title: Fat body in some genera of leaf-cutting ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Proteins, lipids and polysaccharides detection.
abstract: The comparative histochemical analysis of the fat body of workers belonging to the basal species Cyphomyrmex rimosus and Mycetarotes parallelus and to derived species Acromyrmex disciger and Atta laevigata revealed that this tissue is constituted mainly by cells denominated trophocytes and oenocytes. The trophocytes of all species studied here were characterized mainly by the proteins and lipids synthesis and storage, being the derived species the ones who have presented higher quantity of lipids in the trophocytes when compared to the trophocytes of basal species. In workers M. parallelus and A. laevigata, besides proteins and lipids, there has being observed the presence of polysaccharides, however, in C. rimosus and A. disciger these elements were detected in lower quantities. The histochemical studies of the oenocytes of basal and derived species revealed significant presence of proteins as well as lipids in these cells. In the oenocytes of derived species A. disciger and A. laevigata a higher quantity of lipidic inclusions has being observed, when compared to the basal species.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Biologia, UNESP, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Avenida 24 A no 1515, CEP 13506-900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gislaine Cristina
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Roma
authors.forename: Maria Izabel Camargo
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Mathias
authors.forename: Odair Corrêa
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Bueno
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry*; D005216:Fat Body / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008055:Lipids / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins; D008055:Lipids; D011134:Polysaccharides