Corazonin

Definition

A highly conserved neuropeptide that regulates cardiac activity, ecdysis, and other physiological processes in insects and other arthropods. Originally isolated from the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) for its cardioacceleratory effects, corazonin is now known to function in diverse roles including pigment modulation, stress responses, and developmental timing across multiple insect orders.

Etymology

From Spanish corazón (heart), reflecting its initial discovery as a heart-accelerating factor in cockroaches.

Example

In the migratory locust Locusta migratoria, corazonin induces dark coloration in gregarious phase individuals while also influencing cardiac output; knockout studies in Drosophila melanogaster demonstrate its role in scheduling the ecdysis sequence.

Synonyms

• Crz

Related Terms

• neuropeptide
• cardioacceleratory peptide
• Ecdysis
• allatostatin
• proctolin
• insect neuroendocrinology
• FMRFamide-related peptides

Usage Notes

Often abbreviated Crz in literature. Distinguished from cardioacceleratory peptide 2b (CCAP) and other cardioactive peptides by its specific 11-amino-acid sequence and receptor specificity. Functions vary considerably across taxa: cardioactive in some species, pigment-regulating in others, with loss-of-function sometimes producing subtle or no visible phenotypes due to functional redundancy.