(A) A 10 #x3BC;g portion of total RNA from midgut at various time points within the sixth larval instar, as indicated, was used. The blot was hybridized with a 32P-labelled SCPx cDNA probe corresponding to the open reading frame. The same blot was stripped and reprobed with 18S rRNA probe. G, W and PP refer to the stages ‘gut purge’, ‘wandering’and ‘prepupa’ respectively that occur before pupation. (B) Western-blot analysis of SCPx protein. Top panel: 100 #x3BC;g of protein from midgut at various time points within the sixth larval instar, as indicated, was used. Bottom panel: Western-blot analysis of the recombinant S. littoralis SCPx protein. Lane 1, proteins from E. coli carrying the pGEX-2T vector without the SCPx cDNA; lane 2, proteins from E. coli carrying the pGEX-2T vector containing the SCPx cDNA without induction of expression; lane 3, proteins from E. coli carrying the pGEX-2T vector containing SCPx cDNA with induction of expression; lane 4, whole extract from C. elegans. The antibody against C. elegans P-44 was used to detect the SCPx protein.