Abstract
Insect sulfakinins are pleiotropic neuropeptides with the homology to vertebrate gastrin/cholecystokinin peptide family. They have been identified in many insect species and affect different metabolic processes. They have a strong influence on feeding and digestion as well as on carbohydrate and lipid processing. Our study reveals that sulfakinins influence fatty acids composition in Zophobas atratus oenocytes and regulate insulin-like peptides (ILPs) level in these cells. Oenocytes are cells responsible for maintenance of the body homeostasis and have an important role in the regulation of intermediary metabolism, especially of lipids. To analyze the lipid composition in oenocytes after sulfakinins injections we used gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry and for ILPs level determination an immunoenzymatic test was used. Because sulfakinin peptides and their receptors are the main components of sulfakinin signaling, we also analyzed the presence of sulfakinin receptor transcript (SKR2) in insect tissues. We have identified for the first time the sulfakinin receptor transcript (SKR2) in insect oenocytes and found its distribution more widespread in the peripheral tissues (gut, fat body and haemolymph) as well as in the nervous and neuro-endocrine systems (brain, ventral nerve cord, corpora cardiaca/corpora allata CC/CA) of Z. atratus larvae. The presence of sulfakinin receptor transcript (SKR2) in oenocytes suggests that observed effects on oenocytes lipid and ILPs content may result from direction action of these peptides on oenocytes.
Highlights
Sulfakinins (SKs) are insect neuropeptides that display sequence homology with the vertebrate gastrin/cholecystokinin peptide family (Nachman et al 1986b)
Considering the unknown role of sulfakinins in insect oenocytes and engagement of sulfakinin signaling in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, we aimed to analyze the effect of sSK and nsSK on fatty acids profiles and insulin-like peptides (ILPs) level in oenocytes of feeding larvae of Zophobas atratus beetle
We have examined the role of sSK and nsSK on the changes in fatty acids profiles in oenocytes of Z. atratus and determined the insulin-like peptides level in oenocytes after the hormones injections (Fig. 8)
Summary
Sulfakinins (SKs) are insect neuropeptides that display sequence homology with the vertebrate gastrin/cholecystokinin peptide family (Nachman et al 1986b). Members of the SKs family have been identified in various insects, Communicated by G. The first peptide hormone of this family was isolated from the cockroach, Leucophea maderae (Nachman et al 1986b). This peptide increased frequency of spontaneous contractions of cockroach hindgut, and sulfated tyrosine was reported to be required for this activity. Sulfated sulfakinins affect other physiological functions: foregut (Maestro et al 2001) and heart contractions (Nichols et al 2009), food intake (Meyering-Vos and Muller 2007; Nachman et al 2005; Wei et al 2000; Yu et al 2013), digestion (Harshini et al 2002; Nachman et al 1997; Zels et al 2015)
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