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Characterization of pedicel, paper, and larval silk from nest ofPolistes annularis (L.)

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Abstract

The pedicel, nest paper, and larval silk ofPolistes annularis nests were analyzed by high-resolution solid-state [13C]NMR. The pedicel was found to have a high nitrogen content (11%), and the NMR spectra indicated that it is a mixture of carbohydrate and protein. The pedicel protein has an amino acid composition that is very rich in glycine, alanine, serine, and proline (67% of identified residues), similar to that of some insect silks. Solid-state [13C]NMR indicated that the nest paper is composed predominantly of cellulose. Silk, spun by matureP. annularis larvae, was shown by [13C] NMR and amino acid analysis to be a protein very high in serine and alanine (53%), but the amino acid composition is distinct from that of the pedicel protein.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, 30602, Athens, Georgia

    Karl E. Espelie

  2. Plant Structure and Composition Research Unit Richard B. Russell Agricultural Research Center Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 30613, Athens, Georgia

    David S. Himmelsbach

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  1. Karl E. Espelie
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  2. David S. Himmelsbach
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Espelie, K.E., Himmelsbach, D.S. Characterization of pedicel, paper, and larval silk from nest ofPolistes annularis (L.). J Chem Ecol 16, 3467–3477 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00982111

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