Red Turpentine Dendroctonus valens P450s: Diversity, Midgut Location, and Response to Alfa-pinene Enantiomers

Bark beetle colonization action is a biotic stress to the host, which responds to this action by secreting oleoresin. This mixture of several compounds can be highly toxic for the insects. We hypothesized that the first physiological reaction of the insects to these toxic compounds is to metabolize and subsequently use some of them as pheromone precursors. Epithelial cells from the bark beetle's midgut have been demonstrated to be involved in pheromone production (Nardi and others 2002); however, the site(s) and mechanism(s) where the detoxification process occurs are unknown.