Digestive α-L-fucosidase activity in Rhodnius prolixus after blood feeding: effect of secretagogue and nutritional stimuli.

ABSTRACT: Introduction: Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) is an important vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas Disease. This insect is a model for the study of insect physiology, especially concerning the digestion of blood. Among the enzymes produced in the midgut of R. prolixus after blood feeding there is a α-L-fucosidase activity. There are very few studies on α-L-fucosidase of insects, and the role of R. prolixus α-L-fucosidase is still not clear. In this work, we tested if the mechanism for production of this enzyme is similar to the observed for proteases, a secretatogue mechanism that respond to the protein contents of the meal. Methods: We tested if specific proteins or sugars elicit this response, which may help to und

SUBMITTER: Gama MDVF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10394381 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature