Monoclonal antibodies to vitellins of bollworm and tobacco budworm (lepidoptera: noctuidae): Biochemical and ecological implications

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Annals of the Entomological Society of America

Abstract

We partially characterized the antigens recognized by monoclonal antibodies raised against eggs of Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) and purified vitellin of Heliothis virescens (F.). Through western blot analysis following pore-limiting electrophoresis, both antibodies were shown to recognize vitellin specifically. Western blots generated following SDS-PAGE indicated that the determinant for the antibody produced to H. virescens vitellin (HVE-1) was found exclusively on the large molecular weight apoprotein of vitellin, apoVn-I. The determinant for the antibody produced to H. zea eggs (HZE-1) was not detected by western blot analysis following SDS-PAGE, indicating that its determinant was disrupted by protein denaturation. Electrophoretic analyses also indicated that the apparent molecular weights of native heliothine vitellins ranged from 472,000 to 522,000 and those of their apoproteins ranged from 164,000 to 169,000 (apoVn-I) and from 45,000 to 47,000 (apoVn-II). The species-and stage-specificities of the antibodies also was determined. The HZE-1 antibody was found to be specific for vitellin of H. zea and 2 Old World relatives, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and Helicoverpa punctigera (Wallengren), but did not recognize vitellins of H. virescens, Heliothis subflexa (Grote), or 3 genera of nonheliothine noctuids. The HVE-1 antibody recognized vitellins of all Helicoverpa-Heliothis species tested, but not those of the nonheliothine noctuids. Neither antibody cross-reacted with native proteins from homogenates or hemolymph of H. zea or H. virescens larvae or pupae. Western blots of adult hemolymph indicated that the antibodies also recognized vitellogenin, vitellin's precursor.

First Page

83

Last Page

90

DOI

10.1093/aesa/90.1.83

Publication Date

1-1-1997

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS