Leads for insect neuropeptide mimetic development.

Insect neuropeptides mediate a number of physiological processes critical for insect survival. The numerous neuropeptide sequences that have been reported present an opportunity to decipher the chemical and conformational requirements for neuropeptide-receptor interactions. Chemical and conformational requirements for activity represent a "template" from which agonist/antagonist peptide mimetics, with the potential to disrupt critical insect processes, can be developed. Information on structural requirements is presented for three neuropeptide families: the sulfakinins, pyrokinins, and leucokinin/achetakinins, including active core size, important side chains, peptide superagonists, and new data on pseudopeptide modification of the N- and C-terminal regions. Members of these peptide families have been associated with a variety of physiological activities such as myotropism, pheromonotropism, diapause induction, and diuresis in a number of insects. Spectroscopic data coupled with computer molecular dynamics/graphics studies on conformationally restricted analogs of insect neuropeptides reveal information on the active conformation adopted at the receptor site. Routes to development of peptide-mimetics from neuropeptide templates are discussed.