{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T09:25:56Z","timestamp":1787045156604,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787011200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"the National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["32302345"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["32302345"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"award":["32302345"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["32302345"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/01h0zpd94","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"the Open Fund of Yunnan Key Laboratory of Tea Science","award":["2026YNCX011"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2026YNCX011"]}]},{"name":"the Special Project for Talent Resource Development in the Xizang Autonomous Region","award":["XZNKY-2026ZF001"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["XZNKY-2026ZF001"]}]},{"name":"the Central Government Guidance Fund for Local Science and Technology Development Project","award":["202407AB110014"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["202407AB110014"]}]},{"name":"the Key Basic Research Projects of Yunnan Province","award":["202501AS070100"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["202501AS070100"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100009101","name":"the Postgraduate Education Reform and Quality Improvement Project of Henan Province","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["YJS2026AL077"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["YJS2026AL077"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100009101","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100009010","name":"the Undergraduate Education Teaching Reform Research and Practice Project of Henan Agricultural University","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2025XJGLX032"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2025XJGLX032"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100009010","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"award":["2025XJGLX032"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2025XJGLX032"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/04eq83d71","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Biomolecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Bursicon, a heterodimeric neuropeptide composed of Burs-\u03b1 and its binding subunit Partner of bursicon (Pburs), is primarily known to regulate insect cuticle tanning and also participates in wing expansion, reproduction and immunity. Pburs is highly expressed during pheromone gland (PG) maturation in female Helicoverpa armigera, a major agricultural pest, indicating its potential role in PG development and function. In this study, we cloned the full-length coding sequence of HaPburs and verified its high conservation across insects. qPCR revealed PG transcripts peaking at 48 h post-emergence in scotophase. RNAi-mediated knockdown reduced HaPburs transcript levels by 60.01%, resulting in abnormal PG morphology characterized by irregular melanized protrusions. Silencing HaPburs lowered the major sex pheromone component (Z)-11-hexadecenal by 42.66%, reduced male attraction and mating rates to 59.15% and 56.25% of controls, and markedly decreased cumulative fecundity. HaPburs-knockdown significantly downregulated the transcription of HaPKA and HaACC, two key genes involved in sex pheromone biosynthesis. These results suggest that HaPburs mediates PG morphogenesis and sex pheromone biosynthesis, further modulating sex pheromone-mediated reproductive communication in H. armigera. The study expands the known reproductive functions of bursicon and provides a promising molecular target for eco-friendly pest management.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/biom16081204","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T08:08:41Z","timestamp":1787040521000},"page":"1204","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Partner of bursicon Regulates Pheromone Gland Development and Sex Pheromone Biosynthesis in Helicoverpa armigera"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Ziling","family":"Tang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Henan International Laboratory for Green Pest Control, College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China"},{"name":"Yunnan Key Laboratory of Tea Science, Tea Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650201, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yuhao","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Henan International Laboratory for Green Pest Control, College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China"},{"name":"Yunnan Key Laboratory of Tea Science, Tea Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650201, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Huanhuan","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Vegetables Research, Xizang Academy of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Lhasa 850032, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Qing","family":"Zhai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Henan International Laboratory for Green Pest Control, College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Liuyi","family":"Fan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Henan International Laboratory for Green Pest Control, College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xin","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Henan International Laboratory for Green Pest Control, College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Du","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Henan International Laboratory for Green Pest Control, College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Long","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Yunnan Key Laboratory of Tea Science, Tea Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650201, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6085-3924","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Xiang","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Henan International Laboratory for Green Pest Control, College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China"},{"name":"Yunnan Key Laboratory of Tea Science, Tea Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650201, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"513","DOI":"10.1016\/0022-1910(65)90137-X","article-title":"Bursicon, a hormone which mediates tanning of the cuticle in the adult fly and other insects","volume":"11","author":"Fraenkel","year":"1965","journal-title":"J. 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