Abstract
TWENTY different species of insect larvæ, distributed among four orders (Orthoptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and Diptera) have been found so far to require sterols as growth factors. All of them, excepting the Dermestidae (Dermestes vulpinus Fabr.1 and Attagenus piceus Oliv.2), can utilize both zoosterols and phytosterols; certain species, however, grow faster with dietary cholesterol than with a phytosterol3. Furthermore, the activity of the intestinal sterol esterase of Periplaneta americana L. was found to be limited to the esters of cholesterol, Δ7-cholestenol and 7-dehydrocholesterol as the substrate4. These observations, together with Bergmann's5 report on the cholesterol content of the phytophagous silkworm Bombyx mori L., led us to suspect that the dietary phytosterols are converted to a zoosterol before utilization. Hence, sitosterol conversion was investigated in the larva of the housefly.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Fraenkel, G., Reid, J. A., and Blewett, M., Biochem. J., 35, 712 (1941).
McKennis, H., J. Biol. Chem., 167, 645 (1947).
Levinson, Z. H., and Bergmann, E. D., Biochem. J., 65, 254 (1947).
Casida, J. E., Beck, S. D., and Cole, M. J., J. Biol. Chem., 224, 365 (1957).
Bergmann, W., J. Biol. Chem., 107, 527 (1934).
Beck, S. D., and Kapadia, G. G., Science, 126, 258 (1957).
Alexander, G. J., Gold, A. M., and Schwenk, E., J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 79, 2967 (1957). Alexander, G. J., and Schwenk, E., ibid., 79, 4554 (1957).
Dauben, W. G., and Richards, J. H., J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 78, 5329 (1956). Dauben, W. G., Ban, Y., and Richards, J. H., ibid., 79, 968 (1957).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
BERGMANN, E., LEVINSON, Z. Fate of Beta-Sitosterol in Housefly Larvæ. Nature 182, 723–724 (1958). https://doi.org/10.1038/182723a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/182723a0
This article is cited by
-
Role of sterols in membranes
Lipids (1974)
-
Anæsthesia and the Action of DDT on Anopheles Larvæ
Nature (1962)
-
Persistence of Sterols other than Cholesterol in Chicken Tissues
Nature (1961)
-
Identifizierung von β-Sitosterin als Hauptsterin des Kartoffelkäfers (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say)
Experientia (1961)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.