The evolutionary origins of hormones, neurotransmitters, and other extracellular chemical messengers: implications for mammalian biology

Ontogeny of the serotonergic system in the rat: serotonin as a developmental signal

The serotonergic system is an early forming component of the CNS circuitry, beginning its development on gestational days 11-12 in the rat. Owing to its early presence in the embryonic nervous system, 5-HT has been proposed to act as a developmental signal for receptive cells. In vivo and in vitro evidence that 5-HT can influence both biochemical and morphological differentiation of raphe neurons and receptive target cells suggests that this neurotransmitter may have an organizing function in the developing nervous system which involves effects on neurite outgrowth and other aspects of neuronal differentiation, including synaptogenesis. Such functions may be mediated by a variety of 5-HT receptors located on both neuronal and non-neuronal cells. The apparent function of 5-HT as a differentiation signal in the developing nervous system raises important issues regarding the use of psychoactive serotonergic drugs by pregnant women, since these drugs may act as neural teratogens in the unborn child.

The migration of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) neurons from the medial olfactory placode into the medial basal forebrain

Over the years, investigators have noticed, in a wide variety of species of vertebrates, large numbers of cells migrating from the olfactory placode to the forebrain. These cells were considered to be Schwann cells or ganglion cells of the terminalis nerve. Recently, immunocytochemical localization studies have shown that many of these migrating cells contain luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH), a brain peptide that regulates reproductive functions by evoking the release of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone from the anterior pituitary gland. The origin of LHRH cells in the epithelium of the medial olfactory placode, their migration across the nasal septum and into the forebrain, with branches of the terminalis nerve, also a derivative of the medial part of the olfactory placode, has led to some interesting speculations, from evolutionary and physiological perspectives, about the origin of these cells and the role of the terminalis nerve in their migration.

gamma-Aminobutyric acid uptake by a bacterial system with neurotransmitter binding characteristics

gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), an amino acid, has been found in every class of living organisms. In higher organisms, GABA is a neurotransmitter and binds with high affinity and specificity to GABA receptors on neurons in a sodium-independent reaction that is saturable. The role of GABA in organisms lacking nervous tissue is not known. This report describes, in a strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens, a GABA uptake system with binding characteristics like those of the GABA (type A) brain receptor. The binding was saturable and specific for GABA, was sodium-independent, was of high affinity (Km = 65 nM), and was inhibited competitively by muscimol, a potent GABA analogue. The bacterial GABA system included a homogeneous binding site, and no cooperative interaction was found between sites. To our knowledge, such a system for GABA, or other neurotransmitters, in a bacterium has not been reported.

17-beta-estradiol increases mitogenic activity of medium from cultured preadipocytes of massively obese persons

Having reported that omental preadipocytes from massively obese persons release into the culture medium proteins mitogenic for preadipocytes, this study aimed to determine whether estrogens contribute to the production of these factors. Sub-cultured omental preadipocytes from 13 massively obese women were grown in the presence or absence of 17-beta-estradiol, and during the last 24 h the conditioned medium was prepared in the absence of serum. Media from cells of 8 of 13 subjects contained significantly higher mitogenic activity when grown in the presence of 17-beta-estradiol. 17-Alpha-estradiol was not effective. The bioassay system involved rat perirenal preadipocytes, since these have been well characterized. Partial purification by gel filtration chromatography indicated that the estrogen-dependent factors had Mr greater than 250,000 and approximately 30,000. Thus, estrogens might contribute to the development of massive obesity in genetically susceptible subjects by promoting the production of paracrine/autocrine principles by adipose cells.

Induction of hormone receptor formation in the unicellular Tetrahymena

Studies based on treatment with antibodies to thyrotropic hormone, luteotropic hormone, growth hormone or adrenocorticotropic hormone have shown that although the unicellular Tetrahymena does not possess sui generis receptors to all polypeptide hormones, such binding structures may arise, or become established in the membrane of the unicellular Tetrahymena in the presence of exogenous hormone. The Tetrahymena subjected to hormonal imprinting still contained an increased amount of hormone after six generation changes, which suggested that either hormone production had been induced by treatment, or the internalized hormone had not been degraded intracellularly. Thus the role of hormonal imprinting in receptor formation has also been substantiated by the immunocytochemical approach used in the present study.

Humoral factors released during trauma of Aplysia body wall. I. Body wall contraction, cardiac modulation, and central reflex suppression

1. Mechanical or electrical stimulation of isolated sections of body wall produced contractions that were graded with the intensity of the stimulus. Injury of body wall with shallow incisions produced extremely persistent contractions. 2. Long-lasting contraction of isolated body wall was also produced by brief application of "stimulated body wall wash" (SBW), sea water which was first washed through another section of body wall subjected to intense mechanical or electrical stimulation. Contractions were produced by SBW diluted to concentrations as low as 1% of the initial concentration. Contractions produced by prolonged application of SBW showed little fatigue, tachyphylaxis, or desensitization. 3. SBW caused contraction of isolated sections of body wall from all regions of the body, including tail, parapodia, siphon, purple gland, rhinophores, and anterior tentacles. SBW also caused contraction of isolated lateral columellar muscle and of the gill. 4. 30 mM CoCl2 blocked the release of contractile factors into electrically stimulated body wall and reduced but did not abolish contractile responses of unstimulated body wall to perfused SBW. SBW contractions were unchanged by disconnection of the perfused tissue to the CNS. 5. Hemolymph collected from the neck of an intact donor following strong electrical stimulation of the tail or excision of a parapodium ('stimulated hemolymphh, SHL) caused long-lasting contractions which were larger than those produced by control hemolymph (CHL) collected prior to stimulation of the donor. 6. Similarities between body wall contractions produced by SHL and by SBW, including their occurrence in 30 mM CoCl2, suggest that some of the contractile activity in SHL may be directly released from traumatized body wall. 7. SHL caused significantly greater cardioacceleration of the isolated heart than did CHL. Similarities between the cardioacceleration produced by SHL and by SBW suggest that a source of cardiac activity in SHL may be traumatized body wall. 8. SBW suppressed the gill-withdrawal reflex when applied selectively to the sheathed or desheathed abdominal ganglion. SBW-induced suppression was associated with significant reduction of evoked spike activity in identified gill motor neurons. SHL collected 1-2 h after noxious stimulation caused weak but significant suppression of the gill-withdrawal reflex when applied to the fully sheathed abdominal ganglion.

Cellular and molecular mechanisms of drug dependence

The molecular and cellular actions of three classes of abused drugs--opiates, psychostimulants, and ethanol--are reviewed in the context of behavioral studies of drug dependence. The immediate effects of drugs are compared to those observed after long-term exposure. A neurobiological basis for drug dependence is proposed from the linkage between the cellular and behavioral effects of these drugs.

The insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) receptor of rat brain: regional distribution visualized by autoradiography

The presence of insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) in brain and cerebral spinal fluid prompted us to investigate the distribution of receptors for this peptide in rat brain slices. Human 125I-IGF-II (10 pM) was incubated for 16 h at 4 degrees C with thaw-mounted slices of rat brain from 11 different brain regions. Incubations in the absence or presence of excess unlabeled human IGF-II or insulin were performed and the labeled tissues were exposed to X-ray film for 4-7 days. Autoradiographs showed dense labeling in the granule layers of the olfactory bulbs, deep layers of the cerebral cortex, pineal gland, anterior pituitary, hippocampus (CA1-CA4, and dentate gyrus), and the granule cell layers of the cerebellum. Unlabeled IGF-II eliminated most of the binding in these brain regions while insulin produced only a minimal reduction in the amount of 125I-IGF-II bound. These results indicate that a neural receptor for IGF-II is uniquely distributed in rat brain tissue supporting the notion that this peptide might play an important role in neuronal functioning.

Neuroendocrine modulation of the immune system. Possible implications for inflammatory bowel disease

Evidence for neuroendocrine regulation of the immune system is reviewed. This includes human clinical studies of the influence of psychological stress on immune function, direct experimentation in animals, including classical Pavlovian conditioning of the immune response, modulation of immune function in vitro by chemical messengers such as neuropeptides, the finding of receptors for neuropeptides on immunocytes, and the demonstration that lymphoid tissue is directly innervated. Secretory products of the immune system, which include interleukins and neuropeptides, may also influence the neuroendocrine system. Communication between the two systems is therefore bidirectional. The potential importance of the neuropeptide-immunocyte interaction within the intestinal mucosal immune system is emphasized, and its possible relevance in inflammatory disorders is discussed. This aspect of the "gut-brain" interaction deserves further study.

A role for elevated plasma corticosterone in modulation of host response during infection with Trichinella pseudospiralis

Suppression of host inflammatory response in mice infected with Trichinella pseudospiralis was associated with host plasma corticosterone levels significantly higher than those seen in uninfected mice or in mice infected with T. spiralis. Increases in the population of mitochondria and depletion of lipid droplets in cells of the zona fasciculata were seen in the adrenals of mice infected with T. pseudospiralis. Elevations in enteritis, myositis and myocarditis accompanied 100% mortality in adrenalectomized mice infected with T. pseudospiralis, while lower levels of inflammation and no mortality were observed in sham operated or intact animals infected with this parasite. The severe myositis normally accompanying infection with T. spiralis was suppressed by concurrent infection with 1000 or 2000 T. pseudospiralis to levels equivalent to those seen in animals receiving 0.15 and 0.41 mg cortisone acetate/25 g mouse/day, respectively.

The influence of acute hyperinsulinemia on the insulin-related material in brain, testis, liver, and kidney

Insulin-related material was measured in acid ethanol extracts of brain, testis, liver, and kidney from adult rats acutely injected with insulin or saline. Insulin injection resulted in a twofold to threefold increase in plasma insulin during a two-hour period after injection. Plasma glucose was greatly depressed. Insulin injection had no effect on the insulin-related material in most areas of brain (cerebral cortex, olfactory bulbs, and medial hypothalamus) and the cerebrospinal fluid; lateral hypothalamus was an exception and paradoxically exhibited a decrease of this material. The testis insulin-related material was unaffected; purification of the testis extracts using the C18 Sep pak method revealed no further difference between the animals. In liver, the insulin-related material was not significantly different in the control and the insulin-injected group; however, we found a significant correlation between this material and plasma insulin within the insulin-injected group. In contrast, insulin injection resulted in an important increase in kidney insulin-related material that paralleled the change in plasma insulin. Thus, like chronic experiments, acute hyperinsulinemia revealed that the insulin-related material was largely independent from blood insulin in tissues that exhibit very different insulin uptake from the blood; kidney appeared to be an exception.

Studies of hormone evolution. Can non-hormone oligopeptides induce a functional imprinting?

Certain non-hormone oligopeptides have a greater imprinting effect on Tetrahymena than others. The imprinting potential is unrelated to the length of the peptide chain, but seems greatly dependent on the amino acid sequence. The direct growth-stimulant action developed by the peptides at the first interaction is unrelated to their imprinting effect.

Identification and initial characterization of adipokinetic hormone-like immunoreactive peptides of rat origin

An antiserum was raised to adipokinetic hormone (AKH), a 10-amino-acid-residue peptide found in the arthropod Locusta migratoria. The antiserum demonstrated not only immunocytochemical reaction with some other arthropod species, but also stained many areas of the rat CNS, certain islet cells of the pancreas, and some anterior pituitary cells. The pattern of staining was unlike that for any known rat neuropeptide or hormone. With the antiserum used as the detection system, HPLC and high-voltage electrophoresis yielded two peptides that were purified to homogeneity from rat hypothalamic median eminence. These peptides have unique amino acid compositions, indicating they may be heretofore unknown rat neuropeptides.

Antibodies to bacterial vaccines demonstrating specificity for human choriogonadotropin (hCG) and immunochemical detection of hCG-like factor in subcellular bacterial fractions

Investigations were done to determine whether vaccines prepared with chemically killed Staphylococcus haemolyticus RU1 and Streptococcus bovis AV46 (bacteria that have been demonstrated to express human choriogonadotropin [hCG]-like material on their surface) elicited antibodies in rabbits with specificity for hCG determinants. In addition, the anatomical locus of the hCG-like factor was determined by separation of bacterial subcellular fractions. The results demonstrated that these bacterial vaccines elicited antibodies immunologically similar to those antibodies produced in response to the whole human trophoblastic hormone, a similarity extending even to cross-reactivity with human luteinizing hormone. The bacterial hCG-like material appeared to be localized in the membranes of the cell wall, and most was present in the soluble membranous and cytoplasmic constituents. Its expression in bacteria was a strain characteristic and not a species characteristic.

Reovirus infection in adult mice: the virus hemagglutinin determines the site of intestinal disease

Reovirus type 1, strain Lang, and type 3, strain Dearing, induced site-specific intestinal lesions in the adult mouse after intravenous inoculation. Reovirus type 1 caused inflammation and epithelial changes such as loss of nuclear polarity, villus blunting and crypt hyperplasia restricted to the ileum. In contrast, reovirus type 3 induced duodenitis, jejunitis, and ulcerative colitis. In the duodenum and jejunum, the epithelial cells appeared normal, but hemorrhage and inflammation in the lamina propria was present. In the colon, superficial ulceration, crypt abscesses, and intraluminal hemorrhage was observed. Segregation analysis using reassortant clones derived from reoviruses 1 and 3, suggested the viral hemagglutinin, encoded by genome segment S1, to be the major viral determinant of site specific intestinal disease following intravenous inoculation.

Structure-activity relationships of the yeast alpha-factor

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae produces a peptide pheromone, termed the alpha-factor, as a prelude to sexual conjugation. Haploid MAT alpha-cells, but not haploid MAT a-cells or MAT a/alpha-diploids, produce this tridecapeptide of the structure: Trp-His-Trp-Leu-Gln-Leu-Lys-Pro-Gly-Gln-Pro-Met-Tyr. Structural analogues of the alpha-factor have been prepared with alterations in many of the residues, derivatized peptides have been synthesized, and truncated and elongated peptides have been studied. These peptides have been analyzed for their biological activities by various assays. Mutants of S. cerevisiae have been isolated that do not respond to alpha-factor or are supersensitive to the pheromone and its analogues. The mating system of S. cerevisiae provides a powerful model in which genetics, biochemistry, and molecular biology can be used to unravel the mysteries of peptide hormone structure and function.

A few distinct 'molecular sandwiches' are basis for structural and functional similarities of subspecies of interferon alpha and of families of growth-promoting hormones

'Molecular sandwiches' composed of two aromatic amino acids separated by a hydrophilic one were found on eleven subspecies of human interferon alpha, on murine interferon alpha 2, and human interferon beta 1. In addition, another type of the sandwiches was found on several species of interferon. This confirms and extends the observations concerning the similarities between some interferons and several classical hormones. Furthermore, we are presenting evidence that a distinct type of the 'molecular sandwiches': Tyr-Cys...Cys and/or Cys...Cys-Cys...Cys, that participate in formation of disulfide bonds, is a characteristic marker of most, if not all of the growth-promoting hormones including growth factors. The 'sandwiches' appear to be important for receptor binding.

Neuroendocrine tumours of the gut: long-term therapy with the somatostatin analogue SMS 201-995

Nine patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumours of the gut were treated for over 100 days with the long-acting octapeptide of somatostatin, SMS 201-995. Two patients had unusually aggressive tumours (neuroendocrine tumours are typically slow-growing) with only modest elevation of tumour secretory products. SMS 201-995 was given in an attempt to slow tumour growth, but tumour size continued to increase. Three patients had glucagonomas and uncontrolled skin rashes, and four patients had VIPomas, which caused uncontrolled watery diarrhoea. SMS 201-995 was given principally to reduce hypersecretion of hormones from their tumours and to relieve symptoms. All the patients experienced rapid relief of their symptoms when SMS 201-995 treatment was introduced, and symptomatic control was maintained throughout treatment except in one patient, who required a supplementary procedure (pancreatic primary tumour embolization). Circulating peptide levels were initially suppressed, but continued suppression did not occur in every case despite good clinical control. It seems likely that SMS 201-995 has beneficial effects on target organs as well as suppressing the release of peptides from tumour tissue. The tumours did not grow during treatment. The analogue was well tolerated, most adverse effects being minor. Somatostatin inhibited insulin release, but in only one patient was there a slight deterioration of glucose tolerance. SMS 201-995 is therefore a useful therapeutic tool in the long-term management of patients with symptoms due to uncontrolled hormone secretion from neuroendocrine tumours.

Phylogenetic distance from man correlates with immunologic cross-reactivity among liver insulin receptors

The hepatic insulin receptors from evolutionarily diverse species were evaluated to determine their ability to bind human insulin and their immunologic cross-reactivity with the human insulin receptor. We found that the liver membranes of each species possessed insulin receptors with remarkably similar affinities for human insulin. An immunoassay specific for human insulin receptor showed that the amount of shared antigenic determinants differed widely among the species tested and in general decreased as the phylogenetic distance from man increased. These data suggest that the ability to bind insulin has been highly conserved during evolution despite considerable variation in the primary structure of the insulin receptor.

Effect of linear gramicidin on sporulation and intracellular ATP pools of Bacillus brevis

When Bacillus brevis ATCC 8185 was subjected to nutritional shiftdown from a rich medium to one completely devoid of a nitrogen source, sporulation could be stimulated by the addition of linear gramicidin. Gramicidin-induced sporulation occurred after a considerably longer lag period than the earlier described tyrocidine-induced process (Ristow and Paulus 1982) but involved similar associated biochemical changes, such as extracellular protease production, rapid incorporation of radioactive precursors into RNA, and dipicolinate synthesis. The increased incorporation of [3H]leucine into tyrocidine was a characteristic element in gramicidin-induced sporulation, not being observed when spore formation was accelerated by limited nitrogen supplementation. Nitrogen supplementation (0.02-0.01% nutrient broth) caused a slow and gradual increase in dipicolinate production, in contrast to the sudden, rapid rise of dipicolinate synthesis provoked by the addition of gramicidin or tyrocidine. The induction of sporulation by gramicidin occurred at very low peptide concentrations (0.03 microM), which also brought about an acute depletion of intracellular ATP. In sporulation accelerated by nutrient broth, no depression of ATP level was observed and nonionophoric analogues of gramicidin were unable to substitute for gramicidin in inducing sporulation.

Presence of helodermin-like peptides of the VIP-secretin family in mammalian salivary glands and saliva

Helodermin is a biologically active peptide isolated from the venom of the Gila monster lizard (Heloderma suspectum) whose structure is related to that of vasoactive intestinal peptide and secretin. Using a specific radioimmunoassay based on antisera prepared by immunizing rabbits with natural helodermin, we demonstrated the presence of helodermin-like material in mammalian salivary glands, including parotid, submaxillary and sublingual glands from rat and dog, and parotid and submaxillary glands from man. All helodermin-like materials had an apparent molecular mass of 4-12 kDa. Dog saliva, collected after pilocarpine stimulation, revealed similar immunoreactivity with a major component around 6 kDa.

Immunoreactive and bioactive somatostatin-like material is present in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum)

Immunoreactive and biologically active somatostatin-like material is present in extracts of tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum). Comparative chromatographic and immunological characterization of this peptide along with synthetic (hypothalamic-like) somatostatin-14 and -28, indicates that both molecular forms are present in the plant. Tobacco-somatostatin inhibits the prostaglandin E2-induced release of growth hormone from cultured anterior pituitary cells. This finding raises questions concerning the evolutionary mechanisms responsible for the presence of this neuropeptide in plants, and the physiological significance of this phenomena.

Lung tumour cell lines synthesizing peptide hormones established from tumours of four histological types: characterization of the cell lines and analysis of their peptide hormone production

Thirty permanent and more than 60 primary tumour cell lines were established from pleural and pericardial exudates or wedge biopsies from human bronchial carcinoma. The permanent cell lines have their origin in 6 small cell, 5 large cell, 9 squamous and 5 adeno carcinomas of the lung. Tumour cells were purified from non tumour cells by direct cloning in fluid cultures or by soft agar cloning. In vitro secretion of ACTH, bombesin, calcitonin, and neurotensin was demonstrated for lung tumour cells belonging to the four major histological types. Cell suspensions of peptide hormone secreting permanent cell cultures were grown to solid tumours after xenotransplantation into nude mice. Comparative ultrastructural examination of the primary tumour and of cells grown in tissue culture and in xenografts demonstrated the preservation of most tumour type specific structural criteria in the ex vivo/in vitro systems. The present data show that not only tumour cells from small cell carcinoma but also from other histological types are capable of synthesizing a broad spectrum of immunoreactive peptide hormones. This result might be interpreted as indicating a common expression of hormone biosynthesis and secretion by all lung tumours.

Evidence for multiple molecular weight forms of somatostatin-like material in Escherichia coli

Extracts of Escherichia coli grown in defined medium contain somatostatin-related material (1-10 pg/g wet weight of cells). Preconditioned medium had no immunoactive somatostatin whereas, conditioned medium had 110-150 pg/l. Following purification of the extracted material on Sep-pak C18, Bio-Gel P-6 and HPLC, multiple molecular weight forms of somatostatin- (SRIF-) related material were identified. The material in one peak reacted in both the N-terminal and C-terminal SRIF immunoassay and coeluted on HPLC with SRIF-28, whereas that in a second peak eluted near SRIF-14 and was reactive only in the C-terminal SRIF assay. The two peaks are thus similar to SRIF-28 and SRIF-14 of vertebrates. These findings add support to the suggestion that vertebrate-type peptide hormones and neuropeptides have early evolutionary origins.

The effect of isoproterenol on cardiovascular function in the stage 24 chick embryo

The developing cardiovascular system of the chick embryo is susceptible to teratogenic effects of catecholamines. Yet the mechanism for the teratogenetic action is unclear. Since catecholamines affect cardiovascular physiology, we studied the acute effect of the beta-agonist isoproterenol on mean atrial pressure, heart rate, mean dorsal aortic blood flow, mean arterial pressure and vascular resistance in stage 24 chick embryos. Dorsal aortic blood velocity was measured with a 20-MHz pulsed-Doppler velocity meter and intravascular pressure was measured with a servo-null pressure system. Isoproterenol in doses of 2 X 10(-4) micrograms (2.5 micrograms/kg), 8 X 10(-4) micrograms (10 micrograms/kg), and 1.2 X 10(-3) micrograms (15 micrograms/kg) was injected intravenously in 5-microliters aliquots of chick Ringer's solution. Additional groups of embryos were treated with the beta-antagonist propranolol, and isoproterenol plus propranolol. Control embryos received 5 microliters chick Ringer's solution to assess the hemodynamic effects of a volume injection. We found that isoproterenol caused no change in mean atrial pressure, heart rate, or mean arterial pressure. However, isoproterenol caused a dose-related decrease in dorsal aortic blood flow and a 2.5-fold increase in vascular resistance. The effects of isoproterenol were blocked by propranolol, which suggested that the increase in vascular resistance was mediated by beta-receptor stimulation.