INVESTIGADORES
RIVERA-POMAR Rolando
artículos
Título:
OKB, a novel family of brain-gut neuropeptides from insects
Autor/es:
STERKEL, M; OLIVEIRA, P; URLAUB H,; HERNÁNDEZ-MARTÍNEZ, S; RIVERA POMAR R; ONS, SHEILA
Revista:
INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Editorial:
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
Referencias:
Año: 2012 vol. 42 p. 466 - 473
ISSN:
0965-1748
Resumen:
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.