Abstract
Rhodtestolin is a cardio-inhibitor that was first discovered in testes extracts of the blood-feeding insect, Rhodnius prolixus. Its role in reproduction remains unconfirmed, but if delivered to the female during spermatophore formation, it may serve to calm the female and/or relax the vaginal muscles to facilitate delivery and storage of the spermatophore. We describe here the anatomy of reproductive organs in R. prolixus and show that rhodtestolin is present in a low-molecular weight fraction of testes extracts separated by gel filtration, as well as in spermatophores delivered to the female during spermatophore formation. We also report that a rhodtestolin-like factor is present in the testes of R. brethesi, Triatoma dimidiata, T. klugi and Nesotriatoma bruneri, other Reduviidae, which are vectors of Chagas disease. Male secretions in insects are known to modify female behavior after copulation, and the presence of rhodtestolin in several genera of Reduviidae suggests that it plays an important role in reproductive success. Determining this role could lead to developing additional population control strategies for these bugs.
Highlights
In 2007, researchers from North and South America gathered together at the Seventh InternationalCongress of Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry for a symposium on the research status of Reduviidae bugs, a group of blood-sucking cone noses that are vectors of Chagas disease [1]
Insect vectors of Chagas disease are opportunistic feeders that display a body plan designed for accommodating a large blood meal
To determine whether a cardio-inhibitor discovered in R. prolixus is present in other Reduviidae bugs, we collected the testes from the species that were available at FIOCRUZ, and applied the testes extracts to the heart of the female of the same species
Summary
In 2007, researchers from North and South America gathered together at the Seventh International. Chagas disease is one of 17 neglected tropical diseases with an estimated seven to eight million people infected with T. cruzi worldwide [2] This symposium led to the present collaboration between Canadian and Brazilian institutions in which the study of a cardio-inhibitor, discovered in the testes of R. prolixus raised in. Subsequent studies showed that this effect was concentration dependent and could be reversed by removal of the extract [3] We designated this factor as rhodtestolin (Rhodnius testes inhibitory factor), and its discovery has raised questions about its role in reproductive physiology. The hypothesis that rhodtestolin serves an essential purpose for reproductive success in these blood-feeding insects Research into this factor promises to increase our understanding of the life history of these important vectors of disease
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