Adipokinetic response of a flightless grasshopper (<i>Barytettix psolus</i>): Functional components, defective response

Abstract

Abstract The mature flightless grasshopper Barytettix psolus shows a very small adipokinetic response when injected with extracts of its own corpora cardiaca, although the fat body contains enough lipid for a strong response. When these extracts were injected into Melanoplus differentialis , a grasshopper capable of flight, or the moth Manduca sexta , much stronger adipokinetic responses were observed. Upon analysis of B. psolus extracts by HPLC, two components with adipokinetic activity were obtained. The major component appears to be identical to locust adipokinetic hormone (AKH) I. Extracts of B. psolus corpora cardiaca also activated fat body glycogen phosphorylase in B. psolus . This activation, however, did not result in an increase in hemolymph sugar, probably because of low levels of glycogen in the fat body. B. psolus hemolymph contains a high‐density lipophorin (HDLp) consisting of the apolipophorins (apoLp) I and II and lipid. Both apoproteins are glycosylated. The hemolymph also contains apoLp‐III, although this apoprotein apparently does not associate with HDLp to form a low‐density lipophorin (LDLp) following AKH or corpora cardiaca extract injections. When B. psolus lipophorin and AKH were injected into Schistocerca americana , lipophorin took up lipids and combined with apoLp‐III, forming LDLp. ApoLp‐III from B. psolus injected into S. americana can also form LDLp, demonstrating that the components are functional. A lipid transfer particle isolated from M. sexta and injected into B. psolus does not improve the adipokinetic response. Thus, it appears that the adipokinetic response of B. psolus is not deficient because of the lack of AKH or functional lipophorins, but may be caused by the lack of a full response to AKH by fat body or the deficiency in hemolymph of some as yet unknown factor.