Corazonin gene expression in the waxmoth Galleria mellonella

We cloned and sequenced a full length cDNA coding for [Arg7]-corazonin in t he greater wax moth Galleria mellonella. The deduced corazonin preprohormon e consists of a nineteen amino acid signal peptide, the actual eleven amino acid corazonin sequence, followed by a Gly serving for amidation, a Lys-Ar g processing site and an eighty amino acid corazonin precursor-related pept ide. The data confirm the phylogenetic conservation of the actual corazonin sequence. The signal peptide and the precursor-related peptide exhibit a s imilar spacing of a few amino acids as detected in the corazonin preprohorm one of Drosophila melanogaster. Northern blots and in situ hybridization ex periments revealed that the G. mellonella corazonin gene is tissue-specific ally expressed in four pairs of lateral neurosecretory cells in the brains of penultimate and last instar larvae, as well as of pupae and adults. No c orazonin mRNA was detected in other cells of the nervous system, fat body, gut, and several other organs.