ALLATOSTATIC NEUROPEPTIDES FROM THE COCKROACH BLATTELLA-GERMANICA (L)(DICTYOPTERA, BLATTELLIDAE) - IDENTIFICATION, IMMUNOLOCALIZATION AND ACTIVITY

Four allatostatic neuropeptides were isolated from extracts of the bra in of the cockroach Blattella germanica. The primary structures of the se peptides were assigned as Leu-Tyr-Asp-Phe-Gly-Leu-NH2 (BLAST-1), As p-Arg-Leu-Tyr-Ser-Phe-Gly-Leu-NH2 (BLAST-2), la-Gly-Ser-Asp-Gly-Arg-Le u-Tyr-Ser-Phe-Gly-Leu-NH2 (BLAST-3) and ro-Ser-Ser-Ala-Gln-Arg-Leu-Tyr -Gly-Phe-Gly-Leu-NH2 (BLAST-4). Each of the peptides showed C-terminal amino acid sequence similarity to cockroach allatostatins and blowfly callatostatins. The four peptides inhibited in vitro juvenile hormone production by corpora allata from virgin females of B. germanica. Imm unoreactivity against allatostatins was seen in the lateral neurosecre tory neurons and in the axonal pathway leading to the corpora allata.