A green dichromophoric protein enabling foliage mimicry in arthropods.

ABSTRACT: Molecular mechanisms underlying the green insect camouflage have puzzled researchers for over a century. Here, we isolated and identified a green water-soluble protein from the integument of bush-cricket Tettigonia cantans. De novo sequencing and cloning revealed a severely fragmented form of vitellogenins, ubiquitous and multifunctional, but still largely enigmatic glycolipoproteins essential for embryonic development and lacking structural characterization. The distinctive color of the identified chromoprotein results from binding of a remarkable combination of farnesylated bilins (recently identified, tentative heme A catabolites) and xanthophylls, which commensurably absorb light in the 600 to 700 nm and 400 to 550 nm spectral regions and thereby produce a hue that perfectly mim

SUBMITTER: Egorkin NA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12167979 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature