2025-06-25 愛媛大学
走査電子顕微鏡で観察された、モンスズメバチの左翅(羽)と右翅で観察された棘状の毛。左翅の毛には右巻き、右翅の毛には左巻きの構造がみられる。
<関連情報>
- https://www.ehime-u.ac.jp/data_relese/pr_20250625_grc2/
- https://www.ehime-u.ac.jp/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/pr_20250625_grc2.pdf
- https://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2025/CP/D5CP01013F
走査電子顕微鏡法と顕微型振動円二色性分光法により明らかにするモンスズメバチ後翅微細構造の左右非対称性 Left-right Asymmetry in the Microstructure of the Hindwings of European Hornet Revealed by Scanning Electron Microscopy and Microscopic Vibrational Circular Dichroism
Sayako Inoué, Hisako Sato and Akihiko Yamagishi
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics Published:13 Jun 2025
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/D5CP01013F
Abstract
The observation of hornet hindwings using scanning electron microscopy revealed a covering comprised of helically-wound hairs of approximately 10 µm in diameter and 100 µm in length. A strict enantiomeric relationship existed in the area closest to the leading edge of the wings: The hairs on the right wing exhibited left-handedness, whereas those on the left wing exhibited right-handedness. Evaluation of the microscopic vibration circular dichroism spectra indicated that both sides of the wings were mainly comprised of β-sheets. However, the notable difference in the VCD spectral shapes existed between the left and right wings (VCDleft and VCDright, respectively) although their IR psectra were nearly identical. It was suggested from the spectral shape of the difference (VCDleft – VCDright) that the hairs on the left and right hindwings consisted of the α-helical proteins of opposite handedness. This was the first example showing that the organ-level enantiomeric relationship was controlled by the protein secondary structure.
