Inputs to the hormonal control of egg development in Rhodnius prolixus

The formation and structure of the chorion of the egg in an hemipteran, Rhodnius prolixus.

Salivary apyrase of Rhodnius prolixus

Joao J. F. SARKIS,* Jorge A. GUIMARAESt and Jose M. C. RIBEIRO$ *Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto de Biosciencias, 90.000 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, tDepartment of Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Centro de Ciencias da Saude, Bloco H, 21.910 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, and $Department of Tropical Public Health, Harvard School of Pu...

Peptides and serotonin control feeding-related events in Rhodnius prolixus.

Rhodnius prolixus periodically gorges on a blood meal that could compromise salt and water balance. This, however, is prevented by rapid production of urine within minutes of feeding. The Malpighian tubules increase their rate of secretion 1,000 fold leading to the production of a hypo-osmotic urine that is high in NaCl content. Feeding and post-prandial diuresis in R. prolixus are tightly coor...

[Blood-feeding of Rhodnius prolixus].

Triatomines (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) are blood-sucking insect vectors of the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi which is the causative agent of Chagas' disease. Rhodnius prolixus is the most epidemiologically important vector of T. cruzi in Colombia. Triatomines are regarded to be vessel-feeders as they obtain their blood meals from vertebrate hosts by directly inserting their mouthparts into vessels. ...

Rhodnius prolixus Malpighian tubules and control of diuresis by neurohormones.

Rhodnius prolixus Malpighian tubules (MTs) are a good model for fluid and ion secretion studies in view of the dramatic postprandial diuresis, which follows its massive blood meals. Ingestion of a blood meal equals to 10-12 times their initial body mass, leads to rapid activation of high output by excretory system, which eliminates 40-50% of the fluid mass. Secretion of ions and water is stimul...