| Popis: |
We compiled a comprehensive list of 67 precursor genes encoding neuropeptides and neuropeptide-like peptides using the Schistocerca gregaria genome and several transcriptome datasets. 11 of these 67 precursor genes have alternative transcripts, bringing the total number of S. gregaria precursors identified in this study to 81. Based on this precursor information, we used different mass spectrometry approaches to identify the putative mature, bioactive peptides processed in the nervous system of S. gregaria. The thereby generated dataset for S. gregaria confirms significant conservation of the entire neuropeptidergic gene set typical of insects and also contains precursors typical of Polyneoptera only. This is in striking contrast to the substantial losses of peptidergic systems in some holometabolous species. The neuropeptidome of S. gregaria, apart from species-specific sequences within the known range of variation, is quite similar to that of Locusta migratoria and even to that of less closely related Polyneoptera. With the S. gregaria peptidomics data presented here, we have thus generated a very useful source of information that could also be relevant for the study of other polyneopteran species. The authors would like to thank Evelien Herinckx for taking care of the locust rearing facility at KU Leuven. We thank Christian Frese, Astrid Wilbrand-Hennes, Jan Krueger and Ursula Cullman (CECAD Cologne Proteomics Facility) for the Orbitrap MS analyses, Tobias Schulze (Biocenter Cologne) for IT support, and Marek Franitza and Janine Altmüller for transcriptome sequencing at Cologne Center for Genomics. This work was supported by grants from the Special Research Fund of KU Leuven [grant numbers C14/15/050, C14/19/069], the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme [grant number 634361 to RP and to JVB], and the Research Foundation of Flanders (FWO) [G0F2417N, G090919N] to JVB. |
