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Studies on l ‐glutamate in insect haemolymph.
Author(s) -
IRVING S. N.,
WILSON R. G.,
OSBORNE M. P.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
physiological entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1365-3032
pISSN - 0307-6962
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3032.1979.tb00200.x
Subject(s) - hemolymph , biology , schistocerca , glutamate receptor , periplaneta , glutamine , biochemistry , insect , lucilia , larva , zoology , anatomy , amino acid , botany , locust , ecology , cockroach , calliphoridae , receptor
. Glutamate was detected in the haemoplasm of adult male Periplaneta americana , adult male Schistocerca gregaria , adult male Locusta migratoria , larval Calliphora erythrocephala , larval Lucilia sericata and Carcinus maenas , in all cases at low concentrations only, i.e. below 10 ‐5 M. This was confirmed by high‐voltage paper electrophoresis and, in the case of Lucilia sericata larvae, by the lack of pharmacological activity of the haemolymph. Glutamate was detected in appreciable concentrations in the haemocytes of all the arthropods analysed. It was found that levels of glutamine in the haemoplasm increased if the haemolymph had started to clot, if the haemolymph had been inadequately centrifuged, if the haemolymph was contaminated by other tissues and if acid protein precipitants were used which hydrolysed glutamine to glutamate. This finding removes a major argument against the acceptance of l ‐glutamate as a neuromuscular transmitter.