Lipid and Protein Composition at Different Developmental Stages of Pediculus capitis (Arthropoda, Phthiraptera)

Abstract

Protein and lipid compositions were studied at different developmental stages of Pediculus capitis De Geer 1778. Phosphatidylcholine was found to be the predominant lipid at all stages and in both sexes. Palmitic and oleic acids were the main fatty acids throughout the 3 stages studied. A marked decline was observed in the total lipid content and triacylglyceride concentration during development, suggesting that their consumption is an energy source. The electrophoretic mobility revealed the predominance of a 320-kDa protein in eggs and adult females, whereas 2 major proteins of 514 and 439 kDa were found in nymphs, as well as in male and female adults. Two very high density lipoprotein fractions were isolated by ultracentrifugation of egg cytosol in a density gradient of NaBr. Both reserve lipoproteins contained phospholipids and triacylglycerols as the predominant lipids and a protein band of around 320 kDa. The structure of this band is likely to be similar to that found in females in a vitellogenic state.

Within and between species scaling in the weight, water, carbon and nitrogen contents of eggs and neonate larvae of twelve satyrine butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

“…95% of the egg dry mass in Lepidoptera (Fehrenbach, 2003). A high C content may well represent high investment in energy-storage lipo-proteins in insect eggs (Cunningham et al, 2001;Forte et al, 2002), but since the larval exoskeleton is rich in chitin (a polysaccharide) the shift in C : N ratio between eggs and larvae may only indicate structural differences.…”