THE ADIPOKINETIC HORMONE RED PIGMENT-CONCENTRATING HORMONE PEPTIDE FAMILY - STRUCTURES, INTERRELATIONSHIPS AND FUNCTIONS

Peptides isolated from the corpora cardiaca of different insect species and belonging to the adipokinetic hormone/red pigment-concentrating hormone family have different functions. They are involved in lipid (adipokinetic hormones) and carbohydrate (hypertrehalosaemic hormones) release and activate fat body glycogen phosphorylase. Up to now 14 of these peptides are sequenced, and the primary structures of these uncharged, N- and C-terminally blocked octa-, nona- or decapeptides share some common features. The peptide family is one of the largest known in nature. The review will also discuss structure-activity relationships and some evolutionary trends. © 1990.