ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of general aspects on juvenile hormone (JH) biosynthesis, transport, and degradation, as well as mechanisms of action and roles of JH in controlling development and reproduction in insects. The field of JH research thrives in the post-genomic era. Seminal progress has been made in the understanding of the regulation of JH titers and mode of action. Different approaches have been used to identify natural products and to create synthetic compounds with anti-JH activities, such as inhibition of JH biosynthesis, increase in JH catabolism or interference of JH signaling. The JH biosynthetic rate is influenced by a complex interplay of changes in precursor pools, enzyme levels and external modulators such as nutrients and allatoregulatory factors. Juvenile hormone diol kinase, in combination with juvenile hormone epoxide hydrolase, is very important for the inactivation and metabolism of JH inside the cell.
