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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Biological Control of Insects Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #130632
Title: SYNTHETIC ACTIVITY OF CULTURED CORPORA CARDIACA/CORPORA ALLATA COMPLEXES FROM PERILLUS BIOCULATUS

Author
item Goodman, Cynthia
item Wagner, Renee
item NABLI, HENDA - UNIV OF MISSOURI
item Davis, Darrell
item Crimmins, Shawn
item OKUDA, TAKASHI - NISES, MAFF, JAPAN

Submitted to: Congress on In Vitro Biology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/10/2002
Publication Date: 6/10/2002
Citation: GOODMAN, C.L., WAGNER, R.M., NABLI, H., DAVIS, D.G., CRIMMINS, S.M., OKUDA, T. SYNTHETIC ACTIVITY OF CULTURED CORPORA CARDIACA/CORPORA ALLATA COMPLEXES FROM PERILLUS BIOCULATUS. CONGRESS ON IN VITRO BIOLOGY. 2002. Abstract p. 16A.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Insect corpora allata (CA) are endocrine tissues which are globular in shape and are found behind the brain and beneath the gastrointestinal tract. These tissues produce juvenile hormone (JH), insect hormones (methyl epoxyfarnesoates) which are important in development and reproduction. The main objective of our study was to evaluate the synthetic activity of cultured CAs from the two-spotted stinkbug, Perillus bioculatus, with the eventual goal of characterizing the JH produced by this insect. Because of the closely integrated nature of the CAs with the corpora cordiaca (CC, neuroendocrine tissues), the CC was left attached to the CAs during the incubation. CC/CA complexes were incubated in MEM medium containing tritiated methionine for 2 hrs and the resulting products were extracted and quantitated using a standard technique for measuring in vitro JH synthesis optimized by Feyereisen and Tobe (Anal. Biochem. 111:372, 1981). For initial characterization, thin layer chromotography was performed on the extracts using hexane and ethyl acetate (1:1) as the solvent system. These analyses indicated that primarily one major peak was present which migrated differently than those of JH I, II and III. Additionally, the effects of different concentrations of trans-trans- farnesol on the CA synthetic activities were determined, as well as the effects of the age and sex of the insects on the activities.