Astigmatid mites depend on bioactive glandular secretions, pheromones, and defensive agents to mediate intra- and interspecies interactions. Aliphatic formates, such as (Z,Z)-8,11-heptadecadienyl formate (8,11-F17) and (Z)-8-heptadecenyl formate (8-F17), are rarely encountered natural products that are abundant in Sancassania sp. Sasagawa (Acari: Acaridae) mite secretions. Linoleic acid and oleic acid are predicted as key intermediates in the synthesis of the closely related aliphatic formates. To gain insight in this biosynthetic pathway, acarid mite feeding experiments were conducted using ¹³C-labeled precursors to precisely track incorporation. Analyses using ¹³C NMR spectroscopy demonstrated that the ¹³C-labeling pattern of the precursors was detectable on formates in exocrine secretions and likewise on fatty acids in total lipid pools. Curiously, the results demonstrated that the formates were biosynthesized without the dehomologation of corresponding fatty acids. Careful examination of the mass spectra from labeling experiments revealed that the carbonyl carbon of the formates is originally derived from the C-1 position of the fatty acids. Consistent with a Baeyer-Villiger oxidation reaction, labeling studies support the insertion of an oxygen atom between the carbonyl group and carbon chain. Empirical data support the existence of a Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase responsible for the catalyzation of the Baeyer-Villiger oxidation. The predicted existence of a Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase capable of converting aliphatic aldehydes to formates represents an exciting opportunity to expand the enzymatic toolbox available for controlled biochemical synthesis.

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory instruments about 1ĝ€¯km3 of deep, glacial ice at the geographic South Pole. It uses 5160 photomultipliers to detect Cherenkov light emitted by charged relativistic particles. An unexpected light propagation effect observed by the experiment is an anisotropic attenuation, which is aligned with the local flow direction of the ice. We examine birefringent light propagation through the polycrystalline ice microstructure as a possible explanation for this effect. The predictions of a first-principles model developed for this purpose, in particular curved light trajectories resulting from asymmetric diffusion, provide a qualitatively good match to the main features of the data. This in turn allows us to deduce ice crystal properties. Since the wavelength of the detected light is short compared to the crystal size, these crystal properties include not only the crystal orientation fabric, but also the average crystal size and shape, as a function of depth. By adding small empirical corrections to this first-principles model, a quantitatively accurate description of the optical properties of the IceCube glacial ice is obtained. In this paper, we present the experimental signature of ice optical anisotropy observed in IceCube light-emitting diode (LED) calibration data, the theory and parameterization of the birefringence effect, the fitting procedures of these parameterizations to experimental data, and the inferred crystal properties.