Role of allatostatin‐like factors from the brain of Tenebrio molitor females

The effect of brain extract from females of freshly emerged Tenebrio molitor on ovary, oocyte development, total protein content of hemolymph, and ovary was studied in 4‐day‐old adult mealworm females. Injections of extracts of 2‐brain equivalents into intact (unligatured) Tenebrio females did not affect ovarian and oocyte development. Injections of ligated females, however, with 2‐brain equivalents on day 1 and 2 after adult emergence strongly inhibited ovarian growth and oocyte development. At day 4, ligated and injected females did not develop their ovaries and pre‐vitellogenic oocytes were not found. The changes in ovarian development correlated with an increase in the concentration of soluble proteins in the hemolymph as compared with the saline‐injected controls. Additionally, a strong reduction of total protein content in ovarian tissue was observed. Reverse phase HPLC separation of a methanolic brain extract of T. molitor females showed that fraction 5 has a similar retention time to synthetic cockroach allatostatin. Fraction 5 was eluted at 12.88 min, which was closest to the internal standard Dippu‐AST I, which eluted at 12.77 min. An ELISA of fraction 5 from the methanolic brain extract using antibodies against allatostatins Grybi‐AST A1 and Grybi‐AST B1 from cricket Gryllus bimaculatus showed that fraction 5 cross‐reacted with Grybi‐AST A1 antibodies. The cross‐reactivity was similar to the synthetic allatostatin from D. punctata, which was used as a positive control. These observations demonstrate a possible role for allatostatin‐like brain factor(s) in regulating the reproductive cycle of Tenebrio molitor. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.