ALTERATION IN THE PROTEIN PATTERN OF THE COWPEA WEEVIL CALLOSOBRUCHUS MACULATUS TREATED WITH GAMMA RAYS

This study investigated the effect of gamma rays on the protein patterns of Callosobruchus maculatus as well as the total protein concentration.Exposure of adult females and males of C. maculatus to doses of 80 and 100 Gy increased the number of protein fractions, where one band was commonly detected in both naturally and artificially sterile males. It might be a protein fraction associated with the male sterility.Adult females of C. maculatus irradiated with different doses at various immature stages showed different electrophoretic patterns of proteins as compared to the normal. Females irradiated as two days old egg were appeared to be the most highly affected by irradiation.Adult males of C. maculatus irradiated with different doses during their different developmental immature stages showed different protein patterns as compared to the adult control males. The most highly affected case of irradiated male was that of the males emerged from pupae irradiated with 40 Gy.The appearance of extra bands in irradiated samples might be due to the increase in protein synthesis after exposure of some insects to irradiation by increasing the level of free amino acids while the disappearance of other bands might be attributed to their breakdown or suppression during synthesis.As the proteins and the nucleic acid contents are involved in sexual maturation of the insects in general, thus, one can deduce that any induced damage to those materials might affect the growth and maturation of the germ cells causing the sterility of the insect.