High impact information on IFa

• The neuropeptide SIFamide modulates sexual behavior in Drosophila [1].
• The role of SIFamide in adult courtship behavior in both sexes was studied using two different approaches to perturb the function of SIFamide; targeted cell ablation and RNA interference (RNAi) [1].
• Here, we have identified the Drosophila gene (CG10823) coding for the SIFamide receptor [2].
• The identification of well-conserved SIFamide receptor orthologues in all other insects with a sequenced genome, suggests that the SIFamide/receptor couple must have an essential function in arthropods [2].
• An alignment of the five insect SIFamide or SIFamide-like receptors showed, again, an impressive sequence conservation (67-77% amino acid sequence identities between the seven-transmembrane areas; 82-87% sequence similarities) [2].

Biological context of IFa

• Database searches revealed SIFamide receptor orthologues in the genomes from the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae, the silkworm Bombyx mori, the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, and the honey bee Apis mellifera [2].

Other interactions of IFa

• Among the 38 sequenced peptides, some originate from precursors, such as the tachykinin and the IFamide precursor that were entirely missed in the first study [3].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of IFa

• The expression of Drosophila neuropeptide AYRKPPFNGSIFamide (SIFamide) was shown by both immunohistology and in situ hybridization to be restricted to only four neurons of the pars intercerebralis [1].

References