Interconversions of lipophorin particles by adipokinetic hormone in hemolymph of Panstrongylus megistus, Dipetalogaster maximus and Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Reduviidae)

Flight metabolism in Panstrongylus megistus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae): the role of carbohydrates and lipids

“…Protein concentration was determined by Bradford assay (1976). Lipophorin titer was assayed by indirect ELISA assay, using an antiserum against purified lipophorin from P. megistus (Canavoso & Rubiolo 1995.…”

“…However, no changes in the hemolymph carbohydrate in insects flown for a short time were observed. On another hand, by employing fat bodies from starved triatomine bugs, we previously reported that AKH promoted generation of LDLp, the lipoprotein responsible for the delivery of lipids during flight (Canavoso & Rubiolo 1995).…”

Metabolic Post-feeding Changes in Fat Body and Hemolymph of Dipetalogaster maximus (Hemiptera:Reduviidae)

“…Lipophorin standard -A standard curve for measurement of HDLp by ELISA was carried out employing HDLp from D. maximus, isolated from hemolymph by KBr density gradient ultracentrifugation and dialysed overnight against phosphate buffered saline (PBS) at pH 7.4 (Canavoso & Rubiolo 1995). The concentration of lipophorin standard was quantified by Bradford (1976).…”

“…Serum anti-lipophorin HDLp from adults of D. maximus, obtained in rabbits as described previously (Canavoso & Rubiolo 1995), was diluted in PBS-Tween (1:10.000) containing 0.1% bovine serum albumin and loaded into each well incubating for 60 min at 37 o C. Plates were washed and loaded with anti-rabbit inmunoglobulin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (Sigma) in PBS-Tween and incubated for 30 min at 37 o C. Then, the plates were washed again and developed at 37 o C for 30 min with o-phenylenediamine in substrate buffer (81.5 mM sodium phosphate, 33.3 mM citric acid; 0.08% hydrogen peroxide, pH 5.0) and read at 490 nm.…”

“…This is an important aspect since the low weight, low weight/ length ratio of the insect (Schofield 1980, Lehane & Schofield 1980, Schofield et al 1992), a poor nutritional status (starvation) (Sjogren & Ryckman 1966) and the need of a previous fasting period (Gringorten & Friend 1979, Ward et al 1982) have been pointed out in different species of reduviid bugs as factors stimulating flight. More recently, we demonstrated in vitro that three species of triatomine bugs have the biochemical constituents for generating partial transformation of high density lipophorin (HDLp) into low density ones (LDLp), employing fat bodies with more than 20 days of starvation (Canavoso & Rubiolo 1994, 1995. This suggests the importance of the metabolic reserve levels available in the fat body dur-ing flight.…”