Metabolism of Ingested Indole-3-acetic Acid in the Gut of Various Heteropterous Insects

抄録

Metabolism of indole-3-acetic acid in the gut of various heteropterous insects was investigated. All the bugs converted IAA to some IAA metabolites with auxin activity. The metabolic feature of IAA in bugs was classfied into four types among 16 species according to the colour strength of the spots which appeared on the TLC sheet (metabolites). The types were not related to the taxonomic position of the bugs. The metabolites were the high-molecular-compounds combining with amino acids or sugars to some positionof the indole nucleus, suggesting that the bug has a mechanism of detoxicating IAA or a mechanism of preventinf IAA or IAA metabolites from being absorbed into the haemolymph. The significance of the IAA metabolism by the bugs is discussed.