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Neutral sterols of representatives of two groups of hemiptera and their correlation to ecdysteroid content
Author(s) -
Svoboda J. A.,
Lusby W. R.,
Aldrich J. R.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
archives of insect biochemistry and physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.576
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1520-6327
pISSN - 0739-4462
DOI - 10.1002/arch.940010203
Subject(s) - ecdysteroid , biology , sterol , rhodnius prolixus , nezara viridula , hemiptera , cholesterol , heteroptera , botany , biochemistry , zoology , pentatomidae , insect , larva
Abstract The sterols of four species of Pentatomomorpha—Oncopeltus fasciatus (Dallas), Nezara viridula (L.), Dysdercus cingulatus (F.), and Podisus maculiventris (Say)—and threé species of Cimicomorpha— Rhodnius prolixus Stal, Arilus cristatus (L), and Cimex lectularius (L.)—were isolated and examined in order to compare neutral sterol utilization and content with the known ecdysteroids of these species. In the phytophagous Pentatomomorpha, O. fasciatus, N. viridula , and D. cingulatus , the low content of cholesterol and the high content of C 28 and C 29 phytosterols (< 1% and > 99% of the tissue sterols, respectively) indicated that these species are unable to dealkylate the C‐24 position of sterols. These insects appear to have adapted to the challenge of both insufficient dietary cholesterol and inability to dealkylate phytosterols by evolving the ability to produce a C 28 ecdysteroid (makisterone A). The secondarily predacious P. maculiventris has adequate cholesterol available for C 27 ecdysteroid production, but appears to have retained the ecdysteroid biosynthetic pathways of its phytophagous ancestors because it produces a C 28 ecdysteroid. Cholesterol was the major sterol of each of the three species of Cimicomorpha, and these insects are only able to produce C 27 ecdysteroids.