The crustacean cuticle is an interesting model to study the properties of mineralized bio-composites. The cuticle consists of an organic matrix composed of chitin-protein fibres associated with various amounts of crystalline and amorphous calcium carbonate. It is thought that in isopods the relative amounts of these mineral polymorphs depend on its function and the habitat of the animal. In add...

The plant cuticle composed of cutin, a lipid-derived polyester, and cuticular waxes covers the aerial portions of plants and constitutes a hydrophobic extracellular matrix layer that protects plants against environmental stresses. The botrytis-resistant 1 (bre1) mutant of Arabidopsis reveals that a permeable cuticle does not facilitate the entry of fungal pathogens in general, but surprisingly ...

The embryonic cuticle of Drosophila melanogaster is deposited by the epidermal epithelium during stage 16 of development. This tough, waterproof layer is essential for maintaining the structural integrity of the larval body. We have characterized mutations in a set of genes required for proper deposition and/or morphogenesis of the cuticle. Zygotic disruption of any one of these genes results i...

SINCE Krishnan (1953) reported the occurrence of —S—S— bonds in the cuticle of Palamnaeus swammerdami, a keen interest has been evinced in the cuticle of arachnids in general. Even earlier, Lafon (1943) noted the presence of over 2-85% of sulphur in the cuticle of Limulus and suggested that the cuticular proteins were similar in this respect to the keratinous type of proteins of the vertebrates...

Abstract The diversity of insects can be explained by their ability to fill various ecological niches, which includes the foraging from diverse sources. cuticle-based feeding structures interact with food and show adaptations in shape, material composition mechanical properties it. In this study, we focus on mouthparts a very prominent ambush predator, antlion larvae Euroleon nostras . By nanoi...

Radiolabeled manducin, which is the arylphorin (i.e. tyrosine-rich larval serum protein) o f the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta was prepared by in vivo biosynthesis from [U -l4C]-L-tyrosine. In order to see whether manducin is incorporated into the cuticle o f developing pupae and participates in cuticle sclerotization, the radiolabeled protein was injected into late last larval instar larvae. ...

BACKGROUND: Several sawfly larvae of the Tenthredinidae (Hymenoptera) are called easy bleeders because their whole body integument, except the head capsule, disrupts very easily at a given spot, under a slight mechanical stress at this spot. The exuding haemolymph droplet acts as a feeding deterrent towards invertebrate predators. The present study aimed to describe the cuticle surface, to cons...

A system of cuticular nomenclature based on the strata observed in Enoplia is proposed. Nematode cuticle is divided into four fundamental strata: epicuticle, exocuticle, mesocuticle, and endocuticle. Application of this system allows the correlation of complementary strata throughout Nemata. The major taxonomic categories within Nemata are differentiated on the basis of their cuticular strata a...

The insect exoskeleton is composed of cuticle primarily formed from structural cuticular proteins (CPs) and the polysaccharide chitin. Two CPs, TcCPR27 and TcCPR18, are major proteins present in the elytron (highly sclerotized and pigmented modified forewing) as well as the pronotum (dorsal sclerite of the prothorax) and ventral abdominal cuticle of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. Bo...

Since nearly all adult insects fly, the cuticle has to provide a very efficient and lightweight skeleton. Information is available about the mechanical properties of cuticle-Young's modulus of resilin is about 1 MPa, of soft cuticles about 1 kPa to 50 MPa, of sclerotised cuticles 1-20 GPa; Vicker's Hardness of sclerotised cuticle ranges between 25 and 80 kgf mm(-2); density is 1-1.3 kg m(-3)-an...