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Allatostatin-like immunoreactivity in the abdomen of the locust Schistocerca gregaria

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Abstract

A polyclonal antibody against allatostatin 1 (AST-1) of cockroach Diploptera punctata was used to investigate the distribution of AST-like immunoreactivity within the abdomen of the locust, Schistocerca gregaria. In the abdominal ganglia, AST-like immunoreactivity was found in both cell bodies and neuropile. In ganglia 6 and 7, staining was found in serial homologous cell bodies in anterior dorsolateral and dorsomedial, and posterior ventrolateral and ventromedial locations. In the terminal ganglion, the numerous immunoreactive somata were smaller in size than those in the unfused ganglia. The combination of backfill experiments with immunocytochemistry showed that, in abdominal ganglion 7, one neuron of the ventromedian cell body cluster and two of the ventrolateral cluster innervated the oviduct, which itself was covered with a dense mesh of AST-immunoreactive varicosities. Combining electron microscopy with immunohistochemistry revealed AST-like immunoreactivity in dense-core vesicles located in neurohaemal-like terminals lacking structures normally found in synapses. A mesh of AST-immunoreactive varicosities was also found on the muscles of the spermatheca and the spermathecal duct. In addition, a mesh of strongly stained varicosities was present in the distal perisympathetic organs (neurohaemal organs in the abdomen) and on the lateral heart nerves (a putative neurohaemal release zone). These data indicate that AST is an important neuroactive substance that is probably involved in multiple tasks in the control of the locust abdomen.

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Abbreviations

AG6:

abdominal ganglion 6

AG7:

abdominal ganglion 7

AST:

allatostatin

AST-ir:

allatostatin-like immunoreactive

BSA:

bovine serum albumin

DL:

dorsolateral

DM:

dorsomedian

dPSO:

distal perisympathetic organs

LHN:

lateral heart nerves

NGS:

normal goat serum

PBS:

sodium phosphate buffer saline

TG:

terminal ganglion

VL:

ventrolateral

VM:

ventromedian

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Biologie, Fachbereich Biologie, Chemie, Pharmazie, -Neurobiologie-, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Strasse 28/30, 14195, Berlin, Germany

    Petra Skiebe, Jana Börner & Hans-Joachim Pflüger

  2. Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Moscow State University, 119899, Moscow, Russia

    Natalia M. Biserova

  3. Institute of Problems in Information Transmission, Russian Academy of Science, 101447, Moscow, Russia

    Varvara Vedenina

Authors
  1. Petra Skiebe
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  2. Natalia M. Biserova
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  3. Varvara Vedenina
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  4. Jana Börner
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  5. Hans-Joachim Pflüger
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Correspondence to Hans-Joachim Pflüger.

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Skiebe, P., Biserova, N.M., Vedenina, V. et al. Allatostatin-like immunoreactivity in the abdomen of the locust Schistocerca gregaria . Cell Tissue Res 325, 163–174 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-006-0169-5

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