Cuticular Proteins in Insects and Crustaceans

Comparisons between crustacean and insect cuticles are hampered by the paucity of cuticular protein sequences for the former. Sufficient complete sequences are available for insect cuticular proteins to allow recognition of conserved motifs and relationships among proteins that reflect the type of cuticle from which they have been extracted. All five sequences from an arachnid and two of 14 from crustaceans have a motif found in the largest group of insect cuticular proteins. Numerous insights have been gained from studying insect cuticular proteins and their genes. These insights have been summarized in hopes of encouraging interest in building on the foundations laid by Dorothy Skinner with the exoskeleton of Gecarcinus.