Fuhrman J A, Piessens W F
Mol Biochem Parasitol. 1985 Oct;17(1):93-104. doi: 10.1016/0166-6851(85)90130-6.
Brugia malayi microfilariae and gravid adult females were examined to determine whether chitin (poly beta(1----4)-linked N-acetylglucosamine) is a structural component of the microfilarial sheath. Two lectins which are specific for beta(1----4)-linked oligomers of N-acetylglucosamine bind to the sheaths of living microfilariae. Diflubenzuron, a potent inhibitor of chitin synthesis in insects and crustaceans, causes gravid female worms to shed progeny microfilariae with truncated sheaths. A chitin-like fraction (hot alkali-insoluble and chitinase-sensitive) can be isolated from gravid female (but not male) worms. This fraction can be metabolically labelled with radioactive glucosamine, but such labelling is inhibited by diflubenzuron. These data suggest that chitin synthesis is critical to microfilarial sheath morphogenesis in this parasitic nematode.
对马来布鲁线虫微丝蚴和妊娠成虫雌虫进行了检查，以确定几丁质（聚β(1→4)连接的N-乙酰葡糖胺）是否为微丝蚴鞘的结构成分。两种对β(1→4)连接的N-乙酰葡糖胺寡聚物具有特异性的凝集素可与活微丝蚴的鞘结合。敌灭灵是昆虫和甲壳类动物几丁质合成的有效抑制剂，可使妊娠雌虫排出鞘截断的子代微丝蚴。可从妊娠雌虫（而非雄虫）中分离出一种几丁质样组分（热碱不溶性且对几丁质酶敏感）。该组分可用放射性葡糖胺进行代谢标记，但这种标记会被敌灭灵抑制。这些数据表明，几丁质合成对这种寄生线虫的微丝蚴鞘形态发生至关重要。
