Abstract:

The decapeptide TMOF is ecstatic when introduced too
early in a gonotrophic cycle of the female mosquito Aedes
aegypti. The possibility that Aedes-TMOF derived synthetic
peptides and peptide-mimics may affect egg development
through modulating trypsin biosynthesis was evaluated in
the mosquito, A. aegypti and the stable fly, Stomoxys
calcitrans. Besides a search for
similar in properties to the Aedes-TMOF was done on the
stable fly. Biological activity in Aedes-TMOF peptides and
peptide mimics varied from being toxic to oostatic to
ineffective and was directly related to trypsin
availability in the guts of such treated insects.
to mosquitoes and A7 and A5 were slightly oostatic to
acid and carboranylalanine amidated to the N-terminal of
relationship was observed between oostatic activity and
trypsin modulating properties of these compounds. A stable
fly ovary-derived factor was also found which had oostatic
and trypsin modulating properties to mosquitoes and trypsin
modulating activity to stable flies. Oostatic activity with
the Aedes-TMOF synthetic peptides was inconsistent in
flies stable and not attributable to trypsin modulation as
their Trypsin-like enzyme levels remained more or less
constant through over 5-7 days, over five blood meals
egg batch.
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required to mature an
the TMOF-A were oostatic to mosquitoes. A direct
stable flies. Peptides A4 and A6 were toxic to mosquitoes
Synthetic peptides A, A5, A7, B and B2 were oostatic
and also stable flies. Peptide mimics with pyrene-butyric