Leucophaea maderae

Recently, the structure of a pheromone-binding protein from the cockroach Leucophaea maderae, LmadPBP (Fig. 8b) has been solved by X-ray crystallography [58]. Despite the fact that LmadPBP and BmorPBP shared low amino acid identity (15% similarity 22%) (Fig. 9), the two proteins present similar folds. 

In the Madera cockroach, Leucophaea maderae, male calling behavior involves the release of a sex pheromone from the abdominal sternal glands. The extracts of sternal glands attracted conspecific females over a distance and the compounds responsible were identified as hydroxy-3-butan-2-one, (27 , 37 )-butanediol, senecioic acid and ( )-2-octenoic acid. The same components are also present in the male tergal glands. 

Molecular characterization of Lma-p54, a new epicuticular surface protein in the cockroach Leucophaea maderae (Dictyoptera, Oxyhaloinae). Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 32 1635-1642. 

Korchi, A., Brossut, R Bouhin, H. and Delachambre, J. (1999). cDNA cloning of an adult male putative lipocalin specific to tergal gland aphrodisiac secretion in an insect (Leucophaea maderae). FEBSLetters 449 125-128. 

Porcheron, P. (1975). Histological and cytological study of the tergal gland of Leucophaea maderae and of its development during sexual maturation of the male. Archives d Anatomie Microscopique et de Morphologie Experimentale 64 157-181. 

Holman G. M., Cook B. J. and Nachman R. J. (1986) Isolation, primary structure and synthesis of a blocked neuropeptide isolated from the cockroach, Leucophaea maderae. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 85C, 219-224. 

Comette R., Farine J-P, Quennedey B. and Brossut R. (2001) Molecular characterization of a new adult male putative calycin specific to tergal aphrodisiac secretion in the cockroach Leucophaea maderae. FEBS letters 507, 313-317. 

Ferstl S., Weber J. and Bohn H. (1988) Conditions for the association of the two clotting proteins of the cockroach Rhyparobia (Leucophaea) maderae (Blattaria). J. Comp. Physiol. 158, 527-535. 

True Bugs) Dictyoptera Blattaria Miridae Mirini Leucophaea maderae Lmad- PBP AY116618 Riviere et al. (2003)... 

Riviere S., Lartigue A., Quennedey B., Campanacci V., Farine J. P., Tegoni M., Cambillau C. and Brossut R. (2003) A pheromone-binding protein from the cockroach Leucophaea maderae cloning, expression and pheromone binding. Biochem J. 371, 573-579. 

Tartivita and Jackson (1970) compared the CHCs of Blatta orientalis, another household pest in the Blattidae family, with those of Leucophaea maderae in the Blaberidae family. Findings showed that the major hydrocarbons in the surface lipids of both cockroaches were -heptacosane, 11-methylheptacosane, 13-methylheptacosane and 3-methylhepta-cosane, and indicated that these components were qualitatively identical and quantitatively similar. 

Everaerts, C., Farine, J.-P. and Brossut, R. (1997). Changes of species cuticular hydrocarbons profiles in the cockroaches Nauphoeta cinerea and Leucophaea maderae reared in heterospecific groups. Entomol. Exp. Applic., 85,145-150. 

Tartivita, K. and Jackson, L.L. (1970). Cuticular lipids of insects. I. Hydrocarbons of Leucophaea maderae and Blatta orientalis. Lipids, 5, 35-37. 

In this context the comparison of the insecticide diflubenzuron with the fungicide polyoxin D is interesting in more than one respect. It not only closes the circle in our paper, so to speak, but it can also furnish strong circumstantial evidence to support our hypothesis of the mode of action of diflubenzuron. Marks and Sowa were the first to compare diflubenzuron and polyoxin D in their effects on the A ecdyson-dependent in-vitro synthesis of chitin by the cockroach (Leucophaea maderae) leg regenerates (4, ) These authors found that both compounds almost completely inhibited the incorporation of C-labeled D-glucosamine into the chitin fraction. In a later study with 1 C-labeled N-acetyl-D-glucosamine similar results were obtained, and the I50 value of inhibition of chitin synthesis was found to be 6.1 1 x 10 -10m for diflubenzuron and 7.53 x 10"7 M for polyoxin D (4 8) The difference in intrinsic activity can partly be explained by the roughly hundredfold accumulation of dif lubenzuron in the insect tissue. 

In an effort to obtain more information on the nature of this substance, Holman and Cook (2) attempted to isolate and characterize the active agent from the cockroach Leucophaea maderae. Three substances were found in these extracts that stimulate the isolated hindgut. Two of the compounds were identified as L-glutamic acid and L-aspartic acid. When the hindgut was exposed to these amino acids, a single slow contraction resulted which was indistinguishable from a neurally evoked response. The third substance, however, caused a complex series of changes in the... 

Myotropic Insect Neuropeptide Families from the Cockroach Leucophaea maderae Structure—Activity Reiationships... 

Structure-activity relationship studies for three myotropic families of insect neuropeptides first isolated from Leucophaea maderae are discussed. 

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