Identification and functional characterization of allatostatin neuropeptides and their cognate receptors

管理加拿大林业和农业中的虫害问题是加拿大的一个关键经济、健康和环境问题。用更环保的生物处理方法取代目前的化学控制措施是基于对生物体生物学的了解。例如，昆虫在成长过程中如何从一种形态转变为另一种形态？是什么控制着雌性的产卵方式？来自大脑的化学信号是如何控制成熟和繁殖的。是什么控制了昆虫在停留在一个地方觅食或长途旅行之间的选择。是什么控制着生物体的年龄？所有这些问题的答案在一定程度上与被称为荷尔蒙的化学物质有关。具体地说，保幼激素(JH)负责将昆虫保持在幼年阶段。如果昆虫血液中的JH含量很高，昆虫就不会从一种形式变成另一种形式(例如，毛毛虫不会变成蝴蝶)。如果雌性成虫体内存在JH，卵就会成熟。昆虫血液中的JH水平控制着其他昆虫的行为，如迁徙和衰老。如果我们能够了解改变昆虫血液中JH水平所需的所有步骤，我们就可以抑制害虫的产卵，从而开发出一种环境安全的杀虫剂。培训新的替代控制战略方面的高素质人员对这一事业至关重要。

Managing the insect pest problem in Canadian forestry and agriculture is a key economic, health and environmental issue for Canada. Replacing current chemical controls with more environmentally benign biological treatments is based on understanding the biology of the organism. For example, how do insects change from one form to another as they grow? What controls how females produce eggs? How do chemical signals from the brain control maturation and reproduction. What controls an insect's choice between staying in one location to feed or travel long distances. What controls the age of an organism? The answer to all of these questions is related, in part, to chemicals known as hormones. Specifically, juvenile hormone (JH) is responsible for keeping an insect in a young stage. If the amount of JH is high in an insect's blood, the insect will not change from one form to another (for instance, a caterpillar won't transform into a butterfly). If JH is present in female adults, eggs will mature. The level of JH in the insect blood controls other insect behaviours, such as migration and aging. If we could understand all the steps that are required to change the level of JH in the insect blood, we could inhibit egg production in insect pests, leading towards an environmentally safe insect control agent. Training of high quality personnel in new alternative control strategies is vital to this cause.