E. Scharrer - W. Bargmann Memorial Lecture. 1. Brain secretory peptides of the silkmoth Bombyx mori : Prothoracicotropic hormone and bombyxin (H. Ishizaki and A. Suziki). Evolutionary aspects of neuropeptides and their genes. 2. Structure and evolution of insulin and insulin-like growth factors in chordates (S.J. Chan, S. Nagamatsu, Q.-P. Cao and D.F. Steiner). 3. Relationships among the FMRFamide-like peptides (M.J. Greenberg and D.A. Price). 4. Molecular evolution of neurohypophysial hormone precursors (A. Urano, S. Hyodo and M. Suzuki). 5. A vasopressin-related peptide in the mollusc Lymnaea stagnalis : peptide structure, prohormone organization, evolutionary and functional aspects of Lymnaea conopressin (R.E. van Kesteren, A.B. Smit, N.D. de With, J. van Minnen, R.W. Dirks, R.C. van der Schors and J. Joosse). Molecular biology of neuropeptides - Regulation of neuropeptide genes. 6. Models for the study of cell-specific neuropeptide gene expression (S. Wray and H. Gainer). 7. Neuropeptide gene expression in transgenic animals (D. Murphy, H.-L. Ang, Q. Zeng, M.-Y. Ho, J. Funkhauser and D. Carter). 8. Spatiotemporal patterns of transcription factor gene expression accompanying the development and plasticity of cell phenotypes in the neuroendocrine system (L.W. Swanson). 9. Alternative mRNA splicing in the nervous system (J.F. Burke, K.E. Bright, E. Kellet, P.R. Benjamin and S.E. Saunders). 10. Regulation of vasopressin and oxytocin gene expression by estrogen and thyroid hormones (R.A.H. Adan and J.P.H. Burbach). 11. The peptidergic nervous system of coelenterates (C.J.P. Grimmelikhuijzen, D. Darmer, C. Schmutzler, K. Carstensen, H.-P. Nothacker, R.K. Reinscheid, K.L. Rinehart and I.D. McFarlane). 12. Mutant vasopressin precursor producing cells of the homozygous Brattleboro rat as a model for co-expression of neuropeptides (F.W. van Leeuwen). 13. Purification of a new neuropeptide from locust corpus cardiacum which influences ileal transport (N. Audsley, C. McIntosh and J.E. Phillips). Differentiation and development of peptidergic neurons. 14. Molecular genetic analysis of the FMRF-amide-related neuropeptides in Drosophila (P.H. Taghert, M.A. O'Brien, L.E. Schneider and M.S. Roberts). 15. Somatostatin: a putative neurotrophic factor with pleiotropic activity in the rat central nervous system (P. Leroux, B.J. Gonzalez, C. Bodenant, C. Bucharles and H. Vaudry). 16. Topographical displacement of neuropeptide-producing nuclei as an indicator of evolutionary brain development (S. Blahser). Receptors and peptide analogues. 17. Molecular biology of G-protein-coupled receptors (G.J.M. Martens). 18. Strategies in the development of peptide antagonists (V.J. Hruby). 19. Antibodies to neuropeptides as alternatives for peptide receptor antagonists in studies on the physiological actions of neuropeptides (J.W.A.M. van Oers, C. van Bree, A. White and F.J.H. Tilders). Processing, transport and release. 20.