title: Structural and biochemical analysis of the parasite Gordius villoti (Nematomorpha, Gordiacea) cuticle.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Structural and Functional Biology, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy. maurizio.brivio@uninsubria.it
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Brivio
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Eguileor
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grimaldi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vigetti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valvassori
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lanzavecchia
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D014443:Tyrosine; C007543:dityrosine; D009195:Peroxidase; D017364:Collagenases