Callitachykinin I and II, two novel myotropic peptides isolated from the blowfly, Calliphora vomitoria, that have resemblances to tachykinins.

Two peptides, related to the locust myotropic peptides locustatachykinin I-IV, were isolated from the blowfly Calliphora vomitoria. Whole, frozen flies were used for extraction with acidified methanol. A cockroach hindgut muscle contraction bioassay was used for monitoring fractions during subsequent purification steps. A series of eight different high performance liquid chromatography column systems was required to obtain optically pure peptides. Two peptides were isolated and their sequences determined by Edman degradation and confirmed by mass spectrometry and chemical synthesis as APTAFYGVR-NH2 and GLGNNAFVGVR-NH2. They were named callitachykinin I and II. The peptides have sequence similarities to the locustatachykinins and vertebrate tachykinins. Both callitachykinins were recognized by an antiserum to locustatachykinin I in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests and callitachykinin II was additionally recognized by an antiserum to the vertebrate tachykinin kassinin, suggesting that immunolabeling of blowfly neurons with these antisera is due to neuronal callitachykinins.