An indirect mechanism by which a protein from the male gonad hastens salivary gland degeneration in the female Ixodid tick, Amblyomma hebraeum
✍ Scribed by Lee O. Lomas; W. Reuben Kaufman
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1992
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 588 KB
- Volume
- 21
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0739-4462
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
In the adult female tick, Arnblyornrna hebraeurn Koch (Acari: Ixodidae), salivary gland degeneration is triggered by an ecdysteroid, provided the female is above a critical weight (approximately 300400 mg). In mated females, salivary gland degeneration is virtually complete within 4 days of detachment from the host. In virgin females, salivary gland degeneration is delayed by 4 days. This delay can be reversed by the injection of a male reproductive tract hornogenate directly into the hernocoel. In this study, we consider a possible mechanism of action for this "male factor." Once mated, male factor likely gains access to it5 target tissue(s) as a humoral factor. Male factor, however, appears not to act by sensitizing the salivary glands to the action of ecdysteroids. Instead, it appears to act by accelerating the appearance of ecdysteroids in the hernolymph.