Pyrokinin/PBAN radio-receptor assay: development and application for the characterization of a putative receptor from the pheromone gland of Heliothis peltigera<

Abstract A radio-receptor assay (RRA) for the insect pyrokinin/PBAN family has been developed. The development involved examination of the ligand ( 3 H-tyrosyl-PBAN28–33NH 2 )-receptor interaction under various incubation conditions and variations on sex pheromone gland membrane preparation. Application of the RRA for a partial characterization of the putative pyrokinin/PBAN receptor in the pheromone gland of H. peltigera revealed age-dependence of its expression. Pharmacological characterization revealed a high correlation between the binding-affinity to the receptor of various PBAN-derived peptides and their in vivo pheromonotropic bioactivity, and shed light on the interaction of backbone cyclic and linear ([Arg 27 ,D-Phe 30 ]PBAN28–33NH 2 ) PBAN antagonists with the receptor.