Crustacean red pigment-concentrating hormone Panbo-RPCH affects lipid mobilization and walking activity in a flightless bug Pyrrhocoris apterus (Heteroptera) similarly to its own AKH-peptides

• Main Authors: Radomír SOCHA, Dalibor KODRÍK, Rostislav ZEMEK
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Science 2007-10-01
• Series: European Journal of Entomology
• Subjects: adipokinetic hormone; panbo-rpch; peram-cah-ii; locomotion; lipid mobilization; females; flightless; macropterous; pyrrhocoris apterus
• Online Access: https://www.eje.cz/artkey/eje-200704-0007_Crustacean_red_pigment-concentrating_hormone_Panbo-RPCH_affects_lipid_mobilization_and_walking_activity_in_a_fl.php
• ISSN: 1210-5759; 1802-8829

In the present study we tested whether the walking activity of macropterous females of the flightless wing-polymorphic bug Pyrrhocoris apterus (L.) can be stimulated by its native adipokinetic hormone Peram-CAH-II and the crustacean red pigment-concentrating hormone (Panbo-RPCH), and the effectiveness of the latter hormone in a lipid mobilization assay. Two different doses (10 or 40 pmol) of Peram-CAH-II or Panbo-RCPH were injected into 10-day-old macropterous females of P. apterus to evaluate their effects on the walking activity of treated females. The results obtained showed a significant stimulation of walking activity only with the lower dose (10 pmol) of either hormone Peram-CAH-II or Panbo-RPCH. On the contrary, the walking activity of the same-aged females of macropterous morph treated with the higher dose (40 pmol) of these hormones was decreased. The energy substrates mobilized in Panbo-RPCH-treated macropterous females were lipids. The question of whether the stimulation of locomotion by Panbo-RPCH is limited only to P. apterus or if it might also represent an important function of this hormone in other insects or even in crustaceans is discussed.