Cactin was originally identified as an interactor of the Drosophila IκB factor Cactus and shown to play a role in controlling embryonic polarity and regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway. While subsequent studies have identified the roles for Cactin in the mammalian immune response, the immune function of Cactin in insects has not been described yet. Here, we identified a Cactin gene from the ...

The objective of this study was to evaluate sensory perception and consumers’ attitude liking products with different textures, crisps pâtés, added mealworm ingredient in amounts. By addition (Tenebrio molitor L.) the crisps, brittleness increased. However, an increase also increased darkness. Adding mealworms pâté reduced odour flavour vegetable cinnamon pepper as well oily texture. There no s...

Malpighian tubules of the mealworm Tenebrio molitor were isolated for intracellular measurement of basolateral (V(bl)) and, indirectly, apical (V(ap)) membrane potentials. In control Ringer (50 mmol l(-1) K(+), 140 mmol l(-1) Na(+)), V(bl) was 24 mV, cell negative, and V(ap) was 48 mV, cell negative with reference to the lumen. Ion substitution experiments involving K(+) and Na(+) indicated tha...

The fine structure of fibrillar flight muscle of the mature adult beetle Tenebrio molitor is described. Although the very high frequency of contraction of fibrillar muscle has previously been in part accounted for as the result of mechanical specialization of the wing-bearing segment rather than of a correspondingly high rate of motor impulse supply, the problem of the nature of the pathway by ...

The septate gregarine parasites of flour beetles (Tribolium spp.) include Gregarina minuta Ishii, 1914, a relatively small species in which both primite and satellite possess an obvious protomerite, and a larger species that lacks the satellite protomerite. The latter species has been placed in the genera Didymophyes and Hirmocystis by various authors, but studies reported here demonstrate that...