Abstract
Plasma membranes from insect midgut cells are separated into apical and basolateral domains. The apical domain is usually modified into microvilli with a molecular structure similar to other animals. Nevertheless, the microvillar structure should differ in some insects to permit the traffic inside them of secretory vesicles that may budd laterally or pinch-off from the tips of microvilli. Other microvillar modifications are associated with proton-pumping or with the interplay with an ensheathing lipid membrane (the perimicrovilllar membrane) observed in the midgut cells of hemipterans (aphids and bugs). The perimicrovillar membranes are thought to be involved in amino acid absorption from diluted diets. The microvillar and perimicrovillar membranes have densities (and protein content) that depend on the insect taxon. The role played by the microvillar and perimicrovillar proteins in insect midgut physiology is reviewed here trying to provide a coherent picture of data and highlighting further research areas.
Highlights
Midgut cells are associated one another by junctions that separate the plasma cell membranes into an apical and a basolateral domain
In spite of the model provided an explanation for the occurrence of these peculiar cell structures in condylognatha, it is supported only by: (1) evidence that amino acids are absorbed with potassium ions in Dysdercus peruvianus (Silva and Terra 1994); (2) occurrence of particles studying the cytoplasmic face of the midgut microvillar membrane of D. peruvianus
The study of the plasma membranes of insect midgut cells has progressed enough to reveal many of their characteristics
Summary
Midgut cells are associated one another by junctions that separate the plasma cell membranes into an apical and a basolateral domain. In addition to lower Diptera and Lepidoptera, cation differential precipitation has been used to isolate microvilli from midgut cells from other insect orders such as Dictyoptera (cockroaches) (Parenti et al 1986), Coleoptera (beetles) (Ferreira et al 1990), and higher Diptera (flies) (Lemos and Terra 1992).
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