INIBIOLP   05426
INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACIONES BIOQUIMICAS DE LA PLATA "PROF. DR. RODOLFO R. BRENNER"
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Triatomine cuticular lipids: a new target for vector control
Autor/es:
JUAREZ M.P.
Lugar:
Mangaratiba, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
Reunión:
Workshop; IV ENCONTRO DO PROGRAMA INTEGRADO DE DOENÇA DE CHAGAS – FIOCRUZ; 2007
Institución organizadora:
Fiocruz
Resumen:
Triatomine cuticular lipids: a new target for vector control M. P. Juárez Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata (CONICET-UNLP), Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, calles 60 y 120, La Plata, 1900, Argentina. Tel: 54 221 482 4894 int 30 -  Fax: 54 221 425 8988e-mail: mjuarez@isis.unlp.edu.ar The subfamiliy Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) include more than 130 species of insects, vectors of the Chagas Disease. The major vectorial capacities are shown by Triatoma infestans in South America and by Rhodnius prolixus, distributed through Mexico to Brazil. Triatomine cuticular surface is covered by a thin layer of lipids, mainly hydrocarbons, wax esters, fatty alcohols, and fatty acids. These compounds play a major role in preventing a lethal dessication, altering the absorption of chemicals and microorganism penetration, and participating in chemical communication events. Capillary gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry analyses showed that cuticular hydrocarbons of Triatominae are a complex mixture of saturated straight and methyl-branched chains, from 18 to more than 43 carbon atoms. Odd-chain hydrocarbons, mostly from 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, account for the major methyl branched hydrocarbons. The presence, absence, and relative quantities of the cuticular hydrocarbons determine the chemical phenotype of Triatominae and are useful for differentiating genera, species, populations and sexes. Integumental fatty acid synthases and fatty acyl-CoA elongases provide very long chain precursors to cuticular hydrocarbons in T. infestans integument and are potential targets for triatomine control. The role of the cuticular lipids in entomopathogenic fungi penetration and their participation in insect aggregation will be discussed.