Postembryonic localization of allatotropin- and allatostatin-producing cells in central nervous system of the silk moth Bmobyx mori

Polyclonal antisera to Manduca sexta allatotropin and allatostatin were uti lized to localize allatotropin- and allatostatin-immunoreactivities in the central nervous system of larvae, pupae and adults from the silk moth Bomby x mori. In larva the first allatotropin-immunoreactivity appeared in the br ain and terminal abdominal ganglion of first instar larva. In the third, fo urth and fifth instar larvae, there was allatotropin-immunoreactivity in th e suboesophageal ganglion, three thoracic ganglia, and eight abdominal gang lia with immunoreactivity in some axons of N 1 and N 2. Allatostatin-immuno reactivity, which could be not demonstrated in the first and second instar larvae, appeared first in the brain and suboesophageal ganglion of the thir d instar larva. Allatostatin-immunoreactive cells increased to seven pairs in brain of the fifth instar larva. in which immunreactivity also appeared in eight abdominal ganglia. Allatotropin- and allatostatin-immunoreactive c ell bodies in the brain projected their axons into corpora allata without t erminations in the corpora cardiaca. During pupal and adult stages, brains had no allatotropin-immunoreactivity in the brains, but most ventral gangli a contained allatotropin-immunoreactive cells. There was allatostatin-immun oreactivity in the brains of the 5- and 7-day-old pupae and adult and suboe sophageal ganglion of the 7-day-old pupa.