Regulation and Role of the Lipid-Transporting Protein, Lipophorin, in Insect Diapause

本研究的目的是加深对以下内容的了解 昆虫用来过冬的生化机制 虽然许多 已知昆虫物种以滞育状态越冬 （休眠）我们对发生的生化变化的理解 在滞育期间，并允许在不利条件下长期存活 条件有限。 这方面的更多知识可能会导致 防治某些害虫的新的生物合理方法。 该建议的重点是调节幼虫滞育的 西南玉米蛀虫，大蛀虫。由于脂质作为 作为滞育期间生存的主要储备营养， 脂质转运蛋白，载脂蛋白， 滞育幼虫 虽然已知脂肪会释放出脂质 体内，并在血淋巴中转运至利用部位， 滞育，很少有人知道如何从脂质释放的过程中， 身体脂肪发生。 合成、加工和释放 非滞育和滞育幼虫脂肪体中的脂蛋白 在一项研究中进行比较，并应大大增加对 脂转运蛋白与滞育关系 关于脂质储备如何被隔离然后被动员的信息 以维持昆虫在长时间的休眠期。 超电泳，电泳，免疫化学，放射性同位素， 电子显微镜技术将被用来做建议 实验

The aim of this research is to gain an increased understanding about biochemical mechanisms insects use to survive the winter. While many insect species are known to overwinter in a state of diapause (dormancy) our understanding of the biochemical changes that occur during diapause and permit this long-term survival under adverse conditions is limited. Additional knowledge in this area could lead to new biorational approaches for the control of some pest insects. This proposal focuses on the regulation of the larval diapause of the southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella. Since lipids serve as a major reserve nutrient for survival during its diapause, the role of the lipids-transporting protein, lipophorin, is being examined in diapause larvae. Although lipids are known to be released from the fat body and transported in the hemolymph to sites of utilization during diapause, little is known about how the process of lipid release from the body fat occurs. The synthesis, processing, and release of lipophorin from the fat body of non-diapause and diapause larvae will be compared in a study and should substantially increase knowledge about the relationship between lipophorin and diapause and provide new information about how lipid reserves are sequestered and then mobilized to sustain insects during a prolonged period of dormancy. Ultracentrifugal, electrophoretic, immunochemical, radioisotopic, and electron microscopic techniques will be employed to do the proposed experiments.