Ons Sheila
Laboratory of Insects Neurobiology, National Center for Genomic Studies, Faculty of Exact Sciences, National University of La Plata, Bvd 120 1459, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
J Insect Physiol. 2017 Feb-Mar;97:77-92. doi: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2016.05.003. Epub 2016 May 19.
In the kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus, events such as diuresis, antidiuresis, development and reproduction are triggered by blood feeding. Hence, these events can be accurately timed, facilitating physiological experiments. This, combined with its relatively big size, makes R. prolixus an excellent model in insect neuroendocrinological studies. The importance of R. prolixus as a Chagas' disease vector as much as an insect model has motivated the sequencing of its genome in recent years, facilitating genetic and molecular studies. Most crucial physiological processes are regulated by the neuroendocrine system, composed of neuropeptides and their receptors. The identification and characterization of neuropeptides and their receptors could be the first step to find targets for new insecticides. The sequences of 41 neuropeptide precursor genes and the receptors for most of them were identified in the R. prolixus genome. Functional information about many of these molecules was obtained, whereas many neuroendocrine systems are still unstudied in this model species. This review addresses the knowledge available to date regarding the structure, distribution, expression and physiological effects of neuropeptides in R. prolixus, and points to future directions in this research field.
在吸血猎蝽（Rhodnius prolixus）中，诸如利尿、抗利尿、发育和繁殖等生理过程是由取食血液触发的。因此，这些生理过程能够被精确计时，这有利于开展生理学实验。这一点，再加上其相对较大的体型，使得吸血猎蝽成为昆虫神经内分泌学研究中的一个优秀模型。吸血猎蝽作为恰加斯病的传播媒介以及昆虫模型的重要性，促使人们近年来对其基因组进行测序，从而推动了遗传学和分子学研究。大多数关键的生理过程是由神经内分泌系统调节的，该系统由神经肽及其受体组成。神经肽及其受体的鉴定和特性分析可能是寻找新型杀虫剂作用靶点的第一步。在吸血猎蝽的基因组中鉴定出了41个神经肽前体基因的序列以及其中大多数基因的受体。获得了关于这些分子中许多分子的功能信息，然而在这个模式物种中，许多神经内分泌系统仍未得到研究。本综述阐述了迄今为止关于吸血猎蝽中神经肽的结构、分布、表达和生理效应的已有知识，并指出了该研究领域未来的发展方向。
