title: Drosophila melanogaster flatline encodes a myotropin orthologue to Manduca sexta allatostatin.
abstract: We identified a Drosophila melanogaster gene encoding a peptide that dramatically decreases spontaneous muscle contractions and, correspondingly, named the peptide flatline (FLT). This gene consisted of 4 exons and was cytologically localized to 32D2-3. Processing of a predicted 122 amino acid precursor would release pEVRYRQCYFNPISCF that differs from Manduca sexta allatostatin (Mas-AST) by one amino acid, Y4-->F4. FLT does not act as an allatostatin. In situ tissue hybridization further suggests FLT is a novel brain-gut peptide and specifically, the measured activity indicates that it is a potent myotropin. Despite its profound myotropic effect, pupae injected with FLT eclosed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Queen's University, K7L 3N6, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Mitchell D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: Janna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Merte
authors.forename: Ruthann
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Koladich
authors.forename: Stephen S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Tobe
authors.forename: William G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Bendena
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D017344:Genes, Insect; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007814:Larva / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D018402:Manduca / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: C467326:AstC protein, Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; C076523:allatostatin