The association and involvement of FMRFamide-related peptides with the digestive system in Locusta migratoria L.
Published: 2005
Language: eng
Number of pages: 259
Description: This study investigates the possible roles of FMRFamide-related peptides (FaRPs) in the digestive system of the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria . FMRFamide-like immunoreactive (FLI) processes are associated with all regions of the locust gut. Processes from the stomatogastric nervous system extend over the surface of the foregut, gastric caecae, and anterior midgut, while processes projecting from the proctodeal nerve extend over the surface of the posterior midgut and hindgut. Putative FLI proprioceptive multipolar cells are found on the surface of the posterior foregut. Both open and closed type endocrine-like cells, a subset of midgut epithelial cells, contain FLI material.High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) purification and MALDI-TOF MS/MS sequencing of FLI peptides from locust gut extracts reveal that there are at least two FaRPs associated with the locust gut: a locust myosuppressin, SchistoFLRFamide (Locmi-MS; PDVDHVFLRFamide); and a novel extended RFamide (L/IWENL/IRFamide). Further characterization of SchistoFLRFamide identifies a partial transcript sequence for this locust myosuppressin. The phylogenetic analysis of myosuppressin sequences collected from the literature and databases reveals conserved gene and prepropeptide structures. These analyses have lead to the identification of the most conserved regions of the myosuppressin transcript, and therefore provide a more comprehensive description of myosuppressins that will prove useful in the attempt to obtain the full SchistoFLRFamide transcript.
Notes: Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Toronto, 2005.

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Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 66-06, Section: B, page: 3001.