Cuticle hardening reactions mediated by quinone isomerase

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24580081
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Applied entomology
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan University
• Principal Investigator: ASANO Tsunaki 首都大学東京, 理工学研究科, 助教 (40347266)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 昆虫外骨格

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Insect cuticle is a matrix mainly composed of chitin fiber and chitin binding proteins. The cuticle is sclerotized through oxidation reactions of catechol amines. Catechol amines are oxidized to quinones, and then isomerized to quinone methides. Both quinones and quinone methides are highly reactive to mediate cross-linkages of cuticular components. For detection of the isomerase activity, the conversion of N-acetyl-dopamine quinone (NADA quinone) to NADA quinone methide was monitored. From the pupal cuticles of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, an active fraction was extracted. Through column chromatographies, a fraction with isomerase activity was obtained, but the characters are different from those of enzymes that were reported previously in other species.

Free Research Field

昆虫生化学・遺伝学