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Cell culture techniques for studying insect cuticle
Author(s) -
Marks Edwin P.,
Ward Gordon B.
Publication year - 1987
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.940060403
Subject(s) - cuticle (hair) , ecdysone , chitin , biology , arthropod cuticle , moulting , insect , cockroach , microbiology and biotechnology , cell culture , larva , arthropod , biochemistry , botany , anatomy , genetics , ecology , chitosan
Evidence that biosynthetic pathways critical to the formation of insect cuticle are retained in continuous insect cell lines opens new possibilities for research on the cuticle system. Recent findings indicate that chitin, molting hormone, and catecholamines are all produced by a vesicle cell line derived from embryos of the cockroach Blattella germanica. The chitin that is formed by this cell line is particulate and does not show the characteristic featherlike crystalline structure found in mature cuticle. The molting hormone is produced as ecdysone and is released into the culture medium. The addition of 20‐hydroxyecdysone to the cultures increases the production of chitin fourfold. These responses are similar to those found in insect organ cultures.