Badisco Liesbeth, Claeys Ilse, Van Loy Tom, Van Hiel Matthias, Franssens Vanessa, Simonet Gert, Vanden Broeck Jozef
Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, K.U. Leuven, Belgium.
Gen Comp Endocrinol. 2007 Aug-Sep;153(1-3):64-71. doi: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2007.03.008. Epub 2007 Mar 24.
Different neuroparsin variants were initially identified as anti-gonadotropic peptides from the pars intercerebralis-corpora cardiaca complex of the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria, and further studies revealed the pleiotropic activities of these peptides. Subsequently, additional neuroparsin-like peptides were discovered from other arthropod species. Studies in mosquitoes and locusts suggest that members of this conserved peptide family are involved in the regulation of insect reproduction and can even serve as molecular markers of the fascinating biological process of locust phase transition. Sequence analysis and multiple alignments revealed pronounced sequence similarities between arthropod neuroparsins and the N-terminal, growth factor binding region of vertebrate and mollusc insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBP). This observation led to the hypothesis that neuroparsins might interact with endogenous insulin-related peptides. The present paper gives an overview of several neuroparsin family members that have hitherto been described in insects, as well as of a number of newly identified neuroparsin precursors from other species.
不同的神经肽变体最初是从飞蝗（Locusta migratoria）的脑间叶 - 心侧体复合体中作为抗促性腺肽被鉴定出来的，进一步的研究揭示了这些肽的多效性活性。随后，在其他节肢动物物种中发现了额外的神经肽样肽。对蚊子和蝗虫的研究表明，这个保守肽家族的成员参与昆虫繁殖的调节，甚至可以作为蝗虫相变这一迷人生物学过程的分子标记。序列分析和多重比对揭示了节肢动物神经肽与脊椎动物和软体动物胰岛素样生长因子结合蛋白（IGFBP）的N端生长因子结合区域之间存在明显的序列相似性。这一观察结果引发了神经肽可能与内源性胰岛素相关肽相互作用的假说。本文概述了迄今为止在昆虫中描述的几种神经肽家族成员，以及从其他物种中新鉴定出的一些神经肽前体。
