title: Leupeptin, a protease inhibitor, blocks insemination-induced flight muscle histolysis in the fire ant Solenopsis.
abstract: The effect of the protease inhibitor leupeptin on flight muscle histolysis in queen fire ants was studied by electron microscopy. In untreated animals artificially inseminated, muscle involution was apparent at 6 hr post-insemination and complete by 24 hr post-insemination. However, in animals pre-treated with leupeptin and subsequently artificially inseminated, no morphologic evidence of flight muscle breakdown was seen at any interval between 6 and 24 hr post-insemination. Such information appears to indicate that one or more proteases are involved in the process of insemination-induced muscle atrophy in fire ants. The most likely candidate is a soluble, calcium-activated myofilament-associated protease.
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001284:Atrophy; D002154:Calpain; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007314:Insemination; D007976:Leupeptins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009132:Muscles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D007976:Leupeptins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D009842:Oligopeptides; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D010450:Endopeptidases; D002154:Calpain; C032854:leupeptin