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Myoinhibitory peptides in the central complex of the locust Schistocerca gregaria and colocalization with locustatachykinin‐related peptides

The central complex in the brain of insects provides a neural network for sensorimotor processing that is essential for spatial navigation and locomotion and plays a role in sleep control. Studies on the neurochemical architecture of the central complex have been performed especially in the fruit fly Drosophila melangoaster and the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria. In several insect species, myoinhibitory peptides (MIPs) are involved in circadian control and sleep‐wake regulation. To identify neurons that might underlie these functions, we investigated the distribution of MIPs in the central complex of the locust. In silico transcript analysis suggests the presence of eight different MIPs in the desert locust. Through immunolabeling, we identified five systems of central‐complex neurons that express MIP‐like peptides. Two systems constitute columnar neurons of the protocerebral bridge and the lower division of the central body, while the other three systems are columnar neurons (two systems) and tangential neurons (one system) of the upper division of the central body. The innervation pattern and cell count of two systems of columnar neurons revealed the existence of 18 instead of 16 columns of the protocerebral bridge. Immunostaining of preparations containing intracellularly stained single cells allowed us to further specify subtypes of labeled columnar neurons. Double‐label experiments showed that three systems of MIP‐immunostained columnar neurons are also locustatachykinin‐immunoreactive. No colocalization was found with serotonin immunostaining. The data provide novel insights into the architecture of the locust central complex and suggest that MIPs play a prominent role within the central‐complex network.