A simple, artificial-membrane feeding method for the radio-isotope labelling of Aedes aegypti polypeptides in vivo.
An artificial feeding unit has been designed and constructed to feed laboratory-bred Aedes aegypti with a radio-isotope (35S), so that the mosquitoes' polypeptides can be labelled in vivo. In the unit, a piece of Parafilm M barrier film is stretched over the bottom, outer surface of a polystyrene Petri dish, to create a small gap in which the mixture of blood and radio-isotope is placed. Warm water is placed in the dish, to keep the blood at about 37 degrees C. When such units were placed on net-covered rearing cages, almost all (80%-90%) of the female mosquitoes in the cages took bloodmeals from them. When checked by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and autoradiography 1 h after feeding had begun, the blood-fed mosquitoes were found to have radio-labelled polypeptides. The unit is simple, easy to handle, disposable and can be used to offer small blood samples (>or=50 microl) to Ae. aegypti and, presumably, other mosquito species.
Mishra
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Institute of Life Sciences, Nalco Square, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar - 751 023, India. mishrak2002@yahoo.co.in
Kumar Raj
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Hazra
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RK
Dash
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AP
D000330:Aedes / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005248:Feeding Methods; D005260:Female; D007553:Isotope Labeling / Q000379:methods*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*
D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D010455:Peptides