• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.12-18
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• 1994

The prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH) produced by the neurosecretory cells in insects is involved in molting and metamorphosis by activating the prothoracic frins) glands to secrete ecdysone (or related ecdvsteroidsl. In the present study, the small PTTH-like gene was isolated by screening of CDNA library using the bombvxin (corresponding to small PTTH in Bombvx moril gene probe in Drosophilo melonogaster. It showed 50-6096 sequence homology to bombyxin gene. The expression patterns of this gene showed developmental stage- and tissue-dependent manners. The mRNA was detected only in the late third instar larval-prepupa which is stases showing the highest hormonal activity to secrete ecdysteroids, and detected in the brain pan of the Isle third instar lanrae.