Cuticular hydrocarbons of Triatomins

JUÁREZ MP; CALDERÓN FERNÁNDEZ G

Nevada, USA

Congreso; 4th International Congress of Vector Ecology; 2005

Society of Vector Ecology

The subfamiliy Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) include more than130 species of insects, vectors of the Chagas Disease. The major vectorial capacities areshown by Triatoma infestans in South America and by Rhodnius prolixus, distributedthrough Mexico to Brazil. Triatomins cuticular surface is covered by a thin layer oflipids, mainly hydrocarbons, wax esters, fatty alcohols, and fatty acids. These compoundsplay a major role in preventing a lethal dessication, altering the absorption of chemicalsand microorganism penetration, and participating in chemical communication events.Fatty acid synthases and fatty acyl-CoA elongases were first shown to provide very longchain precursors to cuticular hydrocarbons in T. infestans integument. Capillary gaschromatography coupled to mass spectrometry analyses showed that cuticularhydrocarbons of Triatominae are a complex mixture of saturated straight and methylbranchedchains, from 18 to more than 43 carbon atoms. Odd-chain hydrocarbons, mostlyfrom 27 to 33 carbons, are the major straight chains. Different isomers of mono-, di-, tri-,and tetramethyl components mostly from 29 to 39 atoms in the carbon skeleton, accountfor the major methyl branched hydrocarbons. The presence, absence, and relativequantities of the cuticular hydrocarbons determine the chemical phenotype ofTriatominae and have been applied for differentiating genera, species, populations andsexes.