title: Immunohistochemical evidence for the presence of tryptophan hydroxylase in the brains of insects as revealed by sheep anti-tryptophan hydroxylase polyclonal antibody.
abstract: Immediately following the discovery of tryptophan hydroxylase in Drosophila, we demonstrated the presence of tryptophan hydroxylase in the brain of the beetle Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). However, whether tryptophan hydroxylase is present in the brains of other insects is still a matter of discussion. In the current study, sheep anti-tryptophan hydroxylase polyclonal antibody has been applied to test for tryptophan hydroxylase immunoreactivity in a broader taxonomic range of insect brains, including holometabolous and hemimetabolous insects: one species each of Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Blattaria, and two species of Lepidoptera. All species show consistent tryptophan hydroxylase immunoreactivity with distribution patterns matching that of serotonin. The immuno-positive results of such an antibody in brains from diverse orders of insects suggest that specific tryptophan hydroxylase responsible for central serotonin synthesis is probably present in the brains of all insects.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Insect Brain Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, PR China. xuexiangb@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Xuexiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Ximei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Zhifu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yutang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jinbei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Tianyi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jiye
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Chuantao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007313:Insecta / Q000737:chemistry*; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D012756:Sheep / Q000276:immunology; D014365:Tryptophan Hydroxylase / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D012701:Serotonin; D014365:Tryptophan Hydroxylase