Comparative effects of some ecdysteroid agonists in mealworms: ecdysteroid amounts and protein analysis in developing ovaries under in vivo conditions
Boukachabia, A.; Soltani-Mazouni, N.; Smagghe, G.; Soltani, N.
Communications in Agricultural and Applied Biological Sciences 68(4): 307-312
2003
ISSN/ISBN: 1379-1176 PMID: 15149124 Document Number: 552899
Some ecdysteroid agonists (RH-0345, RH-5849, RH-5992) were tested topically (10 microg/female) on newly emerged adult females of mealworms under in vivo conditions. In a first series of experiments the compounds were assayed on ovarian ecdysteroid production measured at day 2 and 4 following treatment, corresponding to the beginning and the end of vitellogenesis. All tested compounds resulted in a significant increase in ovarian ecdysteroid amounts. RH-5992 and RH-0345 were more active than RH-5849. In a second series of experiments, the activity of the compounds was investigated on ovarian proteins. The ecdysteroid agonists caused a significant reduction of protein amounts in the ovaries, and electrophoretic separation of ovary extracts from treated series showed that one or two bands were missing. These observations may an interference with the vitellogenesis process.