Structural and biochemical analysis of the parasite Gordius villoti (Nematomorpha, Gordiacea) cuticle.
The cuticle of the nematomorpha Gordius villoti is a proteinaceous extracellular structure that covers the body during the endoparasitic life in the hemocoelic cavity of insect hosts, and of the free-living adult animals. The ultrastructure of the cuticle has a complex spatial organization with several parallel layers of large diameter fibers, interposed thinner fibrous elements and honeycomb-shaped matrix surrounding the fibers. When adult isolated cuticles were partially solubilized by several compounds, the structure revealed a strong insolubility and the main fibers were always observable. HPLC and spectrophotometric assays carried out to investigate the presence of tyrosine cross-linking, indicated such a mechanism as a key-element in the hardening process of the cuticle. Such data strongly suggest that the Gordius cuticle contains dityrosine compounds, whose formation is probably mediated by endogenous peroxidase activity.
Brivio
M F
MF
Department of Structural and Functional Biology, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy. maurizio.brivio@uninsubria.it
de Eguileor
M
M
Grimaldi
A
A
Vigetti
D
D
Valvassori
R
R
Lanzavecchia
G
G
D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D017364:Collagenases / Q000378:metabolism; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006376:Helminths / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D018715:Microscopy, Video; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
D014443:Tyrosine; C007543:dityrosine; D009195:Peroxidase; D017364:Collagenases