VITELLOGENESIS IN THE ALLATECTOMIZED STICK INSECT CARAUSIUS-MOROSUS (BR) (PHASMATODEA, LONCHODINAE)

Effects of allatectomy on vitellogenesis in adult Carausius morosus Br . were examined using rocket immunoelectrophoresis, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, fluoro graphic identification and quantitation by li quid scintillation of in vivo S-35-methionine-labeled proteins, and li ght microscope autoradiography. In normal adults and in adults allatec tomized as last instar nymphs, Coomassie Blue-stained vitellogenin (Vg ) was first detectable in the hemolymph between 3 and 5 days after adu lt emergence. Allatectomy of 11-18-day-old adults produced no detectab le effects on subsequent Vg synthesis, secretion or uptake, but ovaria n follicles in adults that had been allatectomized as nymphs were less efficient at taking up Vg than were those in sham-operated animals. C ompared to sham-operated controls, adults allatectomized as nymphs dis played an increased rate of accumulation of newly synthesized Vg in th e hemolymph, a decreased rate of accumulation of vitellin in terminal follicles, a decrease in the size of yolk spheres containing newly syn thesized vitellogenic protein in the peripheral ooplasm, and alteratio ns in the size distribution of terminal follicles, Thus, post-inductio n vitellogenesis and primary induction of Vg synthesis in C. morosus d o not require active corpora allata (CA), but a normal rate of Vg upta ke may be JH-facilitated.