Immunohistochemical localisation of ecdysteroids in the follicular epithelium of locust oocytes.

Frozen sections of growing terminal follicles of the locust ovary were incubated with an ecdysteroid-specific rabbit antibody and the bound antibody visualised by the use of FITC-labelled goat-anti-rabbit antiserum. A bright fluorescence was seen in the cytoplasm of the follicle cells in terminal follicles with a length between 4.0 and 6.0 mm with a maximum intensity at 5.5 mm, indicating the presence of ecdysteroids in these cells in this particular developmental stage.