Abstract
CUTICULAR lipids of insects are important because they conserve the water content of the insects1 and protect them from fungicidal activity2 and some agricultural chemicals. Hydrocarbons are important components of these cuticular lipids3. In vivo studies with radioactive acetate have shown that hydrocarbons are synthesized by Dermestes maculatus4, Musca domestica5, Periplaneta americana6, Nezara viridula7, Apis mellifera8 and Oulema melanopus9. No studies have been reported on the use of in vitro techniques to determine the sites of hydrocarbon synthesis in insects, although some work has been done to determine the conditions in which fatty acid synthesis takes place in the fat body10–13.
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NELSON, D. Hydrocarbon Synthesis in the American Cockroach. Nature 221, 854–855 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1038/221854a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/221854a0
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