Search results for "cuticle"
showing 10 items of 70 documents
Candidate target mechanisms of the growth inhibitor cyromazine: Studies of phenylalanine hydroxylase, puparial amino acids, and dihydrofolate reducta…
2000
Cyromazine, an insect growth regulator, affects larval and pupal cuticles in dipterans and some other insects. The mode of action of this aminotriazine is not known yet, though it has been shown not to inhibit the synthesis of chitin and cuticular proteins. Cyromazine may, however, act on some step(s) of sclerotization of the cuticle. In the present study, we have analyzed the key enzyme for the production of sclerotization agents, phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH), using the enzyme from Drosophila, a cyromazine-sensitive insect. PAH was studied in vitro with cyromazine and three biologically less active derivatives at concentrations ranging from 1 μM to 1 mM. None of the compounds did signif…
Ultrastructure of posterior sternal glands of Macrotermes annandalei (Silvestri): new members of the sexual glandular set found in termites (Insecta).
2004
In female alates of Macrotermes annandalei, two types of abdominal glands are involved in the secretion of sex pheromone. Tergal glands are found at the anterior margin of tergites 6-10 and posterior sternal glands (PSGs) are located at the anterior margin of sternites 6-7. The cytological features of both types of glands are quite similar. The fine structural organization of PSGs is studied more precisely and described for the first time. The glandular cuticle is pitted with narrow apertures corresponding to the openings of numerous subcuticular pouches. Several Class 3 glandular units open in each pouch. One canal cell and one secretory cell make an individual glandular unit. The canal ce…
Characterization of a cDNA clone encoding a glycine-rich cuticular protein of Tenebrio molitor: developmental expression and effect of a juvenile hor…
1992
0962-1075 (Print) Journal Article; The complete sequence of a cDNA clone, isolated from epidermal mRNA of Tenebrio molitor using a monoclonal antibody raised against an adult-specific cuticular antigen only present in the hard cuticle, was obtained after primer extension at the 5' end. From this cDNA sequence, the deduced protein encompasses 199 amino acids (including a signal peptide) with a total molecular weight of 20.7 kDa. The protein exhibits a bipartite structure: glycine-rich region located in its NH2-terminal part and a carboxy-terminal domain sharing homologies with other cuticular proteins of Orthoptera, Diptera and Lepidoptera. In-situ hybridization analysis shows that the corre…
Cellular components and tunic architecture of the solitary ascidian Styela canopus (Stolidobranchiata, Styelidae).
1998
Abstract Cell distribution and tunic morphology in the ascidian Styela canopus were examined by electron microscopy. The observations showed that the outer covering is composed of a thin sinuous cuticle with several protrusions and a deep layer of ground substance. The fibrous component and its arrangement in the tunic were demonstrated: elementary fibrils exhibit a ‘microtubular’ structure and an elliptical cross-sectional shape. Four types of cells were described: clear vesicular tunic granulocytes, tunic microgranulocytes, unilocular tunic granulocytes, and globular tunic granulocytes. Morphofunctional aspects of the tunic tissue and certain phylogenetic relationships are discussed.
Comparative transcriptomics of albino and warningly coloured caterpillars
2018
AbstractColouration is perhaps one of the most prominent adaptations for survival and reproduction of most taxa. Colouration is of particular importance for aposematic species, which rely on their colouring and patterning to act as a warning signal against predators. Most research has focused on the evolution of warning colouration by natural selection. However, little information is available for colour mutants of aposematic species, particularly at the genomic level. Here I compare the transcriptomes of albino mutant caterpillars of the wood tiger moth (Arctia plantaginis) to those of their full-sibs having their distinctive orange-black warning colouration. The results showed >300 dif…
Crystalline wax coverage of the imaginal cuticle inCalopteryx splendens(Odonata: Calopterygidae)
2009
Abstract In this study we use high resolution SEM to describe the diversity of wax crystals and their distribution on different morphological structures in male individuals of Calopteryx splendens. The entire cuticle surface of this damselfly, with the exception of ommatidia and ocelli, is covered with crystalline wax in dimensions from submicron to micron range. It is shown that shape - rod-like, plate like, filamentous, etc. -, size, and density of crystals vary on different surfaces and in individuals of different ages. Additionally, we demonstrate different types of damage to the crystalline wax layer: scratches, compressions, wear, and contamination. The primary function of the wax cry…
The immune role of the arthropod exoskeleton.
2012
7 pages; International audience; The exoskeleton or cuticle of arthropods is an important feature that contributes to their great success in colonising numerous habitats on earth. It has numerous functions among which to provide protection against parasites. Whereas often regarded as a simple physical barrier to the outside world, the immune protection of the cuticle is slightly more complex than that. Here, we provide an overview of the cuticle defensive traits against parasites and examine their variation as a response to parasitism. It appears that the cuticle is an efficient line of defense, which includes physical, biochemical and physiological defensive components that are potentially…
Monoclonal antibodies recognizing larval- and pupal-specific cuticular proteins of Tenebrio molitor (Insecta, Coleoptera)
1993
To study the sequential expression of insect epidermal cells during metamorphosis, a library of monoclonal antibodies (MABs) was prepared against the water-soluble proteins from preecdysial pupal cuticle of Tenebrio molitor. Six selected MABs recognizing only larval and pupal cuticular proteins (CPs) in immunoblot analysis were classified into three types. Type 1 recognized a 21.5 and a 22 kDa polypeptide, type 2, a 26 kDa polypeptide, and type 3, three polypeptides of 18.5, 19.5 and 21.5 kDa. They did not immunoreact with any protein of fat bodies or haemolymph from pharate pupae, suggesting that the antigens originate from the epidermis. The stage-specificity was confirmed by electron mic…
Biomineralizations: insights and prospects from crustaceans.
2011
19 pages; International audience; For growing, crustaceans have to molt cyclically because of the presence of a rigid exoskeleton. Most of the crustaceans harden their cuticle not only by sclerotization, like all the arthropods, but also by calcification. All the physiology of crustaceans, including the calcification process, is then linked to molting cycles. This means for these animals to find regularly a source of calcium ions quickly available just after ecdysis. The sources of calcium used are diverse, ranging from the environment where the animals live to endogenous calcium deposits cyclically elaborated by some of them. As a result, crustaceans are submitted to an important and energ…
Role of Surface Chemistry in the Superhydrophobicity of the Springtail Orchesella cincta (Insecta:Collembola)
2020
Collembola are ancient arthropods living in soil with extensive exposure to dirt, bacteria, and fungi. To protect from the harsh environmental conditions and to retain a layer of air for breathing when submerged in water, they have evolved a superhydrophobic, liquid-repelling cuticle surface. The nonfouling and self-cleaning properties of springtail cuticle make it an interesting target of biomimetic materials design. Recent research has mainly focused on the intricate microstructures at the cuticle surface. Here we study the role of the cuticle chemistry for the Collembola species Orchesella cincta (Collembola, Entomobryidae). O. cincta uses a relatively simple cuticle structure with prima…