Innervation of the foregut of the cockroach Leucophaea maderae and inhibition of spontaneous contractile activity by callatostatin neuropeptides

Abstract. The innervation of the gut of the cockroach Leucophaea madera (F.) has been studied by means of wholemount immunocytochemistry with antisera raised against Leu-callatostatin, a cockroach allatostatin homologue identified from neuropeptide isolation and gene studies in the blowfly Calliphora vomitoria. Leu-callatostatin-imunoreactive neurones in the brain, with axon trajectories in the stomatogastric nervous system, innervate the foregut and midgut. Neurones in the last abdominal ganglion supply the hindgut and the midgut via the proctodeal nerve. In addition to a rich callatostatin-immunoreactive nerve supply, the midgut, including the midgut caeca, contain numerous callatostatin-immunoreactive endocrine cells. Physiological studies show that the spontaneous contractile activities of the foregut, but not the hindgut, are inhibited by callatostatin neuropeptides. Leu-callatostatin 3 was the most potent of the range of Leu-and Met-callatostatins tested, with a dose-dependent response between 10^-13 and 10^-7 M. This is similar to the results obtained with the previously identified myoinhibitory peptide of L. maderae , leucomyosuppressin. However, this peptide, with a different type of structure to the allatostatins, inhibits both foregut and hindgut motility equally. Experiments with a series of analogues of the Met-callatostatins showed that the free acid (as opposed to the carboxyamidated peptide) and N-terminally truncated peptides were inactive. These morphological and physiological results are thought to be representative of the, as yet unidentified, naturally occurring allatostatin homologues of L. maderae. This family of peptides should be added to the increasing list of insect gut myoinhibitory substances.