D. Martin et al., INHIBITION OF VITELLOGENIN PRODUCTION BY ALLATOSTATIN IN THE GERMAN-COCKROACH, Molecular and cellular endocrinology, 121(2), 1996, pp. 191-196
Allatostatins with a typical YXFGL-amide C-terminus constitute a neuro
peptide family, which was discovered because of its inhibitory action
on insect juvenile hormone synthesis. In the search for possible new f
unctions for allatostatins we focused our attention on the fat body. O
ur previous studies on the cockroach Blattella germanica suggested the
occurrence of factors terminating vitellogenesis, and the hypothesis
here was that allatostatins might be one of these factors. Our experim
ents have shown that allatostatin impaired vitellogenin release in fat
bodies incubated in vitro, and that this effect appears to be mediate
d by the inhibition of vitellogenin glycosylation. Fluvastatin also in
hibited vitellogenin release, and mevalonolactone counteracted the inh
ibitory effects of allatostatin. These results suggest that allatostat
in acts upon the mevalonate pathway and synthesis of dolichol, which w
ould explain the inhibition of vitellogenin glycosylation. We finally
conclude that allatostatins may effectively contribute to the terminat
ion of the vitellogenic cycle in B. germanica.