Premium
Inhibitory Action of an Imidazole Compound on Ecdysone Synthesis in Prothoracic Glands of the Silkworm, Bombyx mori
Author(s) -
KADONOOKUDA KEIKO,
KUWANO EIICHI,
ETO MORIFUSA,
YAMASHITA OKITSUGU
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
development, growth and differentiation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.864
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1440-169X
pISSN - 0012-1592
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-169x.1987.00527.x
Subject(s) - prothoracic gland , ecdysis , ecdysteroid , bombyx mori , ecdysone , medicine , hemolymph , endocrinology , instar , biology , imidazole , larva , hormone , biochemistry , botany , gene
The precocious pupation was induced either by allatectomy at the time of third ecdysis or by topical application of an imidazole compound (KK‐42; 1‐benzyl‐5‐[( E )‐2, 6‐dimethyl‐1, 5‐heptadienyl] imidazole) to the fourth (penultimate) instar larvae of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. However, the critical period for KK‐42 treatment in induction of precocious pupation was longer than that for allatectomy. The effects of KK‐42 depended on the doses applied and a half‐maximum dose was estimated to be approx. 10 μg/larva. KK‐42 suppressed the increase in hemolymph ecdysteroid titres leading to larval ecdysis in controls. Ecdysteroid levels remained at low levels for about 6 days after the treatment, followed by an increase toward precocious pupation. When the prothoracic glands from the mature fifth instar larvac were incubated in vitro in Grace's medium containing various concentrations of KK‐42, secretion of ecdysone into the medium was suppressed depending upon the doses of KK‐42 added and a half‐inhibition concentration was estimated to be approx. 1 nM. Thus, KK‐42 was shown to be an inhibitory agent to ecdysteroid secretion in silkworm larvae.