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Corazonin and corazonin-like substances in the central nervous system of the Pterygote and Apterygote insects

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Abstract

Antisera against corazonin were used to investigate distribution of immunoreactive cells in the central nervous system (CNS) of representatives of six insect orders: Ctenolepisma lineata (Zygentoma), Locusta migratoria (Orthoptera), Oxya yezoensis (Orthoptera), Gryllus bimaculatus (Orthoptera), Pyrrhocoris apterus (Hemiptera), Arge nigrinodosa (Hymenoptera), Athalia rosae (Hymenoptera), Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera) and Anomala cuprea (Coleoptera). Corazonin-like immunoreactive (CLI) cells were detected in the brain and ventral ganglia of all insects studied except for the albino strain of L. migratoria and the beetle A. cuprea. Implantation of the brain or different ganglia from insects with detected immunoreactivity induced dark coloration in the albino locust, providing further evidence for the presence of authentic corazonins [His7- and Arg7-isoforms] in these insects. The protocerebral lateral neurosecretory cells projecting into the ipsilateral retrocerebral neurohemal organs and bilateral longitudinal tracts extending and branching throughout the entire CNS seem to be a well-conserved part of the corazonin system in insects. The bilateral longitudinal tracts were formed by species-specific numbers of bilateral interneurons segmentally distributed in the ventral ganglia. Additional immunoreactive somata, mostly interneurons, were detected in the CNS of various insects. The distribution of corazonin in the cephalic neurosecretory system and in the bilateral interneurons suggests that corazonin acts as a hormone as well as a neurotransmitter or a neuromodulator. An ancient origin of corazonin is suggested by the presence of a corazonin-like substance in the primitive insect, C. lineata. These results support previous findings on the common occurrence of corazonin among insects, except for the albino strain of L. migratoria and the Coleoptera.

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Fig. 1A–E.
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Fig. 4A–E.
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Abbreviations

ADS:

approximate diameter of soma

AG(1,-7):

abdominal ganglia (unfused abdominal neuromeres)

Br:

brain

N1–5:

lateral segmental nerves

NCC1+2:

(medial) nerve 1+2 of corpus cardiacum

NCC2:

nerve 2 of corpus cardiacum

SOG:

subesophageal ganglion

TAG:

terminal abdominal ganglion

TG(1, 2, 3):

thoracic ganglia (unfused thoracic neuromeres)

TG3+AG1–3:

fused metathoracic and abdominal ganglia 1–3

TG2–3+AGn:

terminal ganglion of P. apterus

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr. D. Žitňan (Bratislava) for methodical advice on whole-mount immunohistochemistry and critical comments on the manuscript, Prof. Dr. J. Veenstra (France) for kindly providing antibody against corazonin, and Ms. F. Yukuhiro and Dr. T. Kotaki (IIAS) for technical advice. Laboratory assistance was kindly provided by Ms. N. Kemmochi, Ms. S. Ogawa and Ms. H. Ikeda (IIAS). We also thank Dr. T. Kotaki, Dr. Y. Hirai and Dr. M. Hatakeyama (IIAS) for supplying the insects C. lineata, A. cuprea and A. rosae, respectively. The grasses used for locust rearing were raised by the Field Management Section of IIAS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Insect and Animal Sciences (IIAS), Tsukuba, 305-8634, Ibaraki, Japan

    Ladislav Roller, Yoshiaki Tanaka & Seiji Tanaka

  2. Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská 9, 84506, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Ladislav Roller

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  1. Ladislav Roller
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  2. Yoshiaki Tanaka
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  3. Seiji Tanaka
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Correspondence to Ladislav Roller.

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This study was partly supported by the Science and Technology Agency (STA fellowship, ID No. 200146), Japan

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Roller, L., Tanaka, Y. & Tanaka, S. Corazonin and corazonin-like substances in the central nervous system of the Pterygote and Apterygote insects. Cell Tissue Res 312, 393–406 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-003-0722-4

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