Overview: Progress in Insect Neurochemistry

Abstract

Great progress has been made in the area of neurochemistry since the last International Conference on Insect Neurochemistry and Neurophysiology three years ago. In 1986 only about 10 fully characterized insect peptides were known; today, there are over 40 known structures. New techniques and instrumentation used in the isolation of peptides and for determination of their structure by dedicated scientists were primarily responsible for this progress. David Schooley in his plenary lecture highlighted problems associated with peptide isolation and possible solutions to some of these problems. He emphasized that new, simple and reliable bioassays are an integral part of the isolation process. Bioassays are also very important to establish the biological role of newly discovered neuropeptides. We are now at a transition point where a shift in emphasis from identification of the peptides themselves to more emphasis on studies of the role of peptides in various physiological processes and on the isolation and identification of specific genes coding for these peptides is becoming evident.