Anti-Head-Peptide

Antisera to FMRFamide often only need the last two amino acids (RFamide) for recognition. In insects the FMRFamide-related peptides (FaRPs) are grouped into different families, which are expressed from different precursor genes: the FMRFamides), the myosuppressins, the sulfakinins and the head peptides. A crossreactivity of the anti-head peptide serum to the other FaRPs is visible, but the pattern of the head peptide immunoreactivity from brain, ventral nerve cord, midgut and antenna-heart (Fig 1, 2) is different to tested RF-amide sera (FMRFamide, anti-Perisulfakinin).