studies that have made Butenandt’s “sexy” moth one of the principal models for sex pheromone biosynthesis.