Drosophila melanogaster myotropins have unique functions and signaling pathways

Drosophila melanogaster TDVDHVFLRFamide (DMS), SDNFMRFamide, and pEVRFRQCYFNPISCF (FLT) represent three structurally distinct peptide families. Each peptide decreases heart rate albeit with different magnitudes and time-dependent responses. DMS and FLT are expressed in the crop and decrease crop motility; however, SDNFMRFamide expression and effect on the crop has not been reported. These data suggest the peptides have different physiological roles. The peptides have non-overlapping expression patterns in neural tissue, which suggests different mechanisms regulate their synthesis and release. The structures, expression patterns, and activities of the myotropins suggest they have important but different roles in biology and different signaling pathways.