title: Drosophila melanogaster larvae control amylase secretion according to the hardness of food.
abstract: Drosophila melanogaster larvae excrete amylase and perform external digestion of their food. In this study, to investigate whether their external digestion ability varies in response to changes in the external environment, we measured the relative amount of amylase excreted by larvae using a new method: the iodine starch agar method (ISAM). Analysis using this method revealed that the amount of amylase excreted by larvae increased in accordance with the increase in the agar concentration. In addition, we investigated the effect on the larval growth rate of adding amylase to the diet. Pupation occurred 24 h later in food containing 1% amylase than in food containing no amylase. These results suggest that the larvae adjust their amylase excretion in response to changes in the external environment, and that its level has a marked influence on the larval growth rate.
authors: Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo Kashiwa, Japan.
authors: Honami
authors: H
authors: Sakaguchi
authors: Masataka G
authors: MG
authors: Suzuki
keywords: Drosophila melanogaster; amylase; external digestion; larvae; secretion
references: Anal Biochem. 2006 Apr 1;351(1):146-8
references: 16500607
references: Genetics. 1986 Sep;114(1):137-44
references: 17246342
references: Biochem Genet. 1990 Apr;28(3-4):197-207
references: 2383246
references: Biochem Genet. 1982 Dec;20(11-12):1117-29
references: 6187335