The effects of Calliphora vomitoria Tachykinin-I and the FMRFamide-related peptide Perisulfakinin on female Phormia regina crop contractions, in vitro

The dipteran crop is an elaborate diverticulation of the foregut that serves as an important food reservoir and feeding regulator. Peptidergic innervation has been associated with the crop of the blow fly Phormia regina and myotropic neuropeptides have been previously demonstrated to affect crop contraction rates, in vitro. The blow fly peptide, callitachykinin-1 was found to increase the rate of contractions and alter the contractile morphology of the P. regina crop, in vitro. The cockroach peptide perisulfakinin, however, had no measurable affect on crop contractions.