Lipophorin levels in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, and the effect of feeding

High density lipophorin (HDLp) is the major lipid transport vehicle in insect hemolymph. Using an indirect ELISA, levels of HDLp were measured in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. The level of lipophorin, when normalized to the total weight of the insect, was similar in the different developmental stages. Starvation (access to water only) of adult females did not affect the level of HDLp nor its density when compared to sugar‐fed females. On the other hand, blood feeding (of normally sugar‐fed females) resulted in a three‐fold increase of the HDLp level at 40 h after feeding. This increase was accompanied by a slight but significant increase in the density of HDLp at 24 h after feeding. Ingestion of a lipid‐free protein meal or a lipid‐supplemented protein meal induced changes in HDLp level and density that were comparable to those induced by ingestion of a blood meal. Ingestion of a blood meal, following starvation (access to water only) from the moment of adult emergence, did not induce an increase in HDLp level. The results presented indicate that, in contrast to other insect species, A. aegypti responds to an increased need for lipid transport in the hemolymph by increasing the amount of HDLp. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 34:301–312, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.