title: Endpolyploidy and digestion in the midgut of Rhodnius prolixus Stål (Hemiptera: Reduviidae).
abstract: The Feulgen-DNA content of the midgut cell nuclei of Rhodnius prolixus is estimated by microspectrophotometry. Midgut cells contain 23.35-32.16 pg DNA/nucleus, which represents an increase of up to 26c when compared to diploid R. prolixus brain tissue. A high copy number cell population disappears from the anterior intestinal cells after feeding, and the presence of a new population of low copy number cells indicates that there may be some regeneration of the midgut epithelium in adult insects, or that non-mitotic division of the high ploidy cells occurs. Polyploidy of the midgut cells is thought to be important in the rapid post-feeding synthesis of digestive proteinases, whereby enzymes are produced without the immediate need for DNA synthesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Billingsley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000032:analysis; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D005260:Female; D007422:Intestines / Q000166:cytology; D011123:Polyploidy; D012239:Rhodnius / Q000166:cytology*; D014225:Triatominae / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D004247:DNA