COMPARISON OF THE CHROMATOPHOROTROPIC ACTIVITY OF INSECT CORPORA CARDIACA WITH THAT OF CRUSTACEAN SINUS GLANDS

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Abstract
The American cockroach, Periplaneta americana, was used to determine the source of substances in the insect head possessing chromatophoro-tropic properties. Using isolated pieces of integument of Cambarus bearing red and white chromatophores as the test material, the corpora cardiaca were found the sources of a very powerful substance effecting conc. of crayfish red chromatophores. This tissue was still effective when extracted in 80,000,000 times its vol. of salt soln. Qualitatively this gland differed from crustacean sinus gland in not possessing also a white pigment-dispersing action such as occurred in the latter gland. Dilution expts. showed roughly the same rate of loss of effectiveness upon red pigment with dilution for both sinus glands and corpora cardiaca. The red concentrating principles might not differ for the 2 glands. Of the tissues tested, white pigment concentrating material was found only in extracts of frontal ganglia and the brain while such material was absent from extracts of the thoracic ganglia. The corpora allata extracts possessed no chromato-phorotropic activity.

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