Comparative analysis of lactate dehydrogenase levels in muscles of some Orthoptera

The lactate dehydrogenase activity was examined in skeletal muscles of specimens of 53 species of Orthoptera belonging to five families of Ensifera and four of Caelifera. The results showed that: (1) the five families of Ensifera contain a low level of lactate dehydrogenase activity in their jumping...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Italian journal of zoology 1998-01, Vol.65 (3), p.261-265
Main Authors: Dell'agata, Massimo, Osella, Brtolomeo Giuseppe, Osella, Marco, Andreetti, Alessandra
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Enzymatic adaptations
Enzymatic levels
Insecta
Lactate dehydrogenase
Orthoptera
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Summary:The lactate dehydrogenase activity was examined in skeletal muscles of specimens of 53 species of Orthoptera belonging to five families of Ensifera and four of Caelifera. The results showed that: (1) the five families of Ensifera contain a low level of lactate dehydrogenase activity in their jumping muscles, whereas two families of Caelifera, Catantopidae and Acrididae, contain a far higher level; (2) in the four families of Caelifera, there are two well-distinct levels of activity of lactate dehydrogenase in leg muscles, and (3) the lactate dehydrogenase activity in the jumping femurs is, in general, more than double that of the non-jumping femurs. It was suggested that this difference in activity between specialized and non-specialized leg segments represents a metabolic adaptation to burst muscular activity.
ISSN:1125-0003
1748-5851
DOI:10.1080/11250008809386756