The major carotenoid pigments of the grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (F.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals

Jenkins, R. L., Loxdale, H. D., Brookes, C. P. and Dixon, A. F. G. 1999. The major carotenoid pigments of the grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (F.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Physiological Entomology. 24 (2), pp. 171-178. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-3032.1999.00128.x

AuthorsJenkins, R. L., Loxdale, H. D., Brookes, C. P. and Dixon, A. F. G.
Abstract

The economically important grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (F.) shows colour polymorphism with brown and green forms predominating. Colour is determined both genetically and in response to environmental factors, including nutrition. The biological significance of the colour polymorphism is unknown, although seasonal changes occur in the frequency of colour morphs in the field, whilst the brown morph may have adaptive significance in terms of hymenopterous endoparasitism. The ground colour of aphids is produced by haemolymph pigments, aphins (glucosides) and carotenoids. The latter may be under the synthetic control of intracellular endosymbiotic bacteria. In this study, the major carotenoid pigments of a brown and a green clone of S. avenae were examined using thin layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and their absorbance spectra recorded. Using TLC, the brown clone produced five bands of different Rf, ranging from yellow, to orange-pink to pink in colour. In contrast, the green clone gave only a single yellow band of higher Rf than any of the bands of brown aphids. Following separation of carotenoids by HPLC, brown aphids gave seven peaks and green aphids five. Comparison of absorbance maxima with known published values for carotenoids provides strong evidence for the identification of four of the carotenoid pigments from brown aphids (RB-4, 3,4-didehydrolycopene; RB-5, torulene; RB-6; lycopene; RB-7, gamma-carotene) and one from green aphids (RG-2, a-carotene). The other carotenoids remain unidentified. The biosynthesis and possible biological relevance of the various pigments of S. avenae are briefly discussed.

KeywordsEntomology
Year of Publication1999
JournalPhysiological Entomology
Journal citation24 (2), pp. 171-178
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-3032.1999.00128.x
Open accessPublished as non-open access
FunderBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Funder project or code211
433
Project: 041313
PublisherWiley
ISSN0307-6962

Permalink - https://repository.rothamsted.ac.uk/item/88091/the-major-carotenoid-pigments-of-the-grain-aphid-sitobion-avenae-f-hemiptera-aphididae

Restricted files

Publisher's version

Under embargo indefinitely

45 total views
0 total downloads
0 views this month
0 downloads this month