title: OKB, a novel family of brain-gut neuropeptides from insects.
abstract: In insects, neuropeptides play a central role in the control of most physiological processes. The knowledge and characterization of new neuropeptide families, is of interest on the fields of Genetics, Genomics, Neurobiology, Endocrinology and Evolution. This knowledge also provides the tools for the design of peptidomimetics, pseudopeptides or small molecules, capable of disrupting the physiological processes regulated by the signaling molecules and their receptors. This is a promising target for a novel generation of insecticides. Using database searches, mass spectrometry and RACE-PCR, we identified a neuropeptide precursor transcript encoding a new family of insect neuropeptides in the hemipteran Rhodnius prolixus. We named this precursor Orcokinin B, because is originated by the alternative splicing of the Orcokinin gen. EST and genomic data suggests that Orcokinin B is expressed in the nervous system and gut from several insect species, with the exception of Drosophila sp. (Diptera) and Acyirthosiphon pisum (Hemiptera). Mass spectrometry and RT-PCR confirmed the expression of Orcokinin B in brain and anterior midgut of R. prolixus. Furthermore, we identified orthologues of this new family of peptides in genomic and EST databases from Arachnids and Crustaceans.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Genética y Genómica Funcional. Centro Regional de Estudios Genomicos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Av. Calchaquí 5900 4to. piso, 1888, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina. msterkel29@googlemail.com
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sterkel
authors.forename: Pedro L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Urlaub
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hernandez-Martinez
authors.forename: Rolando
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rivera-Pomar
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ons
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012239:Rhodnius / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides