Informace o publikaci
Developmental changes in phenol-oxidizing activity in the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella L.
| Autoři | |
|---|---|
| Rok publikování | 2009 |
| Druh | Článek v odborném periodiku |
| Časopis / Zdroj | Bulletin of Insectology |
| Fakulta / Pracoviště MU | |
| Citace | |
| Obor | Fyziologie |
| Klíčová slova | Development; Galleria mellonella; Hydroquinone; Laccase; Phenol-oxidazing activity; Phenoloxidase; Pyrogallol. |
| Popis | Activity of enzymes oxidizing phenolic substrates commonly termed phenoloxidases (POs) was investigated during normal development of Galleria mellonella in haemolymph, intact cuticle and homogenized cuticle. PO activities were determined colorimetrically following chemical activation of prophenoloxidase with acetone or methanol using hydroquinone and pyrogallol as substrates. Hydroquinone with para-positioned hydroxyl group seems to be most suitable for spectrophotometrical detection of phenol-oxidizing activity in various insect tissues because its oxidation products interact only minimally with tissue material. Enzymatic activity changed markedly during development in larvae, pupae and adults. The highest levels of PO in haemolymph were detected using hydroquinone on the fifth day of the last larval instar and at the beginning and at the end of pupal stage. PO activity changed gradually during development except during larval-pupal and pupal-adult metamorphosis, where marked increases in activity occurred. Comparable changes with slight time shifts were determined in cuticle after its homogenization. Intact cuticles showed only minimal PO activity without distinct developmental changes. Experiments using pyrogallol as substrate confirmed the temporary decrease of overall PO activity during pupal stage of development and the subsequent return to high PO levels in adults. Developmental changes in phenol-oxidizing activity are independent of sex in both pupal and adult stage of G. mellonella. |