Juvenile hormone-induced RNA and specific protein synthesis in an adult insect

Abstract

Immunologically identifiable female-specific proteins are essential for egg maturation in several species of insects. With the exception of the saturniid moths, the synthesis of these proteins is under the control of the corpus allatum hormone (JH). Both isolated, naturally occurring JHs and the lower homologue epoxyfarnesenic acid caused the synthesis of the female-specific protein in Leucophaea maderae. Actinomycin D completely blocked the synthesis of the specific protein. JH also increased the synthesis of total sodium dodecylsulfate-phenol extractable RNA. In a complete cell-free system, RNA extracted from egg-maturing females stimulated female-specific protein synthesis. RNA from males or allatectomized females did not stimulate this specific protein synthesis. The sum of the data appears to support Karlson's hypothesis on hormonal control of transcription of specific messenger.