Profiling the peptides in two neurohemal organs, the sinus gland and lateral nervous plexus of terrestrial isopods (Crustacea), by mass spectrometry

A comparison was made of the ultrastructure of two neurohemal organs: the s inus gland and the lateral nervous plexus of the Oniscidea (Crustacea). Rev erse-phase chromatography clearly showed that the two organs contain differ ent neuropeptides. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flig ht mass spectrometry proved to be an efficient tool for detecting the molec ules stored in a single freshly dissected neurohemal organ. All the results combined lead us to emphasize that the sinus gland of Oniscidea stores mai nly crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH) and vitellogenin-inhibiting horm one; these two hormones were not characterized in the lateral nervous plexu s (LNP). Smaller peptides and other molecules of the CHH family might be re leased by the LNP in the vicinity of the Y-organ (the ecdysteroid-producing gland).