Abstract
INGESTION of proteinaceous but not of non-proteinaceous foods is followed by an increased level of proteolytic enzymes in the midgut of Aedes aegypti1,2 and Leucophaea maderae3,4 as well as in other insect species. Two hypotheses have been advanced to explain the mechanism by which certain foods cause enzyme synthesis and/or release into the gut lumen: (a) certain foods might act as secretagogues, that is, chemicals which elicit enzyme synthesis in the gut cells with which they come in contact, or (b) food intake might trigger the release of hormones which in turn stimulate enzyme synthesis. We tested these two proposed mechanisms with the fleshfly Sarcophaga.
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ENGELMANN, F., WILKENS, J. Synthesis of Digestive Enzyme in the Fleshfly Sarcophaga bullata stimulated by Food. Nature 222, 798 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1038/222798a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/222798a0
