Insect neuropeptides regulating substrate mobilisation

Insect capa neuropeptides impact desiccation and cold tolerance.

The success of insects is linked to their impressive tolerance to environmental stress, but little is known about how such responses are mediated by the neuroendocrine system. Here we show that the capability (capa) neuropeptide gene is a desiccation- and cold stress-responsive gene in diverse dipteran species. Using targeted in vivo gene silencing, physiological manipulations, stress-tolerance...

Interactions of selected insect neuropeptides with synthetic lipids.

Interactions of the insect neuropeptide proctolin (Arg-Tyr-Leu-Pro-Thr), its [beta-cyclohexyl-(4-O-methyl)2]-L-alanine analog, and the leucopyrokinin [2-8]-fragment (Thr-Ser-Phe-Thr-Pro-Arg-Leu-NH2), with synthetic phospholipids (DPPC, DMPE, DMPG) were studied using the microcalorimetric method. Most pronounced changes of the lipid thermotropic behavior were observed with DMPG/leucopyrokinin [2...

Crosstalk between Sensory Neuropeptides Regulating Heterotopic Ossification in Tendon

Comparison of rates of penetration through insect cuticle of amphiphylic analogs of insect pyrokinin neuropeptides.

Rates of penetration through the cuticle of amphiphylic analogs, synthesized by addition of 6-phenylhexanoic acid or 9-fluoreneacetic acid or 1-pyrenebutyric acid to the amino terminus of the pentapeptide Phe-Thr-Pro-Arg-Leu-amide, were assessed by quantitative analysis using reversed phase liquid chromatography. The analogs effectively penetrated the cuticle of both the adult American cockroac...

Fusion proteins containing neuropeptides as novel insect contol agents: snowdrop lectin delivers fused allatostatin to insect haemolymph following oral ingestion.

The mannose-binding lectin from snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis agglutinin: GNA), when fed to insects, binds to the gut epithelium and passes into the haemolymph. The potential for GNA to act as a carrier protein to deliver an insect neuropeptide, Manduca sexta allatostatin (Manse-AS), to the haemolymph of lepidopteran larvae has been examined by expressing a GNA/Manse-AS fusion protein (FP) in Esc...