Distribution of corazonin and pigment-dispersing factor in the cephalic ganglia of termites.
Distribution of neurones detectable with antisera to the corazonin (Crz) and the pigment-dispersing factor (PDF) was mapped in the workers or pseudergates of 10 species representing six out of seven termite families. All species contained two triads of Crz-immunoreactive (Crz-ir) neurones in the protocerebrum. Their fibres were linked to the opposite hemisphere, formed a network in the fronto-lateral protocerebrum, and projected to the corpora cardiaca (CC); in most species the fibres also supplied the deuto- and tritocerebrum and the frontal ganglion. Some species possessed additional Crz-ir perikarya in the protocerebrum and the suboesophageal ganglion (SOG). The PDF-ir somata were primarily located in the optic lobe (OL) and SOG. OL harboured a group (3 groups in Coptotermes) of 2-6 PDF-ir cells with processes extending to the medulla, connecting to the contralateral OL, forming 1-2 networks in the protocerebrum, and in most species running also to CC. Such a PDF-ir system associated with the OL was missing in Reticulitermes. Except for Mastotermes, the termites contained 1-2 PDF-ir cell pairs in the SOG and two species had additional perikarya in the protocerebrum. The results are consistent with the view of a monophyletic termite origin and demonstrate how the Crz-ir and PDF-ir systems diversified in the course of termite phylogeny.
Závodská
Radka
R
Pedagogical Faculty, University of South Bohemia, Jeronýmova 10, 371 15 Ceské Budejovice, Czech Republic.
Wen
Chih-Jen
CJ
Hrdý
Ivan
I
Sauman
Ivo
I
Lee
How-Jing
HJ
Sehnal
Frantisek
F
D000818:Animals; D005724:Ganglia / Q000378:metabolism*; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020049:Isoptera / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D013045:Species Specificity
D019476:Insect Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D010455:Peptides; C060602:corazonin protein, insect; C027714:melanophore-dispersing hormone