Role of lipophorin in lipid transport to the insect egg

Lipid accounts for 40% of the dry weight of a mature Manduca sexta egg. Less than 1% of the total egg lipid is derived from de novo synthesis by the follicles. The remaining egg lipid originates in the fat body and is transported to the ovary by lipoproteins. Vitellogenin, the major egg yolk lipoprotein, accounts for 5% of the total egg lipid. The remaining 95% lipid is attributable to the hemolymph lipophorins, adult high density lipophorin (HDLp-A) and low density lipophorin (LDLp). When HDLp-A that is dual labeled with 3H in the diacylglycerol fraction and 35S in the protein moiety is incubated with follicles in vitro, the ratio of 3H:35S in the incubation medium does not vary and is similar to the ratio of the labels that are associated with the follicles. In an accompanying paper (Kawooya, J. K., Osir, E. O., and Law, J. H. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 8740-8747), we show that HDLp-A is sequestered by the follicles without subsequent hydrolysis of its apoproteins. These results, together with those presented in this paper, support our conclusion that HDLp-A is not recycled back into the hemolymph after it is internalized by the follicles and, therefore, does not function as a reusable lipid shuttle between the fat body and the ovary. When follicles are incubated with dual labeled LDLp, the diacylglycerol component of the particle is internalized by the follicles without concomitant endocytosis of its associated apoproteins. This LDLp particle is the major vehicle by which lipid is delivered to the ovary.