Newly discovered functions for some myotropic neuropeptides in locusts

The field of neuropeptide research in insects during the past twenty years can be characterized by the enormous number of peptides that have been iden tified. In the locusts, Locusta migratoria and Schistocerca gregaria only, structural information is now available for more than 60 peptidies. Quite a number of these peptides were isolated on the basis of their effect on vis ceral muscle contraction in vitro. A very limited number of reports describ e the in vivo' function of a myotropic neuropeptide. Moreover, for most of the brain neuropeptides, we ignore whether they have a hormonal function. I n this paper, we describe the recently discovered in vivo effects of some o f the myotropic peptides, identified in locusts in the past decade. Schisto cerca-neuropeptide F accelerates egg development; locustasulfakinin inhibit s food intake and [His(7)]-corazonin induces body color pigmentation. (C) 2 001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.