Ecdysone
Ecdisona
- Date
- 1954 · confidence high
- Place
- Munich, Germany
- Credited to
- Adolf Butenandt and Peter Karlson
- Field
- Life & health
What was discovered
The prohormone of the main insect moulting hormone, isolated from silkworm pupae. It regulates developmental gene expression and triggers moulting and metamorphosis in arthropods.
Butenandt and Karlson needed 500 kg of silkworm pupae to isolate just a few milligrams of the pure hormone.
What it led to
- Modern physiology of insect metamorphosis
- Development of ecdysteroid-based insecticides