咽侧体抑制素（allatostatin, AST）是节肢动物中数量最大的神经肽家族之一。迄今AST对甲壳动物内分泌活动的调节机制尚不清楚。本项目首先确认拟穴青蟹（Scylla paramamosain）三种类型AST及其受体的结构、分布、亲和关系等特性，然后探索这三种类型AST的生理效应和作用途径，特别关注AST对眼柄神经节、蜕皮腺、大颚器、促雄腺内分泌活动以及卵巢发育的影响。在甲壳动物中，本项目首次对三种类型AST的内分泌作用开展全面系统的调查；率先探索神经肽家族之间的作用关系，即AST家族神经肽对眼柄神经肽（CHH超家族、CFSH）合成分泌的影响；也是首次提出AST家族神经肽可能作为卵巢内部的自分泌/旁分泌因子的学术观点。本研究成果有助于阐明甲壳动物AST生物学功能，同时可为甲壳动物养殖技术提供科学依据，具有重要的理论意义和潜在的应用价值。

Allatostatins (AST) are the most abundant neuropeptides in arthropods. So far, there is limited information regarding the regulation mechanism of AST on endocrine activity in crustaceans. Thus, we aim to identify the structure, distribution and affinity of the three types of AST and their receptors from the mud crab (Scylla paramamosain), and further to explore their physiological effects and signaling pathways, in particular, we focus on the effects of AST on the ovarian development and endocrine activities that occur in the eyestalk ganglion, Y-organ, mandibular organ and androgenic gland. This study is the first time to investigate thoroughly the endocrine functions of three types of AST in crustaceans; and explore the endocrine effects between two neuropeptide families, namely the influence of AST family neuropeptides on the other neuropeptides (CHH superfamily, CFSH) synthesized in the eyestalk ganglion. In addition, it is firstly proposed that AST neuropeptides may act as autocrine/paracrine factors in the ovary in crustaceans. Finally, the achievement of this research will contribute to illuminate the biological roles of AST that play in crustaceans and provide scientific guidances for the crustacean aquaculture, which warrants of vital importance both in theory and future applications.