Cuticle-catalyzed coupling between polyamino acids and N-acetyldopamine

Catechol conjugation with hemolymph proteins and their incorporation into the cuticle of the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana

Newly ecdysed American cockroaches, Periplaneta americana (sixth to last instar) were injected with radioactive dopamine (DA) and hemolymph was collected at 10-60 min post-ecdysis. Size-exclusion chromatography established the presence of at least three proteins that serve as catecholamine carriers. Reinjection of the smaller radiolabeled phenol-bound proteins into newly ecdysed animals results in in vivo aggregation, with the radiolabel bound to large MW proteins (30- > 200 kDa). In addition, the reinjection of radiolabeled protein of any size resulted in the incorporation of the label into the newly sclerotized cuticle. Hemolymph proteins were synthesized in vivo using [14C]leucine and subsequently double labeled in vivo with [3H]dopamine. After sclerotization (7 h post-ecdysis) the cuticle was extirpated, hydrolyzed and counted. An identical ratio of 14C to 3H was found in cuticle extracts as in the double-labeled hemolymph proteins, suggesting that the phenol-bound protein was incorporated in the cuticle unchanged. It appears that the catechol bound to the proteins exists as a beta-glucoside.