Biomaterial Database

Chitin synthesis and sheath morphogenesis in Brugia malayi microfilariae. 1985

J A Fuhrman, and W F Piessens

Brugia malayi microfilariae and gravid adult females were examined to determine whether chitin (poly beta(1----4)-linked N-acetylglucosamine) is a structural component of the microfilarial sheath. Two lectins which are specific for beta(1----4)-linked oligomers of N-acetylglucosamine bind to the sheaths of living microfilariae. Diflubenzuron, a potent inhibitor of chitin synthesis in insects and crustaceans, causes gravid female worms to shed progeny microfilariae with truncated sheaths. A chitin-like fraction (hot alkali-insoluble and chitinase-sensitive) can be isolated from gravid female (but not male) worms. This fraction can be metabolically labelled with radioactive glucosamine, but such labelling is inhibited by diflubenzuron. These data suggest that chitin synthesis is critical to microfilarial sheath morphogenesis in this parasitic nematode.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009024	Morphogenesis	The development of anatomical structures to create the form of a single- or multi-cell organism. Morphogenesis provides form changes of a part, parts, or the whole organism.
D011741	Pyrimidine Nucleosides	Pyrimidines with a RIBOSE attached that can be phosphorylated to PYRIMIDINE NUCLEOTIDES.	Nucleosides, Pyrimidine
D002009	Brugia	A filarial worm of Southeast Asia, producing filariasis and elephantiasis in various mammals including man. It was formerly included in the genus WUCHERERIA.	Brugias
D002686	Chitin	A linear polysaccharide of beta-1->4 linked units of ACETYLGLUCOSAMINE. It is the second most abundant biopolymer on earth, found especially in INSECTS and FUNGI. When deacetylated it is called CHITOSAN.
D004132	Diflubenzuron	An insect growth regulator which interferes with the formation of the insect cuticle. It is effective in the control of mosquitoes and flies.	Dimilin,Dioflubenzuron,TH-6040,TH 6040,TH6040
D000117	Acetylglucosamine	The N-acetyl derivative of glucosamine.	Acetyl Glucosamine,N-Acetyl Glucosamine,N-Acetyl-beta-D-Glucosamine,N-Acetylglucosamine,beta-N-Acetylglucosamine,2-Acetamido-2-Deoxy-D-Glucose,2-Acetamido-2-Deoxyglucose,N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine,2 Acetamido 2 Deoxy D Glucose,2 Acetamido 2 Deoxyglucose,Glucosamine, Acetyl,Glucosamine, N-Acetyl,N Acetyl D Glucosamine,N Acetyl Glucosamine,N Acetyl beta D Glucosamine,N Acetylglucosamine,beta N Acetylglucosamine
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
D037102	Lectins	Proteins that share the common characteristic of binding to carbohydrates. Some ANTIBODIES and carbohydrate-metabolizing proteins (ENZYMES) also bind to carbohydrates, however they are not considered lectins. PLANT LECTINS are carbohydrate-binding proteins that have been primarily identified by their hemagglutinating activity (HEMAGGLUTININS). However, a variety of lectins occur in animal species where they serve diverse array of functions through specific carbohydrate recognition.	Animal Lectin,Animal Lectins,Isolectins,Lectin,Isolectin,Lectin, Animal,Lectins, Animal

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