Biomedical subjects

H Kono

Publications and source records attributed to H Kono.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed1999

Structure-based prediction of DNA target sites by regulatory proteins.

Regulatory proteins play a critical role in controlling complex spatial and temporal patterns of gene expression in higher organism, by recognizing multiple DNA sequences and regulating multiple target genes. Increasing amounts of structural data on the protein-DNA complex provides clues for the mechanism of target recognition by regulatory proteins. The analyses of the propensities of base-amino acid interactions observed in those structural data show that there is no one-to-one correspondence in the interaction, but clear preferences exist. On the other hand, the analysis of spatial distribution of amino acids around bases shows that even those amino acids with strong base preference such as Arg with G are distributed in a wide space around bases. Thus, amino acids with many different geometries can form a similar type of interaction with bases. The redundancy and structural flexibility in the interaction suggest that there are no simple rules in the sequence recognition, and its prediction is not straightforward. However, the spatial distributions of amino acids around bases indicate a possibility that the structural data can be used to derive empirical interaction potentials between amino acids and bases. Such information extracted from structural databases has been successfully used to predict amino acid sequences that fold into particular protein structures. We surmised that the structures of protein-DNA complexes could be used to predict DNA target sites for regulatory proteins, because determining DNA sequences that bind to a particular protein structure should be similar to finding amino acid sequences that fold into a particular structure. Here we demonstrate that the structural data can be used to predict DNA target sequences for regulatory proteins. Pairwise potentials that determine the interaction between bases and amino acids were empirically derived from the structural data. These potentials were then used to examine the compatibility between DNA sequences and the protein-DNA complex structure in a combinatorial "threading" procedure. We applied this strategy to the structures of protein-DNA complexes to predict DNA binding sites recognized by regulatory proteins. To test the applicability of this method in target-site prediction, we examined the effects of cognate and noncognate binding, cooperative binding, and DNA deformation on the binding specificity, and predicted binding sites in real promoters and compared with experimental data. These results show that target binding sites for several regulatory proteins are successfully predicted, and our data suggest that this method can serve as a powerful tool for predicting multiple target sites and target genes for regulatory proteins.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1999

ProTherm: Thermodynamic Database for Proteins and Mutants.

The first release of the Thermodynamic Database for Proteins and Mutants (ProTherm) contains more than 3300 data of several thermodynamic parameters for wild type and mutant proteins. Each entry includes numerical data for unfolding Gibbs free energy change, enthalpy change, heat capacity change, transition temperature, activity etc., which are important for understanding the mechanism of protein stability. ProTherm also includes structural information such as secondary structure and solvent accessibility of wild type residues, and experimental methods and other conditions. A WWW interface enables users to search data based on various conditions with different sorting options for outputs. Further, ProTherm is cross-linked with NCBI PUBMED literature database, Protein Mutant Database, Enzyme Code and Protein Data Bank structural database. Moreover, all the mutation sites associated with each PDB structure are automatically mapped and can be directly viewed through 3DinSight developed in our laboratory. The database is available at the URL, http://www.rtc.riken.go.jp/protherm.htm l

Calorimetry↗

PubMed1999

Development of a new, simple rat model of early alcohol-induced liver injury based on sensitization of Kupffer cells.

The continuous intragastric in vivo enteral feeding model in the rat developed by Tsukamoto and French has been very useful; however, it requires surgical expertise. Recently, we found that Kupffer cells isolated from rats treated only once with ethanol were sensitized to endotoxin 24 hours later. Accordingly, these experiments were designed to determine if a new, simple animal model of ethanol hepatotoxicity could be developed based on Kupffer cell sensitization. Female Wistar rats were given ethanol (5 g/kg body weight) once every 24 hours intragastrically. Livers were stained with hematoxylin-eosin to assess steatosis, inflammation, and necrosis, and tissue triglycerides, serum transaminases, and plasma endotoxin were measured. Kupffer cells were isolated 0 to 24 hours after one intragastric dose of ethanol daily, and intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) was measured using fura-2, while tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. CD14 was evaluated by Western and Northern analysis. Ethanol caused steatosis, necrosis, and inflammation in only a few weeks, and after 8 weeks, serum aspartate transaminase (AST) levels were doubled. Values were similar to levels achieved in the enteral feeding model. Triglycerides were also increased significantly by ethanol as expected, and endotoxin levels were increased to 70 to 80 pg/mL. This latter increase was prevented (<20 pg/mL) by antibiotics implicating endotoxin. In isolated Kupffer cells from untreated control rats, [Ca2+]i increased to 82 +/- 7 nmol/L after addition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (100 ng/mL), and levels were elevated about twofold by ethanol given 24 hours earlier (174 +/- 15 nmol/L). In addition, TNF-alpha production by Kupffer cells was increased fourfold in cells isolated from rats treated with ethanol 24 hours earlier. Sterilization of the gut with antibiotics blocked all effects of ethanol on [Ca2+]i and TNF-alpha release completely. Moreover, 4 weeks after ethanol, CD14 in Kupffer cells was elevated about twofold. A new, simple chronic model of ethanol hepatotoxicity has been developed here based on sensitization of Kupffer cells to endotoxin.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed1999

Essential role of tumor necrosis factor alpha in alcohol-induced liver injury in mice.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha is associated with increased mortality in alcoholics, but its role in early alcohol-induced liver injury is not fully understood. Recently, it was shown that injury induced by the enteral alcohol delivery model of Tsukamoto and French was reduced by antibodies to TNF-alpha. To obtain clear evidence for or against the hypothesis that TNF-alpha is involved, we studied TNF receptor 1 (TNF-R1, p55) or 2 (TNF-R2, p75) knockout mice. METHODS: Long-term enteral alcohol delivery was modified for male gene-targeted mice lacking TNF-R1 and TNF-R2. Animals were given a high-fat liquid diet continuously with either ethanol or isocaloric maltose-dextrin as a control for 4 weeks. RESULTS: Ethanol elevated serum levels of alanine aminotransferase nearly 3-fold in wild-type and TNF-R2 knockout mice but not in TNF-R1 knockout mice. Likewise, ethanol caused severe liver injury in wild-type mice (pathology score, 5.5 +/- 0.6) and TNF-R2 knockout mice (pathology score, 5.0 +/- 0.4), but not in TNF-R1 knockout mice (pathology score, 0.8 +/- 0.4; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term ethanol feeding caused liver injury in wild-type and TNF-R2 knockout mice but not in TNF-R1 knockout mice, providing solid evidence in support of the hypothesis that TNF-alpha plays an important role in the development of early alcohol-induced liver injury via the TNF-R1 pathway. Moreover, the long-term enteral ethanol feeding technique we described for the first time for knockout mice provides a useful new tool for alcohol research.

Alanine Transaminase↗

PubMed1999

Structural analyses of new tri- and tetrasaccharides produced from disaccharides by transglycosylation of purified Trichoderma viride beta-glucosidase.

A new beta-glucosidase was partially purified from Trichoderma viride cellulase. This beta-glucosidase catalyzed a transglycosylation reaction of cellobiose to give beta-D-Glc-(1-->6)-beta-D-Glc-(1-->4)-D-Glc (1, yield: 18.8%) and beta-D-Glc-(1-->6)-beta-D-Glc-(1-->6)-beta-D-Glc-(1-->4)-D-Glc (2, 3.7%), regioselectively. Furthermore, the enzyme regioselectively converted laminaribiose and gentiobiose into beta-D-Glc-(1-->6)-beta-D-Glc-(1-->3)-D-Glc (3, 15.3%) and beta-D-Glc-(1-->6)-beta-D-Glc-(1-->6)-D-Glc (4, 20.2%), respectively. The structures (1-4) of the products were determined by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopies. This high regio- and stereoselectively of the beta-glucosidase could be applied for oligosaccharide synthesis.

Carbohydrate Sequence↗

PubMed1999

Relationship between amino acid properties and protein stability: buried mutations.

In order to understand the mechanism of protein stability and to develop a simple method for predicting mutation-induced stability changes, we analyzed the relationship between stability changes caused by buried mutations and changes in 48 amino acid properties. As expected from the importance of hydrophobicity, properties reflecting hydrophobicity are strongly correlated with the stability of proteins. We found that subgroup classification based on secondary structure increased correlations significantly, and mutations within beta-strand segments correlated better than did those in alpha-helical segments, which may result from stronger hydrophobicity of the beta-strands. Multiple regression analyses incorporating combinations of three properties from among all possible combinations of the 48 properties increased the correlation coefficient to 0.88 and by an average of 13% for all data sets. Analyzing the stability of tryptophan synthase mutants with Glu49 replaced by all other residues except Arg revealed that combining buriedness, solvent-accessible surface area for denatured protein, and unfolding Gibbs free energy change increased the correlation to 0.95. Consideration of sequence and structural information (neighboring residues in sequence and in space) did not significantly strengthen the correlations in buried mutations, suggesting that nonspecific interactions dominate in the interior of proteins.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed1999

Role of structural and sequence information in the prediction of protein stability changes: comparison between buried and partially buried mutations.

Predicting mutation-induced changes in protein stability is one of the greatest challenges in molecular biology. In this work, we analyzed the correlation between stability changes caused by buried and partially buried mutations and changes in 48 physicochemical, energetic and conformational properties. We found that properties reflecting hydrophobicity strongly correlated with stability of buried mutations, and there was a direct relation between the property values and the number of carbon atoms. Classification of mutations based on their location within helix, strand, turn or coil segments improved the correlation of mutations with stability. Buried mutations within beta-strand segments correlated better than did those in alpha-helical segments, suggesting stronger hydrophobicity of the beta-strands. The stability changes caused by partially buried mutations in ordered structures (helix, strand and turn) correlated most strongly and were mainly governed by hydrophobicity. Due to the disordered nature of coils, the mechanism underlying their stability differed from that of the other secondary structures: the stability changes due to mutations within the coil were mainly influenced by the effects of entropy. Further classification of mutations within coils, based on their hydrogen-bond forming capability, led to much stronger correlations. Hydrophobicity was the major factor in determining the stability of buried mutations, whereas hydrogen bonds, other polar interactions and hydrophobic interactions were all important determinants of the stability of partially buried mutations. Information about local sequence and structural effects were more important for the prediction of stability changes caused by partially buried mutations than for buried mutations; they strengthened correlations by an average of 27% among all data sets.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed1999

Use of Tc-99m DTPA galactosyl human serum albumin to predict postoperative residual liver function.

PURPOSE: Residual liver uptake at 15 minutes (RLU15), a new index for predicting residual liver function after excision of hepatocellular carcinoma, was evaluated using dynamic liver images and SPECT by Tc-99m DTPA galactosyl human serum albumin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 13 cases of hepatectomy, RLU15 was compared with postoperative serum prothrombin levels, serum bilirubin levels, and ascites. RESULTS: RLU15 showed good correlation with both the prothrombin activity and the serum bilirubin, with correlation coefficients of r = 0.829 and r = -0.757. CONCLUSION: This new index appears useful for predicting residual liver function after hepatectomy.

Ascites↗

PubMed1999

CYP2E1 is not involved in early alcohol-induced liver injury.

The continuous intragastric enteral feeding protocol in the rat was a major development in alcohol-induced liver injury (ALI) research. Much of what has been learned to date involves inhibitors or nutritional manipulations that may not be specific. Knockout technology avoids these potential problems. Therefore, we used long-term intragastric cannulation in mice to study early ALI. Reactive oxygen species are involved in mechanisms of early ALI; however, their key source remains unclear. Cytochrome P-450 (CYP)2E1 is induced predominantly in hepatocytes by ethanol and could be one source of reactive oxygen species leading to liver injury. We aimed to determine if CYP2E1 was involved in ALI by adapting the enteral alcohol (EA) feeding model to CYP2E1 knockout (-/-) mice. Female CYP2E1 wild-type (+/+) or -/- mice were given a high-fat liquid diet with either ethanol or isocaloric maltose-dextrin as control continuously for 4 wk. All mice gained weight steadily over 4 wk, and there were no significant differences between groups. There were also no differences in ethanol elimination rates between CYP2E1 +/+ and -/- mice after acute ethanol administration to naive mice or mice receiving EA for 4 wk. However, EA stimulated rates 1.4-fold in both groups. EA elevated serum aspartate aminotransferase levels threefold to similar levels over control in both CYP2E1 +/+ and -/- mice. Liver histology was normal in control groups. In contrast, mice given ethanol developed mild steatosis, slight inflammation, and necrosis; however, there were no differences between the CYP2E1 +/+ and -/- groups. Chronic EA induced other CYP families (CYP3A, CYP2A12, CYP1A, and CYP2B) to the same extent in CYP2E1 +/+ and -/- mice. Furthermore, POBN radical adducts were also similar in both groups. Data presented here are consistent with the hypothesis that oxidants from CYP2E1 play only a small role in mechanisms of early ALI in mice. Moreover, this new mouse model illustrates the utility of knockout technology in ALI research.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

[The benefit of head rotation on pharyngoesophageal dysphagia from three cases of paraganglioma in the parapharyngeal space].

The benefit of head rotation to the affected side is indicated during swallowing in patients complaining of dysphagia with unilateral pharyngeal palsy and/or laryngeal palsy. We experienced three cases of severe dysphagia after operations for giant paragangliomas (two vagal paraganglioma and one carotid body tumor) in the parapharyngeal space. During operation, the transmandibular transpterygoid approaches were applied to ensure better surgical views, and tracheostomy was performed to keep the airway open after operation. In each case, dysphagia during the pharyngeal stage of swallowing was significantly improved with rehabilitation using of this head rotation. We believe that rather than forbid oral intake, using an active bolus with head rotation is important for cases where dysphagia in the pharyngeal stage of swallowing is present with unilateral pharyngeal and/or laryngeal palsy. Repetitive swallowing exercises are important to reacquire the complicated movement of swallowing. Additionally, an active bolus flowing into the pyriform sinus on the healthy side will prevent a relaxation disorder of the cricopharyngeal muscle on that side. Furthermore, compensatory movement of the arytenoid on the healthy side improves dysphagia. We emphasize the usefulness of head rotation during swallowing rehabilitation for dysphagia with unilateral pharyngeal and/or laryngeal palsy in spite of its simplicity.

Aged↗

PubMed1999

Two cases of methotrexate induced lymphomas in rheumatoid arthritis: an association with increased serum IgE.

We describe 2 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in whom non-Hodgkin's lymphomas developed during low dose pulsed methotrexate (MTX) treatment. The tumors regressed after discontinuation of MTX with no additional treatment. Serum levels of IgE increased concomitantly with the development of lymphoma, and decreased along with the regression of the lymphoma in both patients. These 2 cases and a review of the literature suggest that measuring serum IgE may have a predictive value for monitoring lymphoma in patients with RA treated with MTX.

Aged↗

PubMed1998

The effect of background cuing on prey detection.

Studies of prey detection have typically focused on how search image affects the capture of cryptic items. This study also considers how background vegetation influences cryptic prey detection. Blue jays, Cyanocitta cristata, searched digitized images for two Catocala moths: C. ilia, which is cryptic on oak, and C. relicta, which is cryptic on birch. Some images contained moths while others did not. The ability of blue jays to detect prey during repeated presentations of one prey type within a session was compared with their performance during randomly alternating presentations of both prey types within a session to examine search-image formation under two background conditions (informative and ambiguous). In the informative background condition, both trees in the image were of the same species and therefore, the background was a reliable indicator of which prey type might be present. In the ambiguous background condition, there was one tree of each species in the image and either prey type could be present. The results indicate that: (1) a search-image effect was observed only for the more cryptic prey type and only when the background was informative; (2) as accuracy on prey images (those with moths) increased, response latency remained unchanged; (3) performance on nonprey images (those without moths) was primarily determined by the difficulty of searching the background and not by the prey type in the accompanying prey images; and (4) search-image effects disappeared with extended practice. These results suggest that the ability to detect prey is influenced by background and that the presence of either multiple backgrounds or multiple prey types interferes with search-image formation. Copyright 1998 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1998

Alcohol causes both tolerance and sensitization of rat Kupffer cells via mechanisms dependent on endotoxin.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Ethanol causes both tolerance and sensitization of Kupffer cells. This study was designed to evaluate temporal effects of ethanol in an attempt to understand this paradox. METHODS: Rats were given ethanol (4 g/kg body wt) intragastrically, and Kupffer cells were isolated 0-48 hours later. After addition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) was measured using a microspectrofluorometer with the fluorescent indicator fura-2, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. CD14 was evaluated by Western and Northern analysis. RESULTS: Two hours after ethanol administration, the LPS-induced increase in [Ca2+]i and TNF-alpha release by Kupffer cells was diminished by 50%, and these parameters were reciprocally enhanced twofold at 24 hours. Sterilization of the gut with antibiotics blocked all effects of ethanol on [Ca2+]i and TNF-alpha release completely. Twenty-four hours after ethanol, CD14 in Kupffer cells was elevated about fivefold. CONCLUSIONS: Kupffer cells isolated from rats early after ethanol exhibited tolerance to LPS, whereas sensitization was observed later. It is likely that both of these phenomena are caused by gut-derived endotoxin and that sensitization in Kupffer cells is caused by increases in CD14.

Acute-Phase Proteins↗

PubMed1998

Designing the hydrophobic core of Thermus flavus malate dehydrogenase based on side-chain packing.

We have developed a computational method for the de novo design of hydrophobic cores of proteins and tested it experimentally. The method is composed of a pair of programs, (i) to optimize side-chain conformations using an updated rotamer library for potential hydrophobic residues, based on the backbone structure of the protein of interest, and (ii) to estimate changes in Gibbs free energies between the folded and unfolded structures of the optimized sequence. Using these programs, we have engineered several variants of Thermus flavus malate dehydrogenase. To quantitate the stability change in each variant, the circular dichroism spectra of the proteins were measured as a function of guanidine hydrochloride concentration and deltadeltaG(H2O) values of the proteins were determined by extrapolation of the experimental data. However, variants with double replacements showed different denaturation cooperativity from that of the wild type and therefore it was difficult to simply compare the theoretical and experimental stability of each variant using calculated deltadeltaG and experimental deltadeltaG(H2O) values. When the calculated deltadeltaG values were compared with those at 3.5 M guanidine hydrochloride, which was the transition midpoint obtained from the denaturation curve of the wild type, good correlation was observed.

Circular Dichroism↗

PubMed1998

Glycine accelerates recovery from alcohol-induced liver injury.

Glycine prevents hepatic damage caused by hypoxia-reoxygenation, diminishes mortality due to endotoxin and minimizes alcoholic liver injury by decreasing blood ethanol. Our purpose was to investigate the effect of dietary glycine during recovery from early alcohol-induced injury, using a model that mimics the clinical presentation and histopathology with alcoholics. Male Wistar rats were exposed to ethanol continuously for 6 wk via intragastric feeding that resulted in typical histology of alcoholic liver injury, including steatosis, inflammation, necrosis and increased serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase. After cessation of ethanol, one group of rats received a control diet, the other a glycine-containing diet for 2 wk. During this period, all parameters studied tended to return to baseline values. However, serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase recovered about 30% more rapidly in rats fed glycine. Further, the hepatic pathology score was also significantly lower in the glycine group than in controls (0.5 vs. 2.6). After 1 wk, steatosis was reduced significantly more in the glycine group (5. 6%) than in controls (8.9%). Glycine also diminished numbers of infiltrating leukocytes and necrotic cells significantly more than in controls. This beneficial effect of glycine may be partly explained by the fact that glycine increased influx of chloride into Kupffer cells leading to diminished tumor necrosis factor-alpha production. These results indicate that a glycine containing diet expedites the process of recovery from ethanol-induced liver injury and may lead to its clinical application in alcoholic hepatitis.

Alanine Transaminase↗

PubMed1997

Suppressive effects of tranilast on the expression of inducible cyclooxygenase (COX2) in interleukin-1beta-stimulated fibroblasts.

We investigated the effects of tranilast on inducible cyclooxygenase (COX2)-mediated prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production and enzyme induction in interleukin-lbeta (IL-1beta)-stimulated cultured dermal fibroblasts. IL-1beta enhanced PGE2 production in cultured fibroblasts. Tranilast did not affect constitutive cyclooxygenase (COX1) or COX2 activity in non-stimulated or IL-lbeta-stimulated fibroblasts. However, the COX2 expression induced by IL-1beta was inhibited by tranilast. This result, that IL-1beta-induced COX2 expression was suppressed by tranilast, was confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis. Thus, it is possible for tranilast to regulate PGE2 production by inhibiting COX2 induction.

Anti-Allergic Agents↗

PubMed1997

Antibodies to tumor necrosis factor alfa attenuate hepatic necrosis and inflammation caused by chronic exposure to ethanol in the rat.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)alpha, a pivotal cytokine involved in inflammation, is produced primarily by Kupffer cells in the liver. It has been shown that inactivation of Kupffer cells prevents alcohol-induced liver injury; therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if neutralizing anti-TNF-alpha antibody is also effective. Male Wistar rats were exposed to ethanol (11 to 12 g x kg(-1) x d[-1]) continuously for up to 4 weeks via intragastric feeding using an enteral feeding model. Before ethanol exposure, polyclonal anti-mouse TNF-alpha rabbit serum was injected (2.0 mg/kg intravenously). There were no significant differences in body weight, mean ethanol concentration, or cyclic patterns of ethanol in urine when ethanol- and ethanol plus antibody-treated groups were compared. Expression of TNF-alpha and macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (MIP-2) messenger RNA (mRNA), determined using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, was three- to four-fold higher in livers of ethanol-treated rats than in those of rats fed an ethanol-free, high-fat control diet. In addition, MIP-2 levels were also elevated when detected by Northern blot analysis. Anti-TNF-alpha antibody did not affect expression of mRNA for interleukin (IL) 1alpha, IL-6, transforming growth factor beta1, or TNF-alpha. However, MIP-2 mRNA expression, which is regulated by TNF-alpha, was decreased significantly by anti-TNF-alpha antibody treatment. Serum aspartate transaminase levels were elevated in ethanol-treated rats to 136 +/- 12 IU/L after 4 weeks but only reached 90 +/- 5 IU/L (P < .05) in rats treated with anti-TNF-alpha antibody. The hepatic inflammation and necrosis observed in ethanol-fed rats were attenuated significantly by antibody treatment, and steatosis was not. These results support the hypothesis that TNF-alpha plays an important role in inflammation and necrosis in alcohol-induced liver injury and that treatment with anti-TNF-alpha antibody may be therapeutically useful in this disease.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Temperature Regulation of Supercooling and Gut Nucleation in Relation to Diapause of Pyrrhocoris apterus (L.) (Heteroptera)

The heteropteran Pyrrhocoris apterus (L.) does not survive freezing of its body fluids; there is a good correlation between values of survival at subzero temperatures and the supercooling point (SCP), i.e., the temperature at which body fluids start to freeze. The decrease of the SCP and thus the increase in cold hardiness is regulated by photoperiod and temperature. The relative importance of these factors depends on the physiological state of the insect. The SCP is about -7°C at the onset of prediapause and a decrease of about 4-5°C is associated with the development of the diapause syndrome in adults; these processes both are induced by a short-day photoperiod with temperature playing a secondary role. The induction of the diapause syndrome is a prerequisite for the subsequent decrease of the SCP by about 5-6°C during cold acclimation. An intermediate temperature of 15°C, or fluctuating outdoor temperatures and short-day photoperiods, are more suitable for the decrease of SCP than 5°C in continuous darkness. The sensitivity to photoperiod gradually disappears during the development of diapause; after the termination of diapause around the winter solstice the SCP irreversibly increases at a high temperature of 26°C even if exposed to a short-day photoperiod. The SCPs of hemolymph, gut, fat body, and gonads were compared to whole-body SCP. The gut was identified as the primary site of ice nucleation because its SCP value was very similar to the value for the whole body in both short-day and long-day insects. The SCPs of other organs, including the hemolymph, were always lower than the whole body SCP. Food was not a source of ice nucleating agents because the SCP of freshly ecdysed adults remained high after 2 weeks of starvation. In contrast, feeding was a prerequisite for the decrease of the SCP during prediapause. In postdiapause insects, the SCP increased at high temperatures in spite of the absence of food.

Journal Article↗