Distribution of binding sites for 125I-labeled alpha-bungarotoxin in normal and deafferented antennal lobes of Manduca sexta

125I-Labeled alpha-bungarotoxin has been used to determine the distribution of putative acetylcholine receptors in normal and chronically deafferented antennal lobes in the brain of the moth Manduca sexta. Toxin-binding sites are confined to synaptic regions in deafferented lobes. These findings suggest that receptors can develop in the insect central nervous system independently of normal synaptic influences.

The morphology and fine structure of the larval midgut of a moth (Manduca sexta) in relation to active ion transport

Light and electron microscopic examination of the midgut of Manduca sexta has shown that the organization of this tissue is more complex than was originally believed. The midgut can be divided into anterior, middle and posterior regions on the basis of the pattern of folding of the epithelial sheet, and variations in the structure of goblet and columnar cells which occur along its length. The columnar cells show gradual structural changes form the anterior to the posterior end of the midgut. For example, the microvilli in the anterior region form a dense, interconnecting network from which vesicles break off. This organization becomes less obvious through the middle region, until by the posterior region each microvillus is unconnected to adjacent microvilli along its entire length and vesicles are no longer produced. Two distinct types of goblet cells are found. In the anterior and middle regions the goblet cells have a large basally located cavity, but in the posterior region the cavity occupies only the apical half of the cell. In both cases the cavity is formed by invagination of the apical membrane, which is studded with small particles implicated in active ion transport. In the anterior and middle regions this membrane is closely associated with mitochondria, but not in the posterior region. The significance of the observed structural differences is discussed in relation to active ion transport.

Correlations between epidermal cell structure and endogenous hormone titers during the fifth larval instar of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta

Epidermal cell morphology and cuticle production in Manduca sexta are directly influenced by both ecdysterone and juvenile hormone. Up to day 6 of the last larval instar, post-molt endocuticle is continuously deposited even though cells undergo a partial and temporary separation from the overlying cuticle at the time when a small ecdysteroid peak is detected (approximately day 3.5). At about days 6--7 when another, larger ecdysteroid peak is present, apolysis occurs accompanied by the appearance of edcysial droplets. Following apolysis, layers of pupal cuticle are deposited. Increased quantities of rough endoplasmic reticulum characterize the epidermis at times of peak endocuticle deposition (day 3, larval cuticle; day 9, pupal cuticle). Dense pigment inclusions are found in epidermis from the day of ecdysis to the last larval instar until they are eliminated 5 days later. These dense bodies migrate from cell apex to base in the absence of juvenile hormone (or in the presence of a negligible amount of juvenile hormone) and probably contain insecticyanin.

Protein synthesis in imaginal disks of Plodia interpunctella during development in vivo and in vitro

Wing imaginal disks were dissected from larvae of Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) at various stages during the larval-pupal transformation. The wing-disk proteins separated by electrophoresis and scanned with a densitometer changed quantitatively but not qualitatively during development in vivo. Treatment of wing disks in vitro with beta-ecdysone resulted in a 2-fold increase in synthesis of proteins after only 2 hr incubation. The maximum rate of protein synthesis was reached 16 hr after treatment with hormone. The pattern of proteins separated by electrophoresis of wing disks that were incubated in vitro with beta-ecdysone did not change qualitatively. The major features of protein synthesis during wing-disk development in vivo were similar to those observed during beta-ecdysone-induced development in vitro.

Steroid transport through the surface of the prothoracic gland cells in Galleria mellonella L

Steroid transport through the cell surface of the giant polyploid prothoracic gland cells of Galleria mellonella L. was studied by an ultracytochemical method. The alkaloid digitonin, known to form a complex with all sterols having a free-OH radical in position 3, proved to be suitable for studying the interiorisation of moulting hormone precursors and the release of synthesized hormones. The results suggest that cholesterol uptake in the last larval instar occurs by macropinocytosis during the feeding period, while the release of the steroids produced by the gland occurs by reverse micropinocytosis mostly on days 5-7 of the instar. The two processes are not simultaneous. The intracytoplasmic localisation of the reaction product confirms the steroidogenic role of the prothoracic gland.

In vitro metabolism of 3beta-hydroxy-, and 3beta,14alpha-dihydroxy-[3alpha-3H]-5beta-cholest-7-en-6-one by the prothoracic glands of Manduca sexta

alpha-Ecdysone (2beta,3beta,14alpha,22R,25-pentahydroxy-5beta-cholest-7-en-6-one) has been identified as the metabolism product of 3beta,14alpha-dihydroxy-5beta-cholest-7-en-6-one in isolated prothoracic glands of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta. In contrast, 3beta-hydroxy-5beta-cholest-7-en-6-one is metabolized to 14-deoxy-alpha-ecdysone and a variety of intermediates all lacking the 14-hydroxy group. The results suggest that either the normal precursor for the synthesis of alpha-ecdysone by prothoracic glands is a sterol more highly oxygenated than cholesterol or that hydroxylation of a minimally oxygenated precursor at C-14 must precede introduction of the C-6 ketone and/or delta7 bond. The data further suggest that several alternative hydroxylation routes may exist for the latter steps of alpha-ecdysone biosynthesis.

Arthropod ribosomes. Integrity of ribosomal ribonucleic acids from aphids and water fleas

The 28 S aphid rRNA differs from those of the other insects in two points: (1) it lacks the primary nick; (2) it is larger by 0.2 - 106 daltons. The 28 S rRNA from water fleas also, like that from crayfish, is larger than those from comon insects by 0.2 - 106 daltons. These crustacean 28-S rRNAs were shown to contain the primary nick, which is probably not located in the central point. The 18-S rRNAs from aphids and water fleas had molecular weights significantly larger than 0.7 - 106, the common vaalue for the eukaryotic 18 S rRNA. It was was suggested that the 3'-terminal base sequences of these RNAs are different from the common sequences of these RNAs are different from the common sequence proposed for the 18 S rRNAA of eukaryotes. These exceptional characteristics of the rRNAs from the parthenogenetic animals may provide a probe for general functions of the rRNA in the eukaryotic ribosomes.

Flight energetics in sphinx moths: heat production and heat loss in Hyles lineata during free flight

1. Mean thoracic temperature of free-flying H. lineata in the field and in the laboratory increased from about 40 degrees C at Ta=16 degrees C to 42–5 degrees C at Ta=32 degrees C. At a given Ta, thoracic temperature was independent of body weight and weakly correlated with wing loading. 2. The difference between abdominal temperature and air temperature increased from 2 degrees C at low Ta to 4-2 degrees C at high Ta. At a given Ta, the difference between Tab and Ta was positively correlated with thoracic temperature. 3. Oxygen consumption per unit weight did not appear to vary with Ta from 15 to 30 degrees C and was inversely proportional to body weight. 4. Thermal conductance of the abdomen (Cab) was greater than thermal conductance of the thorax (Cth) in still air and at wind velocities up to 2-5 m/s. In moving air at speeds approximating flight, Cth was twice as high as in still air. Under the same conditions Cab was 3-4 times as high as in still air. 5. Thoracic and abdominal conductance are inversely proportional to their respective weights. 6. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that thoracic temperature is controlled by regulation of heat loss. However, a heat budget derived from these data suggests that heat dissipation may not be sufficient to offset the decrease in passive cooling of the thorax at high ambient temperatures.

Flight energetics of sphinx moths: power input during hovering flight

The energetic cost of hovering flight was measured in sphinx moths from five species. Mean power input per unit mass (Pi/M) varied from 237–2 W kg-1 in Manduca sexta (Subfamily:Sphinginae), mean body mass 1-2 X 10(−3) kg, to 327-9 W kg-1 in Deilephila elpenor (Subfamily: Macroglossinae) mean body mass 7-3 X 10(−4) kg. Mean Pi/M for the five species was inversely proportional to mean body mass and directly proportional to mean wing loading. For any given body mass, Pi/M was greater in Hyles lineata than in M. sexta. This difference is correlated with higher wing loading at any given mass in H. lineata. Energy expenditure per unit mass of thorax was 1018 W kg-1 in H. lineata and 694 W kg-1 in M. sexta. Within each of these species, Pi per unit mass of thorax does not vary with body mass. Power input data are compared with calculated power requirements based on momentum theory and blade-element theory of helicopter aerodynamics. Absolute efficiency, the ratio between calculated power requirements and measured energy expenditure, appears to vary directly with body mass. These data provide an energetic basis for observed correlates between thoracic temperature and flight effort in flying sphinx moths.

The secretion of collagen by insects: uptake of [3H]proline by collagen-synthesizing cells in Locusta migratoria and Galleria mellonella

The uptake of [H3]proline by collagen-secreting cells of the locust, Locusta migratoria, and wax-moth, Galleria mellonella, has been investigated by electron autoradiography. The locust cells are around the ejaculatory duct and they secrete collagen in the young adult male, while the wax-moth cells are those which produce the dorsal mass of connective tissue on the abdominal nerve cord during the late pupal stage. The cells were exposed to [H3]proline either by injection of the [3H]proline into the insect, or as a pulse while the tissue was maintained in a culture medium. The tissues were fixed at differeing experimental times after exposure to the [3H]proline. The resulting electron autoradiographs were subjected to quantitative analysis, and the silver grain distribution was determined as the relative number of grains per unit area over a series of tissue compartments. When the results of this analysis for the matrix, rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complexes of the two tissues were plotted against experimental time, it was seen that the relative number of grains per unit area over the rough endoplasmic reticulum decreases while that over the matrix increases; statistical analysis has shown that these changes are significant. For the Golgi complexes, however, the theoretical variances are much greater, due to the small relative area occupied by this organelle. There is little evidence for anything other than random sampling fluctuations in the relative numbers of grains per unit area, and hence it is unlikely that the time course of the label over the Golgi complexes follows that over the rough endoplasmic reticulum. The conclusions drawn from these experiments are firstly that a large portion of the labelled protein passes straight from the rough endoplasmic reticulum to the matrix, but that a smaller portion of the labelled material might pass from the rough endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi complexes and thence to the matrix. It is assumed that collagen comprises most of the protein which passes straight from the rough endoplasmic reticulum to the matrix, and while there is no evidence to exclude collagen from the material passing through the Golgi complexes, it is probable that other proteins and glycosaminoglycans are also present in this labelled material. These conclusions about the intracellular pathway for collagen secretion are similar to those derived from recent studies of some vertebrate fibroblasts. There is, however, conflicting opinion about the intracellular pathway of collagen and it is pointed out that there is diversity in collagen-synthesizing cells, which may account for the differences in the intracellular pathways for collagen secretion which have been proposed.

Isolation of beta, beta-caroten-2-ol from an insect, Cerura vinula (Lepidoptera)

The monohydroxy carotenoid from the moth Cerura vinula has been shown to be beta, beta-caroten-2-ol on the basis of electronic, infrared, proton magnetic-resonance, and mass spectra. On acid treatment in the presence of molecular oxygen this carotenoid is dehydrogenated to 4',5-retro-beta,beta-caroten-2-one. The identification of beta,beta-caroten-2-ol by its retro product, its time course of acetylation, and its chromatographic properties relative to beta,beta-caroten-3-ol and beta,beta-caroten-4-ol is discussed. This is the first demonstration of a 2-hydroxylated carotenoid in an insect. Implications on the biogenesis of this pigment are considered.