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2030-01-01
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- IOC - Artigos de Periódicos [12491]
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CARBOHYDRATE DIGESTION IN LUTZOMYIA LONGIPALPIS' LARVAE (DIPTERA - PSYCHODIDAE)
alfa-Amilases
alfa-Glucosidases
Larvas de Lutzomyia longipalpis
Digestão de carboidratos
Nutrição de flebotomina
Phlebotomine sandflies nutrition
Carbohydrate digestion
a-Amylase
a-Glucosidase
Trehalase
Author
Affilliation
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Departamento de Parasitologia. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Departamento de Parasitologia. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil.
Instituto Nacional de Entomologia Molecular. Brasil / Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil.
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Departamento de Parasitologia. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil / Instituto Nacional de Entomologia Molecular. Brasil.
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Departamento de Parasitologia. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil.
Instituto Nacional de Entomologia Molecular. Brasil / Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil.
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Departamento de Parasitologia. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil / Instituto Nacional de Entomologia Molecular. Brasil.
Abstract
Lutzomyia longipalpis is the principal species of phlebotomine incriminated as vector of Leishmania infantum, the etiological agent of visceral leishmaniasis in the Americas. Despite its importance as vector, almost nothing related to the larval biology, especially about its digestive system has been published. The objective of the present study was to obtain an overview of carbohydrate digestion by the larvae. Taking in account that phlebotomine larvae live in the soil rich in decaying materials and microorganisms we searched principally for enzymes capable to hydrolyze carbohydrates present in this kind of substrate. The principal carbohydrases encountered in the midgut were partially characterized. One of them is a α-amylase present in the anterior midgut. It is probably involved with the digestion of glycogen, the reserve carbohydrate of fungi. Two other especially active enzymes were present in the posterior midgut, a membrane bound α-glucosidase and a membrane bound trehalase. The first, complete the digestion of glycogen and the other probably acts in the digestion of trehalose, a carbohydrate usually encountered in microorganisms undergoing hydric stress. In a screening done with the use of p-nitrophenyl-derived substrates other less active enzymes were also observed in the midgut. A general view of carbohydrate digestion in L. longipalpis was presented. Our results indicate that soil microorganisms appear to be the main source of nutrients for the larvae.
Keywords in Portuguese
Trealasealfa-Amilases
alfa-Glucosidases
Larvas de Lutzomyia longipalpis
Digestão de carboidratos
Nutrição de flebotomina
Keywords
Lutzomyia longipalpis larvaePhlebotomine sandflies nutrition
Carbohydrate digestion
a-Amylase
a-Glucosidase
Trehalase
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