title: Analysis of peptides in the brain and corpora cardiaca-corpora allata of the honey bee, Apis mellifera using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.
abstract: The neuropeptide profiles and diversity of the brain and retrocerebral organs (corpora cardiaca-corpora allata; CC-CA) of adult workers of the honey bee Apis mellifera carnica (dark European strain) were investigated using a combination of HPLC and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) with post-source decay (PSD) and collision-induced dissociation (CID) fragmentation. Using evidence from genomic sources, including BLAST searches of the honey bee genome, comparisons with other species and de novo sequencing by PSD and CID fragmentation, a total of 13 mass ions could be assigned to peptides predicted from the A. mellifera genomic database. Peptides positively identified were A. mellifera tachykinin-related peptides 3 and 4 (APMGFQGMRa; APMGFYGTRa) and leucomyosuppressin (pEDVDHVFLRFa). Peptides tentatively identified were A. mellifera tachykinin-related peptides 2 and 5 (ALMGFQGVRa; ARMGFHGMRa), A. mellifera allatostatins 2, 3 and 4 (GRDYSFGLa; RQYSFGLa; GRQPYSFGLa), A1-SIFamide (AYRKPPFNGSIFa), Q1-leucomyosuppressin (QDVDHVFLRFa) and A. mellifera pyrokinins PK 1, PK 2 and Q1-PK 2 (TSQDITSGMWFGPRLa; pEITQFTPRLa; QITQFTPRLa). Allatostatins, tachykinin-related peptides and A1-SIFamide were not detected in CC-CA extract, which appears to contain predominantly leucomyosuppressin, Q1-leucomyosuppressin, PK 1, PK 2, Q1-PK 2 and some unidentified masses. No ion signal was detected that would correspond to the hypertrehalosaemic peptide (=Manse-AKH), which has been isolated from the Italian race of the honey bee (A. mellifera ligustica), but not from A. mellifera carnica.
authors.affiliation: Central Science Laboratory, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ, UK.
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Audsley
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Weaver
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003335:Corpora Allata / Q000737:chemistry; D007301:Insect Hormones / Q000737:chemistry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000737:chemistry; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
chemical_list: D007301:Insect Hormones; D009479:Neuropeptides; D009842:Oligopeptides; D011498:Protein Precursors; C079229:pyrokinin; C066148:phenylalanyl-leucyl-arginyl phenylalaninamide