High impact information on Bombykal

• Using kinetic parameters estimated in vitro and the assumption of first-order kinetics, the half-life of bombykal in sensilla was estimated to be about 0.6 msec [1].
• The enormous capacity of the male silkmoth Bombyx mori in recognizing and discriminating bombykol and bombykal is based on distinct sensory neurons in the antennal sensilla hairs [2].
• Therefore, a still unknown binding protein involved in bombykal transport might be present in B. mori [3].
• Bombykal-responsive cells could be distinguished from non-bombykal-sensitive cells in each trichoid sensillum because the bombykal-responsive cell always generated the action potentials of larger initial amplitude [4].
• Here, we investigated the possible discrimination of the two very similar components of the natural pheromone gland from the silk moth, Bombyx mori, bombykol and bombykal, by the only pheromone-binding protein (BmorPBP) known to be expressed in the pheromone-detecting sensilla [5].

Biological context of Bombykal

• In addition, in vitro competitive binding assays showed that both bombykol and bombykal were bound by BmorPBP with nearly the same high affinity [5].

References