posted on 2017-11-17, 00:00authored byReinhard Predel, Susanne Neupert, Christian Derst, Klaus Reinhardt, Christian Wegener
The bed bug Cimex lectularius is a globally distributed
human ectoparasite with fascinating biology. It has recently acquired
resistance against a broad range of insecticides, causing a worldwide
increase in bed bug infestations. The recent annotation of the bed
bug genome revealed a full complement of neuropeptide and neuropeptide
receptor genes in this species. With regard to the biology of C. lectularius, neuropeptide signaling is especially interesting
because it regulates feeding, diuresis, digestion, as well as reproduction
and also provides potential new targets for chemical control. To identify
which neuropeptides are translated from the genome-predicted genes,
we performed a comprehensive peptidomic analysis of the central nervous
system of the bed bug. We identified in total 144 different peptides
from 29 precursors, of which at least 67 likely present bioactive
mature neuropeptides. C. lectularius corazonin and
myosuppressin are unique and deviate considerably from the canonical
insect consensus sequences. Several identified neuropeptides likely
act as hormones, as evidenced by the occurrence of respective mass
signals and immunoreactivity in neurohemal structures. Our data provide
the most comprehensive peptidome of a Heteropteran species so far
and in comparison suggest that a hematophageous life style does not
require qualitative adaptations of the insect peptidome.