Predel Reinhard, Gäde Gerd
Zoology Department, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa.
Peptides. 2005 Jan;26(1):3-9. doi: 10.1016/j.peptides.2004.10.010.
The primary structures and molecular mass data of neuropeptides that are released from major neuroendocrine sites of the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana, are well known. In the current study we extensively surveyed neuropeptides of the corpora cardiaca, the corpora allata and the abdominal perisympathetic organs, from 14 related cockroach species belonging to the family Blattidae. Mainly, this survey was executed by using mass spectrometric methods (MALDI-TOF MS). Peptides which appeared to be modified, as judged from their mass data and comparison with known data from P. americana, were fragmented by means of the post-source decay technique to determine their amino acid sequence. Single organ preparations sufficed to reveal the peptide pattern in neurohemal organs and to identify species-specific modifications, making it possible to glean information also from tissues of less abundant species that were caught during field trips. The peptide inventory described in this study is very typical of cockroaches of the family Blattidae and clearly separates this taxon from other taxa of cockroaches. The majority of neuropeptides was identical in all investigated species. Some peptides, however, displayed remarkable variations in their sequence which hint to a differential rate of modification among peptides of the same neuropeptide family. These modifications serve to distinguish further relatedness of taxa within the Blattidae.
从美洲大蠊（Periplaneta americana）主要神经内分泌部位释放的神经肽的主要结构和分子量数据已为人熟知。在本研究中，我们广泛调查了14种属于蜚蠊科的相关蟑螂物种的心侧体、咽侧体和腹部交感神经器官中的神经肽。主要通过质谱方法（基质辅助激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱，MALDI - TOF MS）进行此项调查。根据其质量数据以及与美洲大蠊已知数据的比较判断，那些似乎经过修饰的肽，通过源后衰变技术进行片段化，以确定其氨基酸序列。单一器官制备足以揭示神经血器官中的肽谱并识别物种特异性修饰，这使得从野外捕获的数量较少的物种的组织中也能收集到信息成为可能。本研究中描述的肽库是蜚蠊科蟑螂非常典型的特征，并且清楚地将这个分类单元与其他蟑螂分类单元区分开来。在所有被调查的物种中，大多数神经肽是相同的。然而，一些肽在其序列中显示出显著差异，这暗示同一神经肽家族的肽之间存在不同的修饰速率。这些修饰有助于进一步区分蜚蠊科内分类单元的亲缘关系。
