Figure 3

Influence of pH on the proteolytic profile from the four larval instars and pupae of Culex quinquefasciatus . L1, first instar larva; L2, second instar larva; L3, third instar larva; L4, fourth instar larva. Enzymatic activity was evaluated after incubation of the gels at 37°C for 2 h in 100 mM sodium acetate (pH 3.5 or 5.5) and 100 mM Tris–HCl (pH 7.5 or 10.0). The numbers in the middle indicate the apparent molecular masses of the peptidases, expressed in kDa.