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Yan Z, Tong X, Xiong G, Yang W, Lu K, Yuan Y, Han M, Hu H, Wei W, Dai F. A Blueprint of Microstructures and Stage-Specific Transcriptome Dynamics of Cuticle Formation in Bombyx mori. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23095155. [PMID: 35563544 PMCID: PMC9101387 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23095155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Insect cuticle is critical for the environmental adaptability and insecticide resistance of insects. However, there is no clear understanding of the structure and protein components of the cuticle during each developmental stage of holometabolous insects, and knowledge about the protein components within each layer is vague. We conducted serial sectioning, cuticular structure analysis, and transcriptome sequencing of the larval, pupal, and adult cuticles of Bombyx mori. The deposition processes of epicuticle, exocuticle, and endocuticle during larval, pupal, and adult cuticle formation were similar. Transcriptome analysis showed that these cuticle formations share 74% of the expressed cuticular protein (CP) genes and 20 other structural protein genes, such as larval serum protein and prisilkin. There are seven, six, and eleven stage-specific expressed CP genes in larval, pupal, and adult cuticles, respectively. The types and levels of CP genes may be the key determinants of the properties of each cuticular layer. For example, the CPs of the RR-2 protein family with high contents of histidine (His) are more essential for the exocuticle. Functional analysis suggested that BmorCPAP1-H is involved in cuticle formation. This study not only offers an in-depth understanding of cuticle morphology and protein components but also facilitates the elucidation of molecular mechanisms underlying cuticle formation in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengwen Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (Z.Y.); (X.T.); (G.X.); (W.Y.); (K.L.); (Y.Y.); (M.H.); (H.H.)
| | - Xiaoling Tong
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (Z.Y.); (X.T.); (G.X.); (W.Y.); (K.L.); (Y.Y.); (M.H.); (H.H.)
| | - Gao Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (Z.Y.); (X.T.); (G.X.); (W.Y.); (K.L.); (Y.Y.); (M.H.); (H.H.)
- College of Notoginseng Medicine and Pharmacy, Wenshan University, Wenshan 663000, China
| | - Weike Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (Z.Y.); (X.T.); (G.X.); (W.Y.); (K.L.); (Y.Y.); (M.H.); (H.H.)
- The Sericultural and Apicultural Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Honghe 661100, China
| | - Kunpeng Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (Z.Y.); (X.T.); (G.X.); (W.Y.); (K.L.); (Y.Y.); (M.H.); (H.H.)
| | - Yajie Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (Z.Y.); (X.T.); (G.X.); (W.Y.); (K.L.); (Y.Y.); (M.H.); (H.H.)
| | - Minjin Han
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (Z.Y.); (X.T.); (G.X.); (W.Y.); (K.L.); (Y.Y.); (M.H.); (H.H.)
| | - Hai Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (Z.Y.); (X.T.); (G.X.); (W.Y.); (K.L.); (Y.Y.); (M.H.); (H.H.)
| | - Wei Wei
- Guangxi Academy of Sericultural Sciences, Nanning 530007, China;
| | - Fangyin Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (Z.Y.); (X.T.); (G.X.); (W.Y.); (K.L.); (Y.Y.); (M.H.); (H.H.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-23-6825-0793
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Dittrich K, Wipfler B. A review of the hexapod tracheal system with a focus on the apterygote groups. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2021; 63:101072. [PMID: 34098323 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2021.101072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Respiratory systems are key innovations for the radiation of terrestrial arthropods. It is therefore surprising that there is still a considerable lack of knowledge. In this review of the available information on tracheal systems of hexapods (with a focus on the apterygote lineages Protura, Collembola, Diplura, Archaeognatha and Zygentoma), we summarize available data on the spiracles (number, position and morphology), the shape and variability of tracheal branching patterns including anastomoses, the tracheal fine structure and the respiratory proteins. The available data are strongly fragmented, and information for most subgroups is missing. In various cases, individual observations for one species account for the knowledge of the entire order. The available data show that there are strong differences between but also within apterygote orders. We conclude that the available data are insufficient to derive detailed conclusions on the hexapod ground plan and outline the possible evolutionary scenarios for the tracheal system in this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Dittrich
- Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Adenauerallee 160, 53113, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Benjamin Wipfler
- Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Adenauerallee 160, 53113, Bonn, Germany.
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Wang D, Vannier J, Yang XG, Sun J, Sun YF, Hao WJ, Tang QQ, Liu P, Han J. Cuticular reticulation replicates the pattern of epidermal cells in lowermost Cambrian scalidophoran worms. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200470. [PMID: 32370674 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The cuticle of ecdysozoans (Panarthropoda, Scalidophora, Nematoida) is secreted by underlying epidermal cells and renewed via ecdysis. We explore here the relationship between epidermis and external cuticular ornament in stem-group scalidophorans from the early Cambrian of China (Kuanchuanpu Formation; ca 535 Ma) that had two types of microscopic polygonal cuticular networks with either straight or microfolded boundaries. Detailed comparisons with modern scalidophorans (priapulids) indicate that these networks faithfully replicate the cell boundaries of the epidermis. This suggests that the cuticle of early scalidophorans formed through the fusion between patches of extracellular material secreted by epidermal cells, as observed in various groups of present-day ecdysozoans, including arthropods. Key genetic, biochemical and mechanical processes associated with ecdysis and cuticle formation seem to have appeared very early (at least not later than 535 Ma) in the evolution of ecdysozoans. Microfolded reticulation is likely to be a mechanical response to absorbing contraction exerted by underlying muscles. The polygonal reticulation in early and extant ecdysozoans is clearly a by-product of the epidermal cell pavement and interacted with the sedimentary environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life and Environments, Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, People's Republic of China.,Univ Lyon, Univ Lyon 1, ENSL, CNRS, LGL-TPE, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Jean Vannier
- Univ Lyon, Univ Lyon 1, ENSL, CNRS, LGL-TPE, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Xiao-Guang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life and Environments, Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life and Environments, Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi-Fei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life and Environments, Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Jing Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life and Environments, Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, People's Republic of China
| | - Qing-Qin Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life and Environments, Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, People's Republic of China
| | - Ping Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life and Environments, Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Han
- State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life and Environments, Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, People's Republic of China
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Iazzolino A, Cerkvenik U, Tourtit Y, Ladang A, Compère P, Gilet T. Liquid dispensing in the adhesive hairy pads of dock beetles. J R Soc Interface 2020; 17:20200024. [PMID: 32370693 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2020.0024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many insects can climb on smooth inverted substrates using adhesive hairy pads on their legs. The hair-surface contact is often mediated by minute volumes of liquid, which form capillary bridges in the contact zones and aid in adhesion. The liquid transport to the contact zones is poorly understood. We investigated the dynamics of liquid secretion in the dock beetle Gastrophysa viridula by quantifying the volume of the deposited liquid footprints during simulated walking experiments. The footprint volume increased with pad-surface contact time and was independent of the non-contact time. Furthermore, the footprint volume decreased to zero after reaching a threshold cumulative volume (approx. 30 fl) in successive steps. This suggests a limited reservoir with low liquid influx. We modelled our results as a fluidic resistive system and estimated the hydraulic resistance of a single attachment hair of the order of MPa · s/fl. The liquid secretion in beetle hairy pads is dominated by passive suction of the liquid during the contact phase. The high calculated resistance of the secretion pathway may originate from the nanosized channels in the hair cuticle. Such nanochannels presumably mediate the transport of cuticular lipids, which are chemically similar to the adhesive liquid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Iazzolino
- Microfluidics Lab, Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Uroš Cerkvenik
- Microfluidics Lab, Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.,Functional and Evolutionary Morphology Laboratory, FOCUS, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Youness Tourtit
- Microfluidics Lab, Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.,Transfers, Interfaces and Processes, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Auxane Ladang
- Microfluidics Lab, Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Philippe Compère
- Functional and Evolutionary Morphology Laboratory, FOCUS, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Tristan Gilet
- Microfluidics Lab, Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
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Mechanics of Arthropod Cuticle-Versatility by Structural and Compositional Variation. ARCHITECTURED MATERIALS IN NATURE AND ENGINEERING 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-11942-3_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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6
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Abstract
Chitin is a linear polysaccharide of the amino sugar N-acetyl glucosamine. It is present in the extracellular matrix of a variety of invertebrates including sponges, molluscs, nematodes and arthropods and fungi. Generally, it is an important component of protective or supportive extracellular matrices that cover the tissue that produces it or the whole body of the organism. Chitin fibres associate with each other adopting one of three possible crystalline organisations, i.e. α-, β- or γ-chitin. Usually, chitin fibre bundles interact with chitin-binding proteins forming higher order structures. Chitin laminae, which are two-dimensional sheets of α-chitin crystals with antiparallel running chitin fibres in association with β-folded proteins, are primary constituents of the arthropod cuticle and the fibrous extracellular matrix in sponges. A tri-dimensional composite material of proteins coacervates and β-chitin constitute hard biomaterials such as the squid beak. The molecular composition of γ-chitin-based structures that contribute to the physical barrier found in insect cocoons is less well studied. In principle, chitin is a versatile extracellular polysaccharide that in association with proteins defines the mechanical properties of tissues and organisms.
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Murano K, Ogawa K, Kaji T, Miura T. Pheromone gland development and monoterpenoid synthesis specific to oviparous females in the pea aphid. ZOOLOGICAL LETTERS 2018; 4:9. [PMID: 29780614 PMCID: PMC5946545 DOI: 10.1186/s40851-018-0092-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aphids display "cyclic parthenogenesis," in which parthenogenetically and sexually reproducing morphs seasonally alternate in the aphid annual life cycles. There are various characteristics that differ between asexual viviparous and sexual oviparous females. In oviparous females, swollen cuticular structures (~ 10 μm in diameter), called "scent plaques," are scattered on the surface of hind tibias, and secrete monoterpenoid sex pheromones. However, the developmental processes of the pheromone glands and the biosynthetic pathways of monoterpenoid pheromones have yet to be elucidated. RESULTS Comparisons of the developmental processes that form hind tibias between sexual and parthenogenetic females revealed that, in sexual females, the epithelial tissues in proximal parts of hind tibias become columnar in fourth instar nymphs, and circular pheromone glands with Class 1 gland cells appear in adults, although they do not appear in parthenogenetic females. Furthermore, by comparing the expression levels of genes involved in the mevalonate pathway, which is required for monoterpenoid synthesis, we show that genes that encode the downstream enzymes in the pathway are highly expressed in hind tibias of sexual females. CONCLUSION Glandular tissues of scent plaque are differentiated from the fourth instar in sexual females, while parthenogenetic females lack the glandular cells. Only the downstream steps of the mevalonate pathway appear to occur in scent plaques on hind tibias of sexual females, although the upstream steps may occur somewhere in other body parts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koki Murano
- Laboratory of Ecological Genetics, Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810 Japan
| | - Kota Ogawa
- Laboratory of Ecological Genetics, Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810 Japan
- Laboratory of Functional Genomics, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585 Japan
| | - Tomonari Kaji
- Laboratory of Ecological Genetics, Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810 Japan
- Bamfield Marine Science Centre, 100 Pachena Rd, Bamfield, British Columbia V0R 1B0 Canada
| | - Toru Miura
- Laboratory of Ecological Genetics, Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810 Japan
- Misaki Marine Biological Station, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 1024 Koajiro, Misaki, Miura, Kanagawa 238-0225 Japan
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Chan LW, Morse DE, Gordon MJ. Moth eye-inspired anti-reflective surfaces for improved IR optical systems & visible LEDs fabricated with colloidal lithography and etching. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2018; 13:041001. [PMID: 29547135 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/aab738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Near- and sub-wavelength photonic structures are used by numerous organisms (e.g. insects, cephalopods, fish, birds) to create vivid and often dynamically-tunable colors, as well as create, manipulate, or capture light for vision, communication, crypsis, photosynthesis, and defense. This review introduces the physics of moth eye (ME)-like, biomimetic nanostructures and discusses their application to reduce optical losses and improve efficiency of various optoelectronic devices, including photodetectors, photovoltaics, imagers, and light emitting diodes. Light-matter interactions at structured and heterogeneous surfaces over different length scales are discussed, as are the various methods used to create ME-inspired surfaces. Special interest is placed on a simple, scalable, and tunable method, namely colloidal lithography with plasma dry etching, to fabricate ME-inspired nanostructures in a vast suite of materials. Anti-reflective surfaces and coatings for IR devices and enhancing light extraction from visible light emitting diodes are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lesley W Chan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5080, United States of America
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Ferveur JF, Cortot J, Rihani K, Cobb M, Everaerts C. Desiccation resistance: effect of cuticular hydrocarbons and water content in Drosophila melanogaster adults. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4318. [PMID: 29456884 PMCID: PMC5813593 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The insect cuticle covers the whole body and all appendages and has bi-directionnal selective permeability: it protects against environmental stress and pathogen infection and also helps to reduce water loss. The adult cuticle is often associated with a superficial layer of fatty acid-derived molecules such as waxes and long chain hydrocarbons that prevent rapid dehydration. The waterproofing properties of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHs) depend on their chain length and desaturation number. Drosophila CH biosynthesis involves an enzymatic pathway including several elongase and desaturase enzymes. Methods The link between desiccation resistance and CH profile remains unclear, so we tested (1) experimentally selected desiccation-resistant lines, (2) transgenic flies with altered desaturase expression and (3) natural and laboratory-induced CH variants. We also explored the possible relationship between desiccation resistance, relative water content and fecundity in females. Results We found that increased desiccation resistance is linked with the increased proportion of desaturated CHs, but not with their total amount. Experimentally-induced desiccation resistance and CH variation both remained stable after many generations without selection. Conversely, flies with a higher water content and a lower proportion of desaturated CHs showed reduced desiccation resistance. This was also the case in flies with defective desaturase expression in the fat body. Discussion We conclude that rapidly acquired desiccation resistance, depending on both CH profile and water content, can remain stable without selection in a humid environment. These three phenotypes, which might be expected to show a simple relationship, turn out to have complex physiological and genetic links.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Francois Ferveur
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Agrosup-UMR 6265 CNRS, UMR 1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Jérôme Cortot
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Agrosup-UMR 6265 CNRS, UMR 1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Karen Rihani
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Agrosup-UMR 6265 CNRS, UMR 1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Matthew Cobb
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Claude Everaerts
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, Agrosup-UMR 6265 CNRS, UMR 1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
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Noh MY, Muthukrishnan S, Kramer KJ, Arakane Y. Development and ultrastructure of the rigid dorsal and flexible ventral cuticles of the elytron of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2017; 91:21-33. [PMID: 29117500 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2017.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2017] [Revised: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Insect exoskeletons are composed of the cuticle, a biomaterial primarily formed from the linear and relatively rigid polysaccharide, chitin, and structural proteins. This extracellular material serves both as a skin and skeleton, protecting insects from environmental stresses and mechanical damage. Despite its rather limited compositional palette, cuticles in different anatomical regions or developmental stages exhibit remarkably diverse physicochemical and mechanical properties because of differences in chemical composition, molecular interactions and morphological architecture of the various layers and sublayers throughout the cuticle including the envelope, epicuticle and procuticle (exocuticle and endocuticle). Even though the ultrastructure of the arthropod cuticle has been studied rather extensively, its temporal developmental pattern, in particular, the synchronous development of the functional layers in different cuticles during a molt, is not well understood. The beetle elytron, which is a highly modified and sclerotized forewing, offers excellent advantages for such a study because it can be easily isolated at precise time points during development. In this study, we describe the morphogenesis of the dorsal and ventral cuticles of the elytron of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, during the period from the 0 d-old pupa to the 9 d-old adult. The deposition of exocuticle and mesocuticle is substantially different in the two cuticles. The dorsal cuticle is four-fold thicker than the ventral. Unlike the ventral cuticle, the dorsal contains a thicker exocuticle consisting of a large number of horizontal laminae and vertical pore canals with pore canal fibers and rib-like veins and bristles as well as a mesocuticle, lying right above the enodcuticle. The degree of sclerotization appears to be much greater in the dorsal cuticle. All of these differences result in a relatively thick and tanned rigid dorsal cuticle and a much thinner and less pigmented membrane-like ventral cuticle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi Young Noh
- Department of Applied Biology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, South Korea
| | - Subbaratnam Muthukrishnan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Karl J Kramer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Yasuyuki Arakane
- Department of Applied Biology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, South Korea.
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Adler PN. Gene expression and morphogenesis during the deposition of Drosophila wing cuticle. Fly (Austin) 2017. [PMID: 28631994 DOI: 10.1080/19336934.2017.1295188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The exoskeleton of insects and other arthropods is a very versatile material that is characterized by a complex multilayer structure. In Sobala and Adler (2016) we analyzed the process of wing cuticle deposition by RNAseq and electron microscopy. In this extra view we discuss the unique aspects of the envelope the first and most outermost layer and the gene expression program seen at the end of cuticle deposition. We discussed the role of undulae in the deposition of cuticle and how the hydrophobicity of wing cuticle arises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul N Adler
- a Biology Department, Cell Biology Department , University of Virginia , Charlottesville , VA , USA
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Piszter G, Kertész K, Bálint Z, Biró LP. Pretreated Butterfly Wings for Tuning the Selective Vapor Sensing. SENSORS 2016; 16:s16091446. [PMID: 27618045 PMCID: PMC5038724 DOI: 10.3390/s16091446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Revised: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Photonic nanoarchitectures occurring in the scales of Blue butterflies are responsible for their vivid blue wing coloration. These nanoarchitectures are quasi-ordered nanocomposites which are constituted from a chitin matrix with embedded air holes. Therefore, they can act as chemically selective sensors due to their color changes when mixing volatile vapors in the surrounding atmosphere which condensate into the nanoarchitecture through capillary condensation. Using a home-built vapor-mixing setup, the spectral changes caused by the different air + vapor mixtures were efficiently characterized. It was found that the spectral shift is vapor-specific and proportional with the vapor concentration. We showed that the conformal modification of the scale surface by atomic layer deposition and by ethanol pretreatment can significantly alter the optical response and chemical selectivity, which points the way to the efficient production of sensor arrays based on the knowledge obtained through the investigation of modified butterfly wings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gábor Piszter
- Institute of Technical Physics and Materials Science, Centre for Energy Research, H-1525 Budapest, P.O. Box 49, Hungary.
| | - Krisztián Kertész
- Institute of Technical Physics and Materials Science, Centre for Energy Research, H-1525 Budapest, P.O. Box 49, Hungary.
| | - Zsolt Bálint
- Hungarian Natural History Museum, H-1088 Budapest, Baross utca 13, Hungary.
| | - László Péter Biró
- Institute of Technical Physics and Materials Science, Centre for Energy Research, H-1525 Budapest, P.O. Box 49, Hungary.
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Discovery of the surface polarity gradient on iridescent Morpho butterfly scales reveals a mechanism of their selective vapor response. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:15567-72. [PMID: 24019497 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1311196110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
For almost a century, the iridescence of tropical Morpho butterfly scales has been known to originate from 3D vertical ridge structures of stacked periodic layers of cuticle separated by air gaps. Here we describe a biological pattern of surface functionality that we have found in these photonic structures. This pattern is a gradient of surface polarity of the ridge structures that runs from their polar tops to their less-polar bottoms. This finding shows a biological pattern design that could stimulate numerous technological applications ranging from photonic security tags to self-cleaning surfaces, gas separators, protective clothing, sensors, and many others. As an important first step, this biomaterial property and our knowledge of its basis has allowed us to unveil a general mechanism of selective vapor response observed in the photonic Morpho nanostructures. This mechanism of selective vapor response brings a multivariable perspective for sensing, where selectivity is achieved within a single chemically graded nanostructured sensing unit, rather than from an array of separate sensors.
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14
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Gupta BL, Smith DS. Fine structural organization of the spermatheca in the cockroach, Periplaneta americana. Tissue Cell 2012; 1:295-324. [PMID: 18631470 DOI: 10.1016/s0040-8166(69)80027-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/1968] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The detailed structure of the cockroach spermatheca is described and discussed firstly as an example of an insect integumentary gland, and secondly, from the standpoint of its role in reproduction. The gland comprises a cortical rank of separate secretory units, each associated with an epithelial duct cell responsible for receiving secreted materials and transporting them through the cuticular intima lining the reproductive tract. Secretory activity is cyclic, and the probable mode of elaboration and release of secretory material is described, together with the fine structure of the markedly differing intimas associated respectively with the glandular and conducting units.
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15
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McNamara ME, Briggs DEG, Orr PJ, Noh H, Cao H. The original colours of fossil beetles. Proc Biol Sci 2011; 279:1114-21. [PMID: 21957131 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2011.1677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural colours, the most intense, reflective and pure colours in nature, are generated when light is scattered by complex nanostructures. Metallic structural colours are widespread among modern insects and can be preserved in their fossil counterparts, but it is unclear whether the colours have been altered during fossilization, and whether the absence of colours is always real. To resolve these issues, we investigated fossil beetles from five Cenozoic biotas. Metallic colours in these specimens are generated by an epicuticular multi-layer reflector; the fidelity of its preservation correlates with that of other key cuticular ultrastructures. Where these other ultrastructures are well preserved in non-metallic fossil specimens, we can infer that the original cuticle lacked a multi-layer reflector; its absence in the fossil is not a preservational artefact. Reconstructions of the original colours of the fossils based on the structure of the multi-layer reflector show that the preserved colours are offset systematically to longer wavelengths; this probably reflects alteration of the refractive index of the epicuticle during fossilization. These findings will allow the former presence, and original hue, of metallic structural colours to be identified in diverse fossil insects, thus providing critical evidence of the evolution of structural colour in this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria E McNamara
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
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16
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Locke M. The localization of a peroxidase associated with hard cuticle formation in an insect, Calpodes ethlius stoll, Lepidoptera, Hesperiidae. Tissue Cell 2009; 1:555-74. [PMID: 18631484 DOI: 10.1016/s0040-8166(69)80021-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/1968] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The distribution of a peroxidase associated with the formation of hard cuticle has been studied in developing larvae of Calpodes ethlius. It occurs in granules in several cell types but is most easily observed in the cells making the proleg spines at the 4th to 5th molt. Light microscopy shows peroxidase in numerous granules about 0.5micro in diameter at the time the cuticle of the spine shaft is being deposited. Electron microscopy shows these granules to be multivesicular bodies with peroxidase in the matrix. Peroxidase is also found in cisternae of the rough ER near Golgi complexes, in vesicles of Golgi complexes and in the secretory vesicles which discharge to make cuticle at the apical surface. The cuticle above the plasma membrane where peroxidase is being deposited reacts with DAB in the absence of hydrogen peroxide. Presumably this cuticle has been 'peroxidized' as a first stage in stabilization by cross-linking. Some of the peroxidase secreted at the apical surface is pinocytosed and transported to the multivesicular bodies, suggesting that there may be a precise control of the cuticular environment through the turnover of its soluble components.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Locke
- Case Western Reserve University, Department of Biology, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
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17
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Taylor HH, Greenaway P. The structure of the gills and lungs of the arid-zone crab, Holthuisana (Austrothelphusa) transversa (Brachyura: Sundathelphusidae) including observations on arterial vessels within the gills. J Zool (1987) 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1979.tb03969.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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18
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Rieger GE, Rieger RM. Comparative fine structure study of the Gastrotrich cuticle and aspects of cuticle evolution within the Aschelminthes1. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0469.1977.tb00533.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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19
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20
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Callaini G, Dallai R. Cuticle formation during the embryonic development of the dipteranCeratitis capitataWied. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1080/11250008709355587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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21
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Juárez MP, Fernández GC. Cuticular hydrocarbons of triatomines. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2007; 147:711-730. [PMID: 17046303 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2006.08.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2006] [Revised: 08/22/2006] [Accepted: 08/26/2006] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Triatomine insects (Hemiptera) are the vectors of Chagas disease. Their cuticular surface is covered by a thin layer of lipids, mainly hydrocarbons, wax esters, fatty alcohols, and free or esterified fatty acids. These lipids play a major role in preventing a lethal desiccation, altering the absorption of chemicals and microorganism penetration, they also participate in chemical communication events. Lipid components are biosynthetically related, the synthesis of long chain and very long chain fatty acids was first shown in the integument of Triatoma infestans through the concerted action of fatty acid synthases (FAS's) and fatty acyl-CoA elongases. A final decarboxylation step produces the corresponding hydrocarbon. Capillary gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry analyses showed that cuticular hydrocarbons of Triatominae comprise saturated straight and methyl-branched chains, from 18 to more than 43 carbon atoms. Odd-chain hydrocarbons, mostly from 27 to 33 carbons, are the major straight chains. Different isomers of mono, di, tri, and tetramethylcomponents, mostly from 29 to 39 atoms in the carbon skeleton, account for the major methyl-branched hydrocarbons. The presence, absence, and relative quantities of these hydrocarbons represent characters for their chemical phenotype, and are useful for differentiating genera, species and populations. In this review, we will discuss the metabolic pathways involved in hydrocarbon formation, and their structure, together with their role in insect survival. We will also review the utility of cuticular hydrocarbon fingerprints in chemotaxonomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- M P Juárez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas 1° piso, calles 60 y 120, La Plata, 1900, Argentina.
| | - G C Fernández
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas 1° piso, calles 60 y 120, La Plata, 1900, Argentina
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22
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Abstract
The hinge structure in the podocopan ostracode Loxconcha pulchra was examined throughout its molt cycle using ultrastructural and histological procedures. The structure consists of ligament and hingement, and develops along the attached margin of the right and left valves. In Stage C the hingement of both valves interdigitates beneath the ligament, and a series of outer epidermal cells (dorsal epidermal cells), exhibiting abundant granules, underlie the hinge structure. Apolysis occurs at Stage D1, and electron-dense granular materials of variable diameter are seen within the ecdysial space. Epicuticle formation begins at Stage D2 and is complete before Stage D4. In Stage D2 the new epicuticle appears as a dotted line consisting of numerous grain-like materials. The dorsal epidermal cells, which actively secrete the numerous granules during molting, increase their size and reveal the electron-dense substances in the cytoplasm from Stage D2. At early Stage D3 the procuticle deposition of ligament commences inside the epicuticle, and is completed in Stage D4. In Stage D4 the uncalcified procuticle is secreted under the whole area of carapace, and the new carapace is then ready for ecdysis. After ecdysis, calcification of the carapace commences from the dorsal and ventral marginal areas towards the central area. During Stage A there is no further cuticle deposition in the ligament, although the dorsal epidermal cells secrete as actively in the postmolt stage as in premolt. The dorsal epidermal cells begin to form the hingement just after ecdysis. Cuticle deposition of the hingement proceeds asynchronously in the two valves: the hingement of the right valve is formed prior to that of left one in L. pulchra. The right hingement functions as a mold for the left hingement to form the precise interdigitated structure in L. pulchra. These observations suggest that the ostracode ligament is a unique cuticle, which should not be confused with the cuticles of other arthropods. The work establishes, for the first time, a description of the formation of the hingement in podocopan ostracodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinnosuke Yamada
- Geosphere and Biosphere Science Group, Department of Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
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23
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Moussian B, Seifarth C, Müller U, Berger J, Schwarz H. Cuticle differentiation during Drosophila embryogenesis. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2006; 35:137-152. [PMID: 18089066 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2006.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2006] [Accepted: 05/11/2006] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The constitutive criterion for the evolutionary successful clade of ecdysozoans is a protective exoskeleton. In insects the exoskeleton, the so-called cuticle consists of three functional layers, the waterproof envelope, the proteinaceous epicuticle and the chitinous procuticle that are produced as an extracellular matrix by the underlying epidermal cells. Here, we present our electron-microscopic study of cuticle differentiation during embryogenesis in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. We conclude that cuticle differentiation in the Drosophila embryo occurs in three phases. In the first phase, the layers are established. Interestingly, we find that establishment of the layers occurs partially simultaneously rather than in a strict sequential manner as previously proposed. In the second phase the cuticle thickens. Finally, in the third phase, when secretion of cuticle material has ceased, the chitin laminae acquire their typical orientation, and the epicuticle of the denticles and the head skeleton darken. Our work will help to understand the phenotypes of embryos mutant for genes encoding essential cuticle factors, in turn revealing mechanisms of cuticle differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard Moussian
- Max-Planck-Institute for Developmental Biology, Department for Genetics and Microscopy Unit, Abteilung III, Spemannstrasse 35, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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24
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25
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Whitten JM. Stage specific larval, pupal, and adult cuticles in the tracheal system ofSarcophaga bullata. J Morphol 2005; 150:369-397. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.1051500209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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26
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Roch F, Alonso CR, Akam M. Drosophila miniature and dusky encode ZP proteins required for cytoskeletal reorganisation during wing morphogenesis. J Cell Sci 2003; 116:1199-207. [PMID: 12615963 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.00298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We have characterised the function of two Drosophila genes, miniature and dusky, that are required for the morphological reorganisation of the apical membrane during wing epidermis differentiation. These genes encode transmembrane proteins containing a ZP (zona pellucida) domain and are homologous to several vertebrate and invertebrate apical matrix components. miniature and dusky are only expressed in tissues secreting a cuticle, and the Min protein localises to the apical membrane during the early stages of cuticle formation. We propose that Min and Dusky form a novel subfamily within the ZP domain proteins and are specifically involved in the interactions between the apical membrane, the cytoskeleton and the forming cuticle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Roch
- Laboratory for Development and Evolution, University Museum of Zoology, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK.
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27
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Jarial MS. Design of the labial cuticle in Cenocorixa bifida Hung. (Hemiptera: Corixidae) with reference to ionic transport. Zoolog Sci 2003; 20:125-31. [PMID: 12655175 DOI: 10.2108/zsj.20.125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The surface topography and ultrastructure of the labial cuticle of Cenocorixa bifida were examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The dorsal wall of the labium consists of seven sclerotized transverse bars each displaying two rows of semicircular grooves and pores. The cuticle is about 20 microm thick and is composed of epicuticle and lamellate exocuticle and endocuticle, the latter separated from the underlying epidermis by subcuticle containing amorphous material. The epicuticle is subdivided into an electron-dense very thin outer epicuticle and a homogenous thick inner epicuticle, which is penetrated by grooves. The exocuticle is filled with electron-dense blocks of material, which may provide mechanical support to the labial wall. The elongate epidermal cells display extensive infoldings of the apical plasma membrane (facing the cuticle) and contain abundant mitochondria in the cytoplasm. The presence of deep epicuticular grooves and pores in the thin labial cuticle and extensive apical membrane infolding and abundant mitochondria in the epidermal cells suggest that the labium in C. bifida is the site of osmoregulatory ionic uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohinder S Jarial
- Muncie Center for Medical Education, Ball State University Muncie, IN 47306, USA.
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28
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Romeiro A, Monteiro Leal LH, de Souza W, Attias M. Interaction of Leptomonas wallacei with the intestinal tract of its natural host Oncopeltus fasciatus (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae). J Invertebr Pathol 2003; 82:41-9. [PMID: 12581718 DOI: 10.1016/s0022-2011(02)00176-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
While investigating the distribution of Leptomonas wallacei in the intestine of the insect host Oncopeltus fasciatus, promastigotes and cyst-like forms of L. wallacei were observed only in the midgut ventricles V(3) and V(4) and the hindgut. In video-microscopy, once contact had occurred, the parasites remained attached to the midgut epithelium. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the adhesion of flagellates and cyst-like forms to the midgut wall and to the rectal pads of the hindgut. Using transmission electron microscopy, we observed that adhesion occurred mainly between the flagellum and the perimicrovillar membranes secreted by the midgut epithelium. No modifications were observed either in the parasite or in the epithelial cells. In the hindgut, adhesion to the superficial wax layer of the epithelial cells of the rectal pads was via flagellum. Host cell morphology appeared unaffected by L. wallacei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Romeiro
- Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade do Brasil/UFRJ, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Bloco G, Cidade Universitária, 21949-900, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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29
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Locke M. The Wigglesworth Lecture: Insects for studying fundamental problems in biology. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2001; 47:495-507. [PMID: 11166314 DOI: 10.1016/s0022-1910(00)00123-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- M Locke
- Department of Zoology, University of Western Ontario, Ontario, N6A 5B7, London, Canada
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30
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Yarema C, McLean H, Caveney S. L-Glutamate retrieved with the moulting fluid is processed by a glutamine synthetase in the pupal midgut of Calpodes ethlius. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2000; 46:1497-1507. [PMID: 10891579 DOI: 10.1016/s0022-1910(00)00075-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
From apolysis until pupal ecdysis, the pharate pupa of the Brazilian Skipper (Calpodes ethlius) lies wrapped in a prepupal shell composed of the larval cuticle and an ecdysial space (ES) filled with enzyme-rich moulting fluid (MF). In the 4h before ecdysis the pharate pupa drinks the moulting fluid through its mouth and anus, and transfers the cuticular degradation products to its midgut (MG). At the same time, extra fluid passes across the body wall of the pharate pupa and flushes out the ES. The MF is recovered at an overall rate of 70µl/h and reabsorbed across the pharate pupal midgut at about 26µl/h. L-Glutamate was found to be the dominant amino acid in the moulting fluid. Total MF glutamate peaked at 850nmol about 8h before pupal ecdysis (P-8), but by ecdysis it had dropped to nearly zero as the MF became diluted with new fluid and was consumed. The drop in glutamate in the ES coincided with a rise in the glutamine content of the fluid in the midgut lumen. The highest rate of glutamine synthesis occurred in midguts isolated from pharate pupae actively drinking MF (P</=-4). The enzyme glutamine synthetase (GS) was found to be active in glutamate metabolism in the pharate pupal midgut. Glutamine synthesis in the midgut was L-glutamate-dependent and inhibited by two selective competitive inhibitors of GS activity, L-methionine sulfoximine (MSO) and glufosinate ammonium (GLA). Injection of GS inhibitors into the prepupal ES greatly reduced the glutamine content of the midgut epithelium by P+24. Although a corresponding increase in midgut glutamate levels was not seen, midgut serine levels in treated animals rose, suggesting that GS inhibitors shunted the MF-derived glutamate along an alternative metabolic pathway. GLA was much more toxic to pupae than MSO. Midgut GS appears to play a central role in the recycling of L-glutamate across the pupal MG epithelium at pupation.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Yarema
- Department of Zoology, University of Western Ontario, Ontario, N6A 5B7, London, Canada
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31
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Watson I, Churchill D, Caveney S. Characterization of a chloride current in the larval epidermis of the beetle Tenebrio molitor. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 1999; 45:895-906. [PMID: 12770282 DOI: 10.1016/s0022-1910(99)00065-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Voltage-clamp analysis of single cuticle-attached epidermal cells dissected from the newly-ecdysed mealworm revealed the presence of a large inwardly-rectifying anion (i.e. outwardly-going) current. In many cells this current formed spontaneously on breaking into the cell with the patch pipette when the bath solution was isoosmotic with the pipette solution (415 mosmol/l). The current was evoked rapidly by electrical stimulation or by bathing the cells in hyposmotic saline (335 mosmol/l). The reversal potential of the activated current shifted in agreement with the Nernst prediction for Cl(-) when the transmembrane chloride gradient was altered by partially substituting bath or patch pipette Cl(-) with gluconate(-). Substitution of Na(+) with choline(+) or K(+) with TEA and Ba(+) in the bath or pipette solutions did not alter the reversal potential. Addition of 200 &mgr;mol/l cyclic AMP or 1 mmol/l cyclic GMP to the pipette solution increased the initial current strength and reduced the time taken to reach half peak amplitude from 117 sec to 49 sec and 41 sec, respectively. Cyclic AMP also raised the threshold at which the current developed under hyperosmotic conditions by about 20 mosmol/l. Addition of the Cl(-) channel blockers diphenylamine-2-carboxylic acid (200 &mgr;mmol/l) and diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acid (250 &mgr;mol/l) to the bath solution reduced the inwardly-rectifying anion current by 50%. This current was barely detectable in cells prepared from the mid-instar integument. This non-constitutive pattern of expression suggests that cellular Cl(-) efflux (and that of other anions) may be required during moult-cycle specific processes such as moulting fluid formation and cell volume regulation. As the strength of the epidermal anion current could be raised by the exogenous application of cytosolic cyclic nucleotides, the activity of the anion channels responsible for this current may normally be regulated by yet-to-be-identified hormone(s) or neuropeptide(s) acting on this tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Watson
- Department of Zoology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
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32
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Innocenti L, Lucchesi P, Giorgi F. Integument ultrastructure of Oestrus ovis (L.) (Diptera:Oestridae) larvae: host immune response to various cuticular components. Int J Parasitol 1997; 27:495-506. [PMID: 9193943 DOI: 10.1016/s0020-7519(96)00186-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The nasal bot fly, Oestrus ovis, was investigated to establish which specific cuticular component is most immunogenic to infested sheep and how larval cuticle attains a protective role, if any, against the host immune system. To accomplish these goals, larval cuticle was extracted by a variety of agents and tested against immune sera from infested sheep and experimentally immunized rabbits. The cuticle substructure remaining after extraction was examined to localize various immunogenic components. O. ovis larval integument comprises an inner cellular layer, the epidermis, and an overlying cuticle layer. In 3rd instar larvae, the cuticle comprises 2 additional layers: the procuticle with numerous pore canals and the epicuticle which includes the wax canals. Three additional layers, altogether comprising the cuticulin layer, are present external to the epicuticle. The epicuticle is completed by apposition of an amorphous electrondense material extending for up to 1 micron in thickness. When fixed with ruthenium red, cuticle becomes heavily stained all along the epicuticular surface in larvae of all developmental stages. However, in 3rd instar larvae, ruthenium red deposits are restricted to the cuticulin layer alone. By gel electrophoresis, 3rd instar larval cuticle is shown to contain a number of polypeptides ranging in molecular weight from 180 to 4.5 kDa. The number and relative concentration of low molecular weight polypeptides was shown to vary in relation to the extraction media employed. Cuticular fragments examined after extraction exhibit an altered ultrastructure. When tested by immunoblotting, the cuticular polypeptides most reactive against sheep antisera are in the range of 180-56 kDa. A similar reaction was also detected with sera from rabbits infested experimentally with O. ovis larvae. Results are interpreted in relation to differential polypeptide distribution within the larval cuticle and to accessibility of the host immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Innocenti
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Pisa, Italy
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33
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Ziegler A. Ultrastructural changes of the anterior and posterior sternal integument of the terrestrial isopod Porcellio scaber Latr. (Crustacea) during the moult cycle. Tissue Cell 1997; 29:63-76. [DOI: 10.1016/s0040-8166(97)80073-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/1996] [Accepted: 09/09/1996] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Abstract
It is clear from this brief review that our understanding of the molecular cross-talk between insects and their baculovirus pathogens is still very limited. Studies in cell culture have taught us a great deal about the basic baculovirus molecular machinery and how it is regulated, and in many cases this information has been predictive of what occurs in infected insects. Frequently, however, studies in cell culture do not adequately predict the infection process in insect hosts, as demonstrated by viral mutants (some of which were discussed in this review) that behave identically to wild-type virus in cell culture but differ markedly in larvae. More baculovirus studies, therefore, need to be conducted in vivo if we are to improve our understanding of the complex interactions between baculoviruses and their hosts. Conducting baculovirus studies in insects (or at least in primary cell culture) also offers the opportunity to address questions that reach beyond the baculovirus community in significance. For example, almost all of our knowledge of viral fusion mechanisms comes from infection of cells in culture where the pH is neutral or acidic and the temperature is constant at 27 degrees or 37 degrees C. An answer to the question of how the ODV envelope fuses with the microvillar membrane of columnar epithelial cells in the highly alkaline midgut environment at low temperatures will not only be important for an improved understanding of baculovirus infection in the natural world, but will also constitute a new chapter on viral entry mechanisms. Similarly, the answer to the question of how baculovirus nucleocapsids move basally within microvilli promises to involve factors and/or a mechanism not yet described by cell biologists, and so will constitute a valuable contribution to both baculovirology and cell biology. There are many more such examples of biological mechanisms that can be uniquely explored within the context of baculoviruses and their insect hosts, some of which have been highlighted in this review. As more and more young investigators realize the importance of combining a knowledge of virology, molecular technology, and insect biology, however, many of the outstanding mysteries will be solved.
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Affiliation(s)
- L E Volkman
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley 94720, USA
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35
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Abstract
The morphogenesis of epicorneal structures in nocturnal Lepidoptera was studied with light and electron microscopy. During the first 4-5 days after pupation, microvilli (with their tips hexagonally distributed) arose gradually from the corneagenous cell surface. At the time of onset of moulting (about 5 days after pupation), patches of lamellar elements appeared distal to the tips of the microvilli. There was one patch for each microvillus from which the patch was separated by a narrow cleft. The cleft was traversed by a few thin bridges which seemed to originate in the microvillus. The bridges were interpreted to be extracellular continuations of intramicrovillar filaments and to insert on the proximal surface of the patch. At about 5 1/2 days after pupation, the patches were seen to be composed of two outer electron-dense lines and a less distinct, inner and thicker dense line. The patches bulged markedly, their concavity turned towards the microvillar tip. A number of discrete bridges extended between the microvillus and the base of the patch, which now appeared as a low dome. The bases of the domer later coalesced to form a continuous lamellar 'membrane' system (
epicorneal lamina
, ECL), and the concavity of the domes increased, forming successively deeper lamina evagmations (LE) which strictly retained their spatial relationship to the tips of the microvilli (MV) throughout the ontogenesis. Growth of the ECL evaginations to form an array of successively higher cupoles—and, finally, the complete nipple anlage-was suggested to take place by addition of new material at all points of the LE surface within the palisade of MV/LE bridges. The latter were proposed to act as structures of constraint preventing the ECL to buckle randomly and causing the evaginations to develop in a regular fashion. The results were compared with those described in reports on the morphogenesis of the body cuticle of insects. It was proposed that different types of corneal surface protuberances (corneal nipples of various heights; low protrusions in regular or irregular arrangement) as well as some types of surface lpturing in the body cuticle of insects may be produced on the basis of the same mechanism as the one described for the formation of the full-sized nipples of nocturnal Lepidoptera
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36
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Further studies on the rectal complex of mealwormtenebrio molitor, L. (Coleoptera, Tenebrioidae). Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 1997. [DOI: 10.1098/rstb.1968.0004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
An electron microscopical study has been made of the rectal complex. The perinephric membrane is a complicated structure which, in the posterior region, comprises an inner and an outer sheath separated by a space containing tracheolar end cells. The outer sheath is formed of a single layer of cells covered by an external basement membrane. The inner sheath is a multi-laminate structure made up of many thin, cellular layers which in places are reduced to closely apposed plasma membranes. Anteriorly the cellular layers are reduced in number, but each layer is of greater thickness; they finally terminate where the perinephric membrane is applied to the intestine. Posteriorly the inner sheath makes contact with the rectal epithelium. An earlier description identified three spaces within the rectal complex: the perirectal, subepithelial and peritubular spaces. The first two are true intercellular spaces, bounded by basement membranes, but the so-called peritubular space is occupied by necrotic cells. The inner sheath of the perinephric membrane is interrupted by the leptophragmata. Each leptophragma is bounded by a prominent electron-dense ring into which the laminae of the inner sheath are inserted. The outer sheath forms a blister over the leptophragma and is completely noncellular in this region. At the base of the blister a basement membrane covers the leptophragma itself, and the body of the leptophragma cell projects into the lumen of the tubule, with a thin layer of cytoplasm lying beneath the basement membrane. Both this layer and the cell body itself bear microvilli. The cell has a normal complement of mitochondria, but these do not invade the microvilli. In this last respect the ordinary tubule cells differ from the leptophragma cells in that most of their microvilli contain mitochondria, with connexions between the outer mitochondrial m em brane and the plasma membrane. The tubule cells have a poorly developed endoplasmic reticulum but are filled with numerous small granules; basal infoldings are restricted to those parts of the cell which face the perirectal space. The permeability of the perinephric membrane has been re-investigated and it is shown that the m em brane is more permeable to water and solutes at the anterior end, as might be expected if the inner sheath were the main barrier. Using preparations isolated in small volumes of haemolymph or other external media it has been shown that the rectal complex takes up potassium against a gradient of concentration. The lumen of the perirectal tubule is some 50 m V positive with respect to the external medium, so the uptake of potassium must be active. The leptophragma is freely permeable to chloride and this ion appears to enter the tubule passively. A model of the mechanism of the rectal complex is proposed, whose main feature is that the high osmolarity of the fluids within the rectal complex is brought about by the inward secretion of potassium chloride, unaccompanied by water, at the leptophragmata. This should result in a fall in the osmolarity of the external medium. A substantial fall has been observed on occasion, but in most experiments a fall is barely detectable. It is believed that the impermeability of the leptophragmata to water is rapidly lost in a deteriorating preparation.
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Cardiac pentastomiasis and tuberculosis: The worm-eaten heart. Cardiovasc Pathol 1996; 5:169-74. [DOI: 10.1016/1054-8807(95)00089-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/1995] [Revised: 07/04/1995] [Accepted: 08/08/1995] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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Fine structure and morphogenesis of the sclerite epicuticle in the Atlantic shore crab Carcinus maenas. Tissue Cell 1995; 27:525-38. [DOI: 10.1016/s0040-8166(05)80061-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/1994] [Accepted: 05/11/1995] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Locke M, Kiss A, Sass M. The cuticular localization of integument peptides from particular routing categories. Tissue Cell 1994; 26:707-34. [PMID: 9437247 DOI: 10.1016/0040-8166(94)90055-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The distribution of integument peptides in relation to chitin and structural features has been studied in the surface epidermis of the caterpillar of Calpodes ethlius by immunoblotting and immunogold labelling using antibodies prepared to peptides isolated from lamellate endocuticle or from hemolymph. The intermoult cuticle consists of an epicuticle, an endocuticle of many chitin containing lamellae, and a chitin containing assembly zone directly above the apical epidermal microvilli and the perimicrovillar space. During the intermoult, the epidermis secretes peptides constitutively, that is, secretory vesicles containing peptides exocytose without accumulating, traverse the perimicrovillar space and form lamellae in the assembly zone. At moulting, the epidermis deposits ecdysial droplets in addition. These interrupt the last few lamellae which later go on to become the perforated ecdysial membrane. The integument is involved with four routing classes of peptide. Secretion is apical into the cuticle (C), basal into the hemolymph (H), bidirectional (BD), or transported to the cuticle across the epidermis from the hemolymph (T). Some peptides change their routing at moulting. There are several patterns of localization. (1) C and BD cuticular peptides occur mainly in chitin containing lamellate cuticle. (2) Some are also present in epicuticle, and are therefore not obligatorily linked to chitin or matrix between chitin fibers. Cuticular peptides that also occur in the hemolymph are glycosylated, whereas most that are only secreted apically into the cuticle are not. All BD but few C peptides carry alpha-D-glucose/alpha-D-mannose. Some C and BD peptides carry N-acetyl glucosamine. (3) C36 extracted from cuticle has most N-acetyl glucosamine and colocalizes with chitin rather than the protein matrix. It is therefore probably the main link between chitin fibers and the matrix. (4) H235 is barely detectable at the apical cell surface during the intermoult but is abundant at moulting around and below the ecdysial droplets. (5) T66 occurs in intermoult lamellate cuticle. At moulting, alone among the peptides examined, it is in ecdysial droplets. Intermoult C and BD peptides are not in ecdysial droplets but continue to be present in the ecdysial membrane, suggesting that constitutive secretion is independent from the exocytosis of transported moult peptides. T66 differs from most hemolymph peptides in that it does not carry N-acetyl glucosamine or alpha-D-glucose/alpha-D-mannose. (6) Weakly reacting BD peptides (and some H peptides barely detectable in cuticle) localize near the apical surface. Their distribution therefore favours apical secretion and retrieval as a mechanism for basal secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Locke
- Central Food Research Institute of Hungary, Budapest, Hungary
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Abstract
All butterfly and moth scales and bristles are made of non-living insect cuticle. Each is the product of a single epithelial cell, and all share the same basic architecture. However, some are highly specialized, and their cuticle is further elaborated into stacks of thin-films, lattices, or other minute structures, many of which first came to our attention because they interact with light to produce structural colors. The scale cell forms the scale by extruding a projection of itself and secreting around it the outer epicuticle, a thin cuticular envelope which will form the outer-most layer of the scale. The inner layers of cuticle, collectively called the procuticle, are secreted thereafter and go on to form the lattices, pillars, or other internal structures of the scale. We believe that the pattern-forming mechanisms used by the cell to shape the cuticle into its finished form include elastic buckling of the outer epicuticle to produce external folds, and "masking" of certain areas of the original epicuticular envelope to produce thin spots which will break through to become windows. Varied though they be, all insect cuticular patterns have common basic elements, which suggests that our findings may be generalized to other highly patterned insect cuticles, particularly those formed by single cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Ghiradella
- Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Albany 12222
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41
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Binnington KC. Ultrastructure of the attachment of the bacteria Serratia entomophila to foregut cuticle of Costelytra zealandica (Coleoptera : Scarabidae) and a review of nomenclature for insect epicuticular layers. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1993. [DOI: 10.1016/0020-7322(93)90006-m] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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42
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Leopoldj RA, Newman SM, Helgeson G. A comparison of cuticle deposition during the pre- and posteclosion stages of the adult weevil, Anthonomus grandis Boheman (Coleoptera : Curculionidae). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1992. [DOI: 10.1016/0020-7322(92)90004-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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44
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Ruangvoravat CP, Lo CW. Restrictions in gap junctional communication in the Drosophila larval epidermis. Dev Dyn 1992; 193:70-82. [PMID: 1540707 DOI: 10.1002/aja.1001930110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
We characterized gap junctional communication in the Drosophila larval epidermis by monitoring the pattern of dye spread following the intracellular injection of the fluorescent dye, Lucifer yellow. We found that dye injected into the epidermis spread extensively from cell to cell, but at segment borders and also at boundaries positioned at the lateral aspects of each body segment, dye spread was restricted. The precise position of these boundaries of restricted gap junctional communication was determined by examining the distribution of the fluorescent tracer in thick sections of each dye-injected specimen. These results show that each of the thoracic and abdominal segments is segregated into four domains or communication compartments. We also observed the presence of dye in the procuticle and epicuticle, and examined the possible basis for this dye localization.
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Affiliation(s)
- C P Ruangvoravat
- Biology Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104
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45
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Ghiradella H. Light and color on the wing: structural colors in butterflies and moths. APPLIED OPTICS 1991; 30:3492-500. [PMID: 20706416 DOI: 10.1364/ao.30.003492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
All butterfly and moth scales share the same basic architecture, but various elements of this architecture are particularly complex in those scales that exhibit structural colors. These elements include the scales' ridges and their associated lamellae and microribs, and the trabeculae, the pillars normally that act as spacers within scales. The additional ornamentation produces thin film, Tyndall blue or diffraction colors and represents a particularly striking example of precision in biological pattern formation.
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46
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Morphogenesis of the antenna of the male silkmoth. Antheraea polyphemus, III. Development of olfactory sensilla and the properties of hair-forming cells. Tissue Cell 1991; 23:821-51. [DOI: 10.1016/0040-8166(91)90034-q] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/1991] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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47
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Mitchell HK, Edens J, Petersen NS. Stages of cell hair construction in Drosophila. DEVELOPMENTAL GENETICS 1990; 11:133-40. [PMID: 2116250 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.1020110203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The construction of cell hairs (trichomes) on the wings of Drosophila occurs in synchrony on 30,000 cells over a period of about 20 hr. Changes in both morphology and patterns of protein synthesis occur rapidly during this time period. In this report we describe the use of stress-induced (heat shock) abnormalities in morphogenesis to provide further details on the stepwise processes of differentiation within single wing cells. A cartoon summary of the overall process and a discussion of some possible mechanisms is included.
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Affiliation(s)
- H K Mitchell
- Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena 91125
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48
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Wigglesworth V. The properties of the lining membrane of the insect tracheal system. Tissue Cell 1990; 22:231-8. [DOI: 10.1016/0040-8166(90)90025-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/1989] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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49
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Mitchell HK, Petersen NS. Epithelial differentiation in Drosophila pupae. DEVELOPMENTAL GENETICS 1989; 10:42-52. [PMID: 2495207 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.1020100107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The construction of cell hairs on the wings in developing pupae of Drosophila provides a unique system for studies of the regulation of differentiation in the absence of cell division. Early steps in hair construction are the extrusion of cell hairs and the deposition of the external impervious layer called "cuticulin." Some properties of six of the most abundant proteins that are present during the early stages of hair construction are described. These proteins make up about 40% of the total protein of the preparation.
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Affiliation(s)
- H K Mitchell
- Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
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50
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Abstract
The molting cycle of Artemia is described and subdivided in stages A-D3 according to the system of Drach. Determination of the stages is done in living animals by light microscopic observation of changes in the texture of the setal matrix of the exopodites. A parallel ultrastructural investigation of the integument was carried out to control the proposed staging scheme. The duration of each stage was calculated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Godelieve R J Criel
- Laboratorium voor Anatomie en Embryologie K.L. Ledeganckstraat, 35, Rijksuniversiteit Gent, B-9000 Gent, Belgium.,Laboratoria voor Medische Biochemie en voor Klinische Analyse Harelbekestraat, 72, Rijksuniversiteit Gent, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Hilde R M A Walgraeve
- Laboratorium voor Anatomie en Embryologie K.L. Ledeganckstraat, 35, Rijksuniversiteit Gent, B-9000 Gent, Belgium.,Laboratoria voor Medische Biochemie en voor Klinische Analyse Harelbekestraat, 72, Rijksuniversiteit Gent, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
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