- 著者
- Hironori ISHIZAKI
- 出版者
- The Japan Academy
- 雑誌
- Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B (ISSN:03862208)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- vol.80, no.5, pp.195-203, 2004 (Released:2004-09-03)
- 参考文献数
- 43
- 被引用文献数
- 7 11
Molecular characterization of the brain secretory peptides, PTTH and bombyxin, of Bombyx mori is reviewed. PTTH is a 30-kDa homodimeric glycoprotein, the monomer of which consists of 109 amino acids. Two monomers are held together by a disulfide bond. cDNA and gene coding for PTTH were cloned and the precursor protein for PTTH monomer was deduced. A novel 5-kD brain secretory peptide named bombyxin has been discovered from Bombyx brain. Bombyxin is highly homologous to vertebrate insulin-family peptides and possesses the prothoracicotropic activity when injected into brain-removed pupae of a heterologous moth, Samia cynthia ricini, though inactive to Bombyx from which it was derived. cDNA and gene coding for bombyxin were cloned, preprobombyxin protein was deduced, and posttranslational processing to generate mature bombyxin was suggested. The Bombyx genome contains highly multiple copies of the gene coding for bombyxins. Immunohistochemically, PTTH- and bombyxin-producing brain neurosecretory cells were identified. (Communicated by Saburo TAMURA, M.J.A.)