Neuropeptides as regulators of sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis in arthropods

保幼激素(JH)是大多数昆虫从幼虫到成虫的体型变化(变态)和产卵(繁殖)的主要调节因子。JH必须在适当的时间存在，以刺激幼虫特征的保留或卵的生长。如果没有它，这些过程就不会发生。因此，在不适当的时间出现JH会扰乱昆虫的正常功能。我的实验室一直专注于在包括蟑螂、飞蛾和苍蝇在内的害虫物种中开启和关闭JH产生的天然化合物，我们的主要重点是负责关闭JH产生的化合物。我们已经发现了一系列被称为Alatostatins的多肽(氨基酸短链)，它们能够抑制JH的产生。我们最近的一些工作是针对这些多肽的模拟物的开发，这些多肽能够抵抗分解并能够扰乱鸡蛋生产。为此，我们还一直在寻找其他害虫物种(如苍蝇)中JH产生的更多合成抑素调节剂，因为目前我们对此类化合物的了解主要限于蟑螂。蟑螂体内有许多相关的抑制素，但我们知道它们与其他害虫物种(如飞蛾和苍蝇)中的不同。这意味着，类似物具有高度的特异性，只作用于一小部分昆虫，通过调整特定的多肽模拟物，使其只作用于特定的物种，就有可能利用这种特异性。我们的工作还集中在allatostins的受体上，这是负责翻译allatostatin信号的细胞关键，因为这些分子必须存在于昆虫的组织中，才能允许它们对allatostins做出反应。受体的表达可能允许农化工业寻找更多抑制JH产生的化合物。我们亦正研究龙虾、虾和蟹等甲壳类动物中与JH有关的化合物，以期找出甲壳类动物繁殖的调节因素和控制其生产的多肽。通过促进生长和繁殖，这些信息可能被证明对龙虾、蟹和虾的商业水产养殖有价值。

Juvenile hormone (JH) is the primary regulator of both the change in body form from larva to adult (metamorphosis) and the production of eggs (reproduction) in most insect species. JH must be present at appropriate times to stimulate the retention of larval characters or the growth of eggs. In its absence, these processes do not occur. Therefore the presence of JH at inappropriate times will disrupt the normal functioning of the insect. My laboratory has focused on the natural compounds that turn JH production on and off in pest species including cockroaches, moths and flies, with our major emphasis on the compounds responsible for turning JH production off. We have discovered a family of peptides (short chains of amino acids) termed allatostatins that are able to inhibit the production of JH. Some of our recent work has been directed to the development of mimics of these peptides that are resistant to breakdown and able to disrupt egg production. To this end, we have also been searching for additional allatostatin regulators of JH production in other pest species such as flies, since at present our knowledge of such compounds is largely confined to cockroaches. There are many related allatostatins in cockroaches but we know that these differ from those in other pest species such as moths and flies. This implies that allatostatins are highly specific, acting only on a narrow range of insects and it may be possible to exploit this specificity, by tailoring specific peptide mimics to act only on specific species. Our work has also focused on the receptors for allatostatins, the cellular keys responsible for the translation of the allatostatin signal since these molecules must be present in the insect's tissues to permit them to respond to the allatostatins. Expression of the receptors may permit the agrochemical industry to search for additional compounds that suppress JH production. We are also studying the JH-related compounds in the crustaceans, including lobster, shrimp and crab, with a view to identifying the regulators of crustacean reproduction and the peptides controlling their production. Such information may prove valuable to commercial aquaculture of lobster crab and shrimp, through the enhancement of growth and reproduction.