AUTHOR=Lismont Els , Vleugels Rut , Marchal Elisabeth , Badisco Liesbeth , Van Wielendaele Pieter , Lenaerts Cynthia , Zels Sven , Tobe Stephen S. , Vanden Broeck Jozef , Verlinden Heleen 

TITLE=Molecular cloning and characterization of the allatotropin precursor and receptor in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neuroscience

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2015

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2015.00084

DOI=10.3389/fnins.2015.00084

ISSN=1662-453X

ABSTRACT=<p>Allatotropins (ATs) are pleiotropic neuropeptides initially isolated from the tobacco hornworm, <italic>Manduca sexta</italic>. In 2008, the first receptor for AT-like peptides (ATR) was characterized in <italic>Bombyx mori</italic>. Since then, ATRs have also been characterized in <italic>M. sexta</italic>, <italic>Tribolium castaneum</italic>, <italic>Aedes aegypti</italic> and <italic>Bombus terrestris</italic>. These receptors show sequence similarity to vertebrate orexin (ORX) receptors. When generating an EST-database of the desert locust (<italic>Schistocerca gregaria</italic>) central nervous system, we found cDNA sequences encoding the <italic>Schgr</italic>-AT precursor and a fragment of its putative receptor. This receptor cDNA has now been completed and functionally expressed in mammalian cell lines. Activation of this receptor, designated as <italic>Schgr</italic>-ATR, by <italic>Schgr</italic>-AT caused an increase in intracellular calcium ions, as well as cyclic AMP (cAMP), with an EC<sub>50</sub> value in the nanomolar range. In addition, the transcript distribution of both the <italic>Schgr</italic>-AT precursor and <italic>Schgr</italic>-ATR was investigated by means of quantitative real-time PCR. Moreover, we found more evidence for the myotropic and allatostimulatory actions of <italic>Schgr</italic>-AT in the desert locust. These data are discussed and situated in a broader context by comparison with literature data on AT and ATR in insects.</p>