Determination of Cellular Nucleic Acid Content in Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Using Microfluorometric Assay

Publisher： Entomological Society of America

ISSN： 1938-2901

Source： Annals of the Entomological Society of America, Vol.64, Iss.4, 1971-07, pp. : 972-973

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Abstract

Aedes aegypti (L.), the yellowfever mosquito, is one of the best known insects from the standpoint of both basic and applied science. This species has been used as a test animal for many physiological, developmental, genetical, biochemical, and behavioral studies. However, the amount of DNA per cell of this mosquito has not been precisely determined to date. Based on the premise that DNA is located almost entirely within the nucleus and is constant in amount (Boivin et al. 1948, Mirsky and Ris 1949, Allfrey et al. 1955, Davidson 1969), a microfluorometric assay of cellular nucleic acid content was made. Quantitative determination of DNA in individual cells by microfluorometry has proved to be very effective (Ruch and Bosshard 1963; Bosshard 1964; Ruch 1965, 1966). It has been found to be more sensitive than absorption methods, and measurements are not influenced by uneven distribution of materials. Also, errors caused by light scattering are much smaller than in absorption photometry.