Structure of neurosecretory cells with immunoreactive diapause hormone and pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide in the silkworm, Bombyx mori

Immunocytochemistry of diapause hormone (DH) or pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN) revealed three clusters of neurosecretory cells present on the ventral midline of the suboesophageal ganglion (SG) of the silkworm: there were 4 cells in the anterior, 6 cells in the medial, and 2 cells in the posterior cluster. Intracellular injection of Lucifer Yellow into an anterior or a medial cell revealed that the cell has a dendritic arborization at the anterior region of the SG and that it projects an axon to the corpus cardiacum (CC) via a branch of the maxillary nerve and an associated nerve of the CC (NCC-V). A dye filled posterior cell in the larva projects bilaterally-symmetric dendritic branches to the anterior half of the SG that is to expand laterally to fuse the brain after pupation. The axon of the cell, passing through the brain, enters the NCC3 to spread varicose terminal branches in the CC and associated nerves of the CC.