Biomaterial Database

Morphological and biochemical characterization of the cream markings in the integument of the female isopod, Armadillidium vulgare. 1992

M Nakagoshi, and S Negishi

Biological Laboratory, Kitasato University, Sagamihara City, Kanagawa, Japan.

Cream markings aligned along the dorsal region of the female isopod, A. vulgare, were investigated with light and a fluorescence microscope and an electron microscope. Biochemical studies were also carried out. The cream markings were observed in the dorsal integument as a group of cream-colored chromatophores that emit a yellow fluorescence. These chromatophores, which are distinguishable from ommochrome chromatophores, contained numerous granules in the cytoplasm, and these granules (0.6-3.0 micron in length by 0.4-1.5 microns in width) were electron-lucent and spheroidal in shape with a concentric arrangement of membranes. Based on various biochemical analyses, the principal component of the yellow pigment isolated from the cream markings was identified as sepiapterin. These facts revealed that the cream markings are the chromatophores that contain pteridine granules. The males have no cream markings like those of the females, since the cream-colored chromatophores are externally hidden by the ommochrome chromatophore layer. The content of sepiapterin in the males was about two times greater than that in the females. This quantitative difference in sepiapterin content between males and females suggests that the pteridine formation in this pigment cell may be regulated by hormones associated with sex determination.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010860	Pigments, Biological	Any normal or abnormal coloring matter in PLANTS; ANIMALS or micro-organisms.	Biological Pigments
D011621	Pteridines	Compounds based on pyrazino[2,3-d]pyrimidine which is a pyrimidine fused to a pyrazine, containing four NITROGEN atoms.	1,3,5,8-Tetraazanaphthalene,Pteridine,Pteridinone,Pyrazino(2,3-d)pyrimidine,Pyrazinopyrimidine,Pyrazinopyrimidines,Pyrimido(4,5-b)pyrazine,Pteridinones
D011622	Pterins	Compounds based on 2-amino-4-hydroxypteridine.	Pterin
D003445	Crustacea	A large subphylum of mostly marine ARTHROPODS containing over 42,000 species. They include familiar arthropods such as lobsters (NEPHROPIDAE), crabs (BRACHYURA), shrimp (PENAEIDAE), and barnacles (THORACICA).	Ostracoda,Ostracods,Crustaceas,Ostracod,Ostracodas
D004817	Epidermis	The external, nonvascular layer of the skin. It is made up, from within outward, of five layers of EPITHELIUM: (1) basal layer (stratum basale epidermidis); (2) spinous layer (stratum spinosum epidermidis); (3) granular layer (stratum granulosum epidermidis); (4) clear layer (stratum lucidum epidermidis); and (5) horny layer (stratum corneum epidermidis).
D005260	Female		Females
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia