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Metabolism of [ 3 H]‐ecdysone in embryos and larvae of the tick Ornithodoros moubata
Author(s) -
Dotson Ellen M.,
Connat JeanLouis,
Diehl Peter A.
Publication year - 1993
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.940230203
Subject(s) - biology , endogeny , titer , embryo , metabolism , ecdysone , ecdysteroid , larva , endocrinology , biochemistry , hormone , botany , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , antibody
The fate of [ 3 H]‐ecdysone ([ 3 H]‐E) was investigated in hanging drop cultures of embryos and larvae of the tick Ornithodoros moubata using HPLC. The hormone was metabolized more slowly during described periods of increasing endogenous ecdysteroid (ES) titers than during periods of low titers except for young embryos. Three different classes of metabolites were produced: (1) apolar products (AP) corresponding to C‐22 fatty acid ester conjugates of E and, in some cases, of 20‐hydroxyecdysone (20E), (2) unidentified polar products (PP) more polar than E, one peak of which had the same retention times as 20,26‐dihydroxyecdysone, and finally, (3) 20E verified by comigration of cold standards on RP‐18 and silica columns. Hydroxylation of E to 20E first became evident in cultures of 2 day old embryos and was present in all cultures of older animals. Highest production of free 20E occurred during increasing endogenous ES titers in embryos and during the ES peak in larvae. Conjugation of E to AP occurred in all stages investigated, but was more pronounced during periods of low endogenous ES titers, and may correspond to a detoxification mechanism. In contrast, PP were produced during high 20E production in embryos and during periods of high and decreasing endogenous titers in larvae. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.