Two actions of juvenile hormone on the follicle cells of Rhodnius prolixus Stål

Abstract

The follicular epithelium of vitellogenic oocytes from allatectomized females of Rhodnius fails to develop large intercellular spaces when exposed to juvenile hormone (JH) in vitro. This suggests that in the normal animal, the follicle cells require JH at two developmental stages. Differentiation of the cells in the presence of JH represents one requirement, and only those cells which have undergone this initial priming are fully competent to exhibit the second response, the development of intercellular spaces.