ISSN:
0739-4462
Keywords:
chitin synthesis inhibitors
;
ecdysteroids
;
molting hormone
;
Chemistry
;
Food Science, Agricultural, Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
Gut chitin synthase was characterized and the sterols and ecdysteroids in the sugarcane rootstalk borer weevil, Diaprepes abbreviatus, were identified. An in vitro cell-free chitin synthase assay was developed using larval gut tissues from D. abbreviatus. Subcellular fractionation experiments showed that the majority of chitin synthase activity was located in 10,000g pellets. The gut chitin synthase requires Mg2+ to be fully active: 7-8-fold increases in activity were obtained with 10 mM Mg2+ present in reaction mixture. Calcium also stimulated activity (4-5-fold with 10 mM Ca2+), while Cu+2 completely inhibited at 1 mM. Other monovalent and divalent cations had little or no effect on activity. The pH and temperature optima were 7 and 25°C, respectively. Gut chitin synthesis was activated ca. 50% by trypsin treatments. GlcNAc stimulated chitin synthase activity, but Glc, GlcN and glycerin did not. Polyoxin D, UDP, and ADP inhibited the chitin synthase reaction with I50's of 75 μM, 2.3 mM, and 3.6 mM, respectively. Nikkomycin Z was a potent inhibitor of chitin synthase (91% inhibition at 10 μM). Tunicamycin and diflubenzuron had no effect on the enzyme. The apparent Km and Vmax for the gut chitin synthase were, respectively, 122.5 ± 7.4 μM and 426 ± 19.7 pmol/h/mg protein utilizing UDP-GlcNAc as the substrate. Sterol analyses indicated that cholesterol was the major dietary and larval sterol. HPLC/RIA data indicated that 20-hydroxyecdysone was the major molting hormone.
Additional Material:
3 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/arch.940180205
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