Postembryonic localization of allatotropin- and allatostatin-producing cells in central nervous system of the silk moth Bmobyx mori

Polyclonal antisera to Manduca sexta allatotropin and allatostatin were utilized to localize allatotropin- and allatostatin-immunoreactivities in the central nervous system of larvae, pupae and adults from the silk moth Bombyx mori. In larva the first allatotropin-immunoreactivity appeared in the brain and terminal abdominal ganglion of first instar larva. In the third, fourth and fifth instar larvae, there was allatotropin-immunoreactivity in the suboesophageal ganglion, three thoracic ganglia, and eight abdominal ganglia with immunoreactivity in some axons of N 1 and N 2. Allatostatin-immunoreactivity, which could be not demonstrated in the first and second instar larvae, appeared first in the brain and suboesophageal ganglion of the third instar larva. Allatostatin-immunoreactive cells increased to seven pairs in brain of the fifth instar larva, in which immunreactivity also appeared in eight abdominal ganglia. Allatotropin- and allatostatin-immunoreactive cell bodies in the brain projected their axons into corpora allata without terminations in the corpora cardiaca. During pupal and adult stages, brains had no allatotropin-immunoreactivity in the brains, but most ventral ganglia contained allatotropin-immunoreactive cells. There was allatostatin-immunoreactivity in the brains of the 5- and 7-day-old pupae and adult and suboesophageal ganglion of the 7-day-old pupa.