Pheromonostatic peptide used to disrupt mating of the corn earworm, helicoverpa zea

Abstract

A polypeptide having the property of rendering a female Helicoverpa zea moth non-receptive to mating was isolated from the reproductive tract of the male moth. The peptide is transferred from the male to the female during mating and causes a depletion of the female sex pheromone thereby resulting in a decline in sexual attractiveness for at least 24 hours. The peptide is referred to as pheromonostatic peptide, or PSP. It is a basic peptide having 57 amino acid residues, a molecular weight of 6617 daltons and contains one pair of cysteine residues in a disulfide linkage.

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