Nd. Charalambidis et al., MUTATION WHITE PUPAE IN THE INTEGUMENT OF CERATITIS-CAPITATA AFFECTS BOTH DEFENSE AND MELANOGENESIS, Developmental and comparative immunology, 18(3), 1994, pp. 193-200
Studying defense and melanogenesis processes in the cuticle of the ''w
hite pupae'' (wp) and ''dark pupae'' (dp) mutant strains of Ceratitis
capitata, we showed that both processes function equally well only in
the cuticle of dp mutants, as in the wild-type cuticle. The cuticle of
wp mutants lacks the ability to form Escherichia coli aggregates and
to melanize in vivo. However, in this mutant, tyrosinase and dopachrom
e conversion factor activities, as well as melanin content and nonself
-recognition proteins are expressed as in the wild strain. The present
results indicate that the inability of wp mutant cuticle to immobiliz
e E. coli seems to be due to lack of suitable site(s) on nonself-recog
nition proteins for adduct formation with tyrosine derivatives by the
action of tyrosinase, and the inability to melanize, very probably due
to deficiency of tyrosine derivatives (tanning precursors).