Representative MALDI-TOF mass spectrum of a single anterodorsal ganglionic sheath preparation of abdominal ganglion-2 (neurohemal release site of CAPA-peptides) of an adult Tribolium. The direct mass spectrometric screening of nervous tissues may provide reproducible semiquantitative data. Note the different abundances of the expressed capa peptides. CAPA-PVK-1, which is present with a number of truncated/extended forms, has a lower signal intensity than CAPA-PVK-2; CAPA-pyrokinin is not detectable at all. Lower panel shows the annotated sequence with thick gray lines for the peptides determined in the mass spectrometric analysis as shown in the upper panel. Underlines are for putative mature peptides containing C-terminal -PRX motifs, and the letters with gray backgrounds are canonical signals for amidations and/or basic cleavages. Putative signal peptide is boxed.
