FMRFAMIDE-LIKE IMMUNOREACTIVITY IN THE ISOLATED, IN-VIVO CULTURED VENTRAL GANGLION OF THE FLY, SARCOPHAGA-BULLATA (PARKER) (DIPTERA, SARCOPHAGIDAE)

The influence of peripheral connectivity on the survival and different iation of Phe-Met-Arg Phe-amide-like immunoreactive (FLI) neurons in t he ventral ganglion (VG) of the fly Sarcophaga bullata (Diptera: Sarco phagidae) was examined. Isolated larval VG were cultured in vivo for 1 3 days. The ganglia had undergone metamorphosis and resembled and situ metamorphosed VG in morphology and in the number and location of FU n eurons. The 3 pairs of large thoracic FLI neurons survived and became translocated to the midventral position extending immunoreactive axons into the dorsal neuropil. The 5 pairs of small FLI neurons also appea red de novo in the abdominal ganglion. However, the dorsal neural shea th of the cultured VG was devoid of FMRFamide-like immunoreactivity th at was so characteristic of adult VG, which suggests the importance of peripheral connectivity for the metamorphic modification of FLI neuro ns.