Identification of myotropic neuropeptides from the brain and corpus cardiacum-corpus allatum complex of the beetle, Zophobas atratus
1Department of Animal Physiology and Development, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
2The Food and Environment Research Agency, Sand Hutton, York, United Kingdom
3Institute of Chemistry, Wroclaw University, Wroclaw, Poland
Abstract
The neuropeptide profiles of the two major neuro-endocrinological organs, brain and retrocerebral complex corpus cardiacum-corpus allatum (CC/CA) of adult beetles, Zophobas atratus Fabricius (Coleoptera:Tenebrionidae) were analyzed by a combination of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight tandem mass spectrometry (MALDI TOF/TOF MS). The homological semi-isolated heart bioassay was used to screen HPLC fractions for myotropic activity in tissues, revealing several cardiostimulatory and cardioinhibitory factors from both the brain and CC/CA. Analysis of HPLC fractions by MALDI-TOF MS identified seven mass ions that could be assigned to other known peptides: leucomyosuppressin (LMS), Tribolium castaneum pyrokinin 2, sulfakinin 1, myoinhibitory peptide 4, a truncated NVP-like peptide, Tenebrio molitor AKH and crustacean cardioactive peptide. In addition, two novel peptides, myosuppressin (pEDVEHVFLRFa), which differs from LMS by one amino acid (E for D at position 4) and pyrokinin-like peptide (LPHYTPRLa) were also identified. To establish cardioactive properties of some of the identified peptides, chemical synthesis was carried out and their activities were tested using the heart bioassay.
Keywords: peptidomics, MALDI-TOF, insects, beetles, pyrokinin, sulfakinin, myosuppressin
Correspondence:
apmarcin@amu.edu.pl,
bneil.audsley@fera.gsi.gov.uk,
ckm@wchuwr.pl,
drosin@amu.edu.pl
Associate Editor: David Schooley was editor of this paper.
Received: 25 September 2009 | Accepted: 9 December 2009 | Published: 17 September 2010
Copyright: This is an open access paper. We use the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license that permits unrestricted use, provided that the paper is properly attributed.
ISSN: 1536-2442 | Volume 10, Number 156
Marciniak P, Audsley N, Kuczer M, Rosinski G. 2010. Identification of myotropic neuropeptides from the brain and corpus cardiacum-corpus allatum complex of the beetle, Zophobas atratus. Journal of Insect Science 10:156, available online: insectscience.org/10.156
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