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Sartorius AM, Rokicki J, Birkeland S, Bettella F, Barth C, de Lange AMG, Haram M, Shadrin A, Winterton A, Steen NE, Schwarz E, Stein DJ, Andreassen OA, van der Meer D, Westlye LT, Theofanopoulou C, Quintana DS. An evolutionary timeline of the oxytocin signaling pathway. Commun Biol 2024; 7:471. [PMID: 38632466 PMCID: PMC11024182 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06094-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin is a neuropeptide associated with both psychological and somatic processes like parturition and social bonding. Although oxytocin homologs have been identified in many species, the evolutionary timeline of the entire oxytocin signaling gene pathway has yet to be described. Using protein sequence similarity searches, microsynteny, and phylostratigraphy, we assigned the genes supporting the oxytocin pathway to different phylostrata based on when we found they likely arose in evolution. We show that the majority (64%) of genes in the pathway are 'modern'. Most of the modern genes evolved around the emergence of vertebrates or jawed vertebrates (540 - 530 million years ago, 'mya'), including OXTR, OXT and CD38. Of those, 45% were under positive selection at some point during vertebrate evolution. We also found that 18% of the genes in the oxytocin pathway are 'ancient', meaning their emergence dates back to cellular organisms and opisthokonta (3500-1100 mya). The remaining genes (18%) that evolved after ancient and before modern genes were classified as 'medium-aged'. Functional analyses revealed that, in humans, medium-aged oxytocin pathway genes are highly expressed in contractile organs, while modern genes in the oxytocin pathway are primarily expressed in the brain and muscle tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina M Sartorius
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jaroslav Rokicki
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Centre of Research and Education in Forensic Psychiatry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Siri Birkeland
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Francesco Bettella
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Medical Genetics, Division of Laboratory Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Claudia Barth
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ann-Marie G de Lange
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Marit Haram
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Mental Health and Suicide, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Alexey Shadrin
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Adriano Winterton
- Department of Child Health and Development, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Nils Eiel Steen
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Emanuel Schwarz
- Hector Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Dan J Stein
- SA MRC Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Dennis van der Meer
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Lars T Westlye
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Daniel S Quintana
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
- KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
- NevSom, Department of Rare Disorders, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
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Potticary AL, Cunningham CB, McKinney EC, Moore PJ, Belay AT, Moore AJ. Insect homolog of oxytocin/vasopressin associated with parenting of males but not females in a subsocial beetle. Evolution 2023; 77:2029-2038. [PMID: 37343551 DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpad113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Parental care is thought to evolve through modification of behavioral precursors, which predicts that mechanistic changes occur in the genes underlying those traits. The duplicated gene system of oxytocin/vasopressin has been broadly co-opted across vertebrates to influence parenting, from a preduplication ancestral role in water balance. It remains unclear whether co-option of these genes for parenting is limited to vertebrates. Here, we experimentally tested for associations between inotocin gene expression and water balance, parental acceptance of offspring, and active parenting in the subsocial beetle Nicrophorus orbicollis, to test whether this single-copy homolog of the oxytocin/vasopressin system has similarly been co-opted for parental care in a species with elaborate parenting. As expected, inotocin was associated with water balance in both sexes. Inotocin expression increased around sexual maturation in both males and females, although more clearly in males. Finally, inotocin expression was not associated with acceptance of larvae, but was associated with a transition to male but not female parenting. Moreover, level of offspring provisioning behavior and gene expression were positively correlated in males but uncorrelated in females. Our results suggest a broad co-option of this system for parenting that may have existed prior to gene duplication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahva L Potticary
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | | | | | - Patricia J Moore
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Amsale T Belay
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Allen J Moore
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
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3
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Zagrean AM, Georgescu IA, Iesanu MI, Ionescu RB, Haret RM, Panaitescu AM, Zagrean L. Oxytocin and vasopressin in the hippocampus. VITAMINS AND HORMONES 2022; 118:83-127. [PMID: 35180939 DOI: 10.1016/bs.vh.2021.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OXT) and vasopressin (AVP) are related neuropeptides that exert a wide range of effects on general health, homeostasis, development, reproduction, adaptability, cognition, social and nonsocial behaviors. The two peptides are mainly of hypothalamic origin and execute their peripheral and central physiological roles via OXT and AVP receptors, which are members of the G protein-coupled receptor family. These receptors, largely distributed in the body, are abundantly expressed in the hippocampus, a brain region particularly vulnerable to stress exposure and various lesions. OXT and AVP have important roles in the hippocampus, by modulating important processes like neuronal excitability, network oscillatory activity, synaptic plasticity, and social recognition memory. This chapter includes an overview regarding OXT and AVP structure, synthesis, receptor distribution, and functions, focusing on their relationship with the hippocampus and mechanisms by which they influence hippocampal activity. Brief information regarding hippocampal structure and susceptibility to lesions is also provided. The roles of OXT and AVP in neurodevelopment and adult central nervous system function and disorders are highlighted, discussing their potential use as targeted therapeutic tools in neuropsychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana-Maria Zagrean
- Division of Physiology and Neuroscience, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.
| | - Ioana-Antoaneta Georgescu
- Division of Physiology and Neuroscience, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mara Ioana Iesanu
- Division of Physiology and Neuroscience, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Rosana-Bristena Ionescu
- Division of Physiology and Neuroscience, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania; Department of Clinical Neurosciences and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Biomedical Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Mihai Haret
- Division of Physiology and Neuroscience, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Anca Maria Panaitescu
- Filantropia Clinical Hospital Bucharest, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Leon Zagrean
- Division of Physiology and Neuroscience, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
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4
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Bales KL, Ardekani CS, Baxter A, Karaskiewicz CL, Kuske JX, Lau AR, Savidge LE, Sayler KR, Witczak LR. What is a pair bond? Horm Behav 2021; 136:105062. [PMID: 34601430 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Pair bonding is a psychological construct that we attempt to operationalize via behavioral and physiological measurements. Yet, pair bonding has been both defined differently in various taxonomic groups as well as used loosely to describe not just a psychological and affective phenomenon, but also a social structure or mating system (either social monogamy or just pair living). In this review, we ask the questions: What has been the historical definition of a pair bond? Has this definition differed across taxonomic groups? What behavioral evidence do we see of pair bonding in these groups? Does this observed evidence alter the definition of pair bonding? Does the observed neurobiology underlying these behaviors affect this definition as well? And finally, what are the upcoming directions in which the study of pair bonding needs to head?
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L Bales
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, United States of America; Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis, United States of America; California National Primate Research Center, United States of America.
| | - Cory S Ardekani
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, United States of America
| | - Alexander Baxter
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, United States of America; California National Primate Research Center, United States of America
| | - Chloe L Karaskiewicz
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, United States of America; California National Primate Research Center, United States of America
| | - Jace X Kuske
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, United States of America
| | - Allison R Lau
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, United States of America; California National Primate Research Center, United States of America
| | - Logan E Savidge
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, United States of America; California National Primate Research Center, United States of America
| | - Kristina R Sayler
- Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, United States of America
| | - Lynea R Witczak
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, United States of America; California National Primate Research Center, United States of America
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5
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Nagy NA, Németh Z, Juhász E, Póliska S, Rácz R, Kiss J, Kosztolányi A, Barta Z. Inotocin, a potential modulator of reproductive behaviours in a biparental beetle, Lethrus apterus. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 132:104253. [PMID: 34022190 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2021.104253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Several members of the highly conserved oxytocin/vasopressin neuropeptide family are involved in the regulation of reproductive and affiliative behaviours in numerous vertebrate and invertebrate species. Here we investigate gene expression patterns of inotocin, the insect ortholog of this peptide family, and its receptor to decipher their possible role in the control of reproductive behaviour in a beetle, Lethrus apterus, with biparental care. In an experiment performed on individuals of a wild population, we found that inotocin is not related to the control of water balance in this species because expression patterns did not change as a response to drought exposure. The expression levels of inotocin and its receptor, however, increased over the reproductive season i.e., when behaviour shifts from pair formation to parental care, suggesting that inotocin might be involved in the regulation of parental care in this insect. No difference was, however, found between sexes; a finding which might indicate that inotocin plays a similar role in both parents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikoletta A Nagy
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Hungary; Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen H-4032, Egyetem tér 1, Hungary.
| | - Zoltán Németh
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Hungary; Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen H-4032, Egyetem tér 1, Hungary
| | - Edit Juhász
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen H-4032, Egyetem tér 1, Hungary
| | - Szilárd Póliska
- Genomic Medicine and Bioinformatic Core Facility, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen H-4032, Egyetem tér 1, Hungary
| | - Rita Rácz
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Hungary; Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen H-4032, Egyetem tér 1, Hungary
| | - Johanna Kiss
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Hungary; MTA-DE "Lendület" Evolutionary Phylogenomic Research Group, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - András Kosztolányi
- Department of Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Barta
- MTA-DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Hungary; Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen H-4032, Egyetem tér 1, Hungary
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6
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Camerino C. Oxytocin Involvement in Body Composition Unveils the True Identity of Oxytocin. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22126383. [PMID: 34203705 PMCID: PMC8232088 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22126383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The origin of the Oxytocin/Vasopressin system dates back about 600 million years. Oxytocin (Oxt) together with Vasopressin (VP) regulate a diversity of physiological functions that are important for osmoregulation, reproduction, metabolism, and social behavior. Oxt/VP-like peptides have been identified in several invertebrate species and they are functionally related across the entire animal kingdom. Functional conservation enables future exploitation of invertebrate models to study Oxt’s functions not related to pregnancy and the basic mechanisms of central Oxt/VP signaling. Specifically, Oxt is well known for its effects on uteri contractility and milk ejection as well as on metabolism and energy homeostasis. Moreover, the striking evidence that Oxt is linked to energy regulation is that Oxt- and Oxytocin receptor (Oxtr)-deficient mice show late onset obesity. Interestingly Oxt−/− or Oxtr−/− mice develop weight gain without increasing food intake, suggesting that a lack of Oxt reduce metabolic rate. Oxt is expressed in a diversity of skeletal muscle phenotypes and regulates thermogenesis and bone mass. Oxt may increases skeletal muscle tonicity and/or increases body temperature. In this review, the author compared the three most recent theories on the effects of Oxt on body composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Camerino
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology (Section of Pharmacology), School of Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, P.za G. Cesare 11, 70100 Bari, Italy;
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology “V. Erspamer”, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
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7
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Saetan J, Kornthong N, Duangprom S, Phanthong P, Kruangkum T, Sobhon P. The oxytocin/vasopressin-like peptide receptor mRNA in the central nervous system and ovary of the blue swimming crab, Portunus pelagicus. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2021; 258:110983. [PMID: 34004320 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2021.110983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The authors recently reported the presence and distribution of oxytocin/vasopressin-like peptide in Portunus pelagicus as well as demonstrated its function to inhibit ovarian steroid release (Saetan et al., 2018). Here, the full-length receptor of this peptide, namely oxytocin/vasopressin-like peptide receptor (PpelOT/VP-like peptide receptor) is reported. The coding region of the PpelOT/VP-like peptide receptor contained 1497 bp which translationally corresponded to 499 amino acids. Sequence analysis revealed its seven transmembrane characteristics, with -two N-linked glycosylation residues located before the first transmembrane domain (TM I). The phylogenetic tree revealed that the PpelOT/VP-like peptide receptor was placed in the group of invertebrate OT/VP-like receptors, and was clearly distinguishable from the V1R, V2R and OTR of vertebrates. Also, this receptor gene transcript was detected in several organs of the blue swimming crab with highest abundance found in brain tissue. In situ hybridization exhibited its distribution in all neuronal clusters of the eyestalk, brain, ventral nerve cord (VNC), as well as in the ovary. Comparative gene expressions between this receptor and its corresponding peptide in immature and mature female crabs revealed no significant difference of the PpelOT/VP-like peptide receptor gene expression in the central nervous system (CNS) and ovary. In contrast, the PpelOT/VP-like peptide gene was shown to significantly express higher in the VNC of immature crabs and in the ovary of mature crabs. Changes in expression of this peptide gene, but not its receptor, might result in ovarian steroid release inhibition. However, the detailed mechanism of this peptide in reproduction regulation will be included in our further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jirawat Saetan
- Division of Health and Applied Sciences, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90112, Thailand.
| | - Napamanee Kornthong
- Chulabhorn International College of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani 12121, Thailand
| | - Supawadee Duangprom
- Chulabhorn International College of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani 12121, Thailand
| | - Phetcharat Phanthong
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Thanapong Kruangkum
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; Center of Excellence for Shrimp Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Prasert Sobhon
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
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8
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Winterton A, Westlye LT, Steen NE, Andreassen OA, Quintana DS. Improving the precision of intranasal oxytocin research. Nat Hum Behav 2020; 5:9-18. [PMID: 33257880 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-020-00996-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin has been popularized for its role in social behaviour and nominated as a candidate treatment for several psychiatric illnesses due to promising preclinical results. However, these results so far have failed to reliably translate from animal models to human research. In response, there have been justified calls to improve intranasal oxytocin delivery methodology in terms of verifying that intranasal administration increases central levels of oxytocin. Nonetheless, improved methodology needs to be coupled with a robust theory of the role of oxytocin in behaviour and physiology to ask meaningful research questions. Moreover, stringent methodology based on robust theory may yield interesting results, but such findings will have limited utility if they are not reproducible. We outline how the precision of intranasal oxytocin research can be improved by the complementary consideration of methodology, theory and reproducibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriano Winterton
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lars T Westlye
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Nils Eiel Steen
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Daniel S Quintana
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. .,Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. .,KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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9
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Plytycz B, Bigaj J, Rysiewska A, Osikowski A, Hofman S, Podolak A, Grzmil P. Impairment of reproductive capabilities in three subsequent generations of asymmetric hybrids between Eisenia andrei and E. fetida from French, Hungarian and Polish laboratory colonies. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0235789. [PMID: 32645117 PMCID: PMC7347191 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Eisenia andrei (Ea) and E. fetida (Ef) lumbricid earthworms are simultaneous hermaphrodites potentially capable of self-fertilization and hybridization. We have shown previously that reproductive isolation in these species is incomplete in Ea and Ef earthworms of French provenance, as viable offspring appeared in inter-specific pairs. Fertile asymmetric hybrids developed from Ea-derived ova fertilized by Ef-derived spermatozoa, as well as Ea or Ef specimens derived after self-fertilization (resulting from admixture of endogenously produced spermatozoa with sperm from a partner), but never Ef-hybrids from Ef-ova fertilized by Ea-spermatozoa. The latter appeared only in backcrosses of Ea-hybrids with the Ef. Here we show that these phenomena are not unique for French Ea/Ef earthworms, but are shared by earthworms from French, Hungarian, and Polish laboratory cultures. Semi-quantitative studies on fertility of Ea-derived hybrids revealed gradually decreasing numbers of offspring in three successive generations, more rapid in backcrosses with Ef than with Ea, and the absence of progeny in pairs of hybrids, despite the presence of cocoons in almost all pairs. Based on species specific mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences, we provide the first examples of two unique sterile hybrids with mitonuclear mismatch and potential mitonuclear incompatibility among offspring of one of the hybrid+Ef pairs. Earthworms from the investigated populations did not reproduce when kept from hatching in isolation or with representatives of Dendrobaena veneta but started reproducing upon recognition of a related partner, such as Ea, Ef or their hybrids. The existence of Ea or Ef specimens among offspring of hybrid+Ea/Ef pairs might be explained either by partner-induced self-fertilization of Ea/Ef or hybrid-derived ova, or by cross-fertilization of Ea/Ef /hybrid ova by partner-derived spermatozoa; the latter might contribute to interspecific gene introgression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Plytycz
- Department of Evolutionary Immunology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Janusz Bigaj
- Department of Evolutionary Immunology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Rysiewska
- Department of Malacology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Artur Osikowski
- Department of Animal Reproduction, Anatomy and Genomics, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Krakow, Poland
| | - Sebastian Hofman
- Department of Comparative Anatomy, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Podolak
- Department of the Basis of Agriculture and Waste Management, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Land Management and Environmental Protection, College of Natural Sciences, University of Rzeszow, Rzeszow, Poland
| | - Pawel Grzmil
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionism, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
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10
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An Allostatic Theory of Oxytocin. Trends Cogn Sci 2020; 24:515-528. [PMID: 32360118 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2020.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin has garnered considerable interest for its role in social behavior, as well as for the potential of intranasal administration to treat social difficulties. However, current theoretical models for the role of oxytocin in social behavior pay little consideration to its evolutionary and developmental history. This article aims to broaden our understanding of the role of oxytocin in social behavior by adopting an ethological approach through the lens of Nikolaas Tinbergen's 'four questions' - how does oxytocin work; how does the role of oxytocin change during development; how does oxytocin enhance survival; and how did the oxytocin system evolve? We argue that oxytocin is most accurately described as an allostatic hormone that modulates both social and non-social behavior by maintaining stability through changing environments.
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11
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Matsubara S, Shiraishi A, Osugi T, Kawada T, Satake H. The regulation of oocyte maturation and ovulation in the closest sister group of vertebrates. eLife 2019; 8:49062. [PMID: 31573508 PMCID: PMC6786877 DOI: 10.7554/elife.49062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Ascidians are the closest living relatives of vertebrates, and their study is important for understanding the evolutionary processes of oocyte maturation and ovulation. In this study, we first examined the ovulation of Ciona intestinalis Type A by monitoring follicle rupture in vitro, identifying a novel mechanism of neuropeptidergic regulation of oocyte maturation and ovulation. Ciona vasopressin family peptide (CiVP) directly upregulated the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (CiErk1/2) via its receptor. CiVP ultimately activated a maturation-promoting factor, leading to oocyte maturation via germinal vesicle breakdown. CiErk1/2 also induced expression of matrix metalloproteinase (CiMMP2/9/13) in the oocyte, resulting in collagen degradation in the outer follicular cell layer and liberation of fertile oocytes from the ovary. This is the first demonstration of essential pathways regulating oocyte maturation and ovulation in ascidians and will facilitate investigations of the evolutionary process of peptidergic regulation of oocyte maturation and ovulation throughout the phylum Chordata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin Matsubara
- Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, Kyoto, Japan.,Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akira Shiraishi
- Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Osugi
- Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Kawada
- Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Honoo Satake
- Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, Kyoto, Japan
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12
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Thiel D, Franz-Wachtel M, Aguilera F, Hejnol A. Xenacoelomorph Neuropeptidomes Reveal a Major Expansion of Neuropeptide Systems during Early Bilaterian Evolution. Mol Biol Evol 2018. [PMCID: PMC6188537 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msy160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptides are neurosecretory signaling molecules in protostomes and deuterostomes (together Nephrozoa). Little, however, is known about the neuropeptide complement of the sister group of Nephrozoa, the Xenacoelomorpha, which together form the Bilateria. Because members of the xenacoelomorph clades Xenoturbella, Nemertodermatida, and Acoela differ extensively in their central nervous system anatomy, the reconstruction of the xenacoelomorph and bilaterian neuropeptide complements may provide insights into the relationship between nervous system evolution and peptidergic signaling. Here, we analyzed transcriptomes of seven acoels, four nemertodermatids, and two Xenoturbella species using motif searches, similarity searches, mass spectrometry and phylogenetic analyses to characterize neuropeptide precursors and neuropeptide receptors. Our comparison of these repertoires with previously reported nephrozoan and cnidarian sequences shows that the majority of annotated neuropeptide GPCRs in cnidarians are not orthologs of specific bilaterian neuropeptide receptors, which suggests that most of the bilaterian neuropeptide systems evolved after the cnidarian–bilaterian evolutionary split. This expansion of more than 20 peptidergic systems in the stem leading to the Bilateria predates the evolution of complex nephrozoan organs and nervous system architectures. From this ancient set of neuropeptides, acoels show frequent losses that correlate with their divergent central nervous system anatomy. We furthermore detected the emergence of novel neuropeptides in xenacoelomorphs and their expansion along the nemertodermatid and acoel lineages, the two clades that evolved nervous system condensations. Together, our study provides fundamental insights into the early evolution of the bilaterian peptidergic systems, which will guide future functional and comparative studies of bilaterian nervous systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Thiel
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Felipe Aguilera
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Andreas Hejnol
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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13
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Saetan J, Kruangkum T, Phanthong P, Tipbunjong C, Udomuksorn W, Sobhon P, Sretarugsa P. Molecular cloning and distribution of oxytocin/vasopressin-like mRNA in the blue swimming crab, Portunus pelagicus, and its inhibitory effect on ovarian steroid release. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2018; 218:46-55. [PMID: 29382539 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2018.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Revised: 01/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
This study was aimed to characterize the full length of mRNA of oxytocin/vasopressin (OT/VP)-like mRNA in female Portunus pelagicus (PpelOT/VP-like mRNA) using a partial PpelOT/VP-like sequence obtained previously in our transcriptome analysis (Saetan, 2014) to construct the primers. The PpelOT/VP-like mRNA was 626 bp long and it encoded the preprohormones containing 158 amino acids. This preprohormone consisted of a signal peptide, an active nonapeptide (CFITNCPPG) followed by the dibasic cleavage site (GKR), and the neurophysin domain. Sequence alignment of the PpelOT/VP-like peptide with those of other animals revealed strong molecular conservation. Phylogenetic analysis of encoded proteins revealed that the PpelOT/VP-like peptide was clustered within the group of crustacean OT/VP-like peptide. Analysis by RT-PCR revealed the expression of mRNA transcripts in the eyestalk, brain, ventral nerve cord (VNC), ovary, intestine and gill. The in situ hybridization demonstrated the cellular localizations of the transcripts in the central nervous system (CNS) and ovary tissues. In the eyestalk, the mRNA expression was observed in the neuronal clusters 1-5 but not in the sinus gland complex. In the brain and the VNC, the transcripts were detected in all neuronal clusters but not in the glial cell. In the ovary, the transcripts were found in all stages of oocytes (Oc1, Oc2, Oc3, and Oc4). In addition, synthetic PpelOT/VP-like peptide could inhibit steroid release from the ovary. The knowledge gained from this study will provide more understanding on neuro-endocrinological controls in this crab species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jirawat Saetan
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90112, Thailand.
| | - Thanapong Kruangkum
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; Center of Excellence for Shrimp Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | | | - Chittipong Tipbunjong
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90112, Thailand
| | - Wandee Udomuksorn
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90112, Thailand
| | - Prasert Sobhon
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Burapha University, Chonburi 20131, Thailand
| | - Prapee Sretarugsa
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
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14
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Chérasse S, Aron S. Measuring inotocin receptor gene expression in chronological order in ant queens. Horm Behav 2017; 96:116-121. [PMID: 28919556 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Revised: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
In vertebrates and invertebrates, oxytocin/vasopressin-like peptides modulate a variety of behaviors. The recent discovery of the gene and receptor sequences of inotocin, the insect ortholog of oxytocin/vasopressin, opens new opportunities for understanding the role of this peptide family in regulating behaviors in the most populated class of living animals. Ants live in highly organized colonies. Once a year, they produce future queens that soon leave the nest to mate and found new colonies. During the first months of their lives, ant queens display a sequence of behaviors ranging from copulation and social interactions to violent fighting. In order to investigate the potential roles of inotocin in shaping queen behavior, we measured gene expression of the inotocin receptor in the heads of Lasius niger ant queens at different points in time. The highest levels of expression occurred early in queen life when they experience crowded conditions in their mother nests and soon thereafter set out to mate. Inotocin could thus be involved in regulating social and reproductive behaviors as reported in other animals. While oxytocin and vasopressin are also involved in aggression in mammals, we found no direct link between these behaviors and inotocin receptor expression in L. niger. Our study provides a first glimpse into the roles the inotocin receptor might play in regulating important processes in ant physiology and behavior. Further studies are needed to understand the molecular function of this complex signaling system in more detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Chérasse
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Département de Biologie des Organismes, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 50, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Serge Aron
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Département de Biologie des Organismes, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 50, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
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15
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Thunders M, Cavanagh J, Li Y. De novo transcriptome assembly, functional annotation and differential gene expression analysis of juvenile and adult E. fetida, a model oligochaete used in ecotoxicological studies. Biol Res 2017; 50:7. [PMID: 28241869 PMCID: PMC5327576 DOI: 10.1186/s40659-017-0114-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Earthworms are sensitive to toxic chemicals present in the soil and so are useful indicator organisms for soil health. Eisenia fetida are commonly used in ecotoxicological studies; therefore the assembly of a baseline transcriptome is important for subsequent analyses exploring the impact of toxin exposure on genome wide gene expression. Results This paper reports on the de novo transcriptome assembly of E. fetida using Trinity, a freely available software tool. Trinotate was used to carry out functional annotation of the Trinity generated transcriptome file and the transdecoder generated peptide sequence file along with BLASTX, BLASTP and HMMER searches and were loaded into a Sqlite3 database. To identify differentially expressed transcripts; each of the original sequence files were aligned to the de novo assembled transcriptome using Bowtie and then RSEM was used to estimate expression values based on the alignment. EdgeR was used to calculate differential expression between the two conditions, with an FDR corrected P value cut off of 0.001, this returned six significantly differentially expressed genes. Initial BLASTX hits of these putative genes included hits with annelid ferritin and lysozyme proteins, as well as fungal NADH cytochrome b5 reductase and senescence associated proteins. At a cut off of P = 0.01 there were a further 26 differentially expressed genes. Conclusion These data have been made publicly available, and to our knowledge represent the most comprehensive available transcriptome for E. fetida assembled from RNA sequencing data. This provides important groundwork for subsequent ecotoxicogenomic studies exploring the impact of the environment on global gene expression in E. fetida and other earthworm species. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40659-017-0114-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Thunders
- College of Health, Massey University, PO Box 756, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand.
| | - Jo Cavanagh
- Landcare Research, PO Box 40, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand
| | - Yinsheng Li
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
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16
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Lockard MA, Ebert MS, Bargmann CI. Oxytocin mediated behavior in invertebrates: An evolutionary perspective. Dev Neurobiol 2016; 77:128-142. [PMID: 27804275 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Revised: 09/14/2016] [Accepted: 10/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The molecular and functional conservation of oxytocin-related neuropeptides in behavior is striking. In animals separated by at least 600 million years of evolution, from roundworms to humans, oxytocin homologs play critical roles in the modulation of reproductive behavior and other biological functions. Here, we review the roles of oxytocin in invertebrate behavior from an evolutionary perspective. We begin by tracing the evolution of oxytocin through the invertebrate animal lineages, and then describe common themes in invertebrate behaviors that are mediated by oxytocin-related peptides, including reproductive behavior, learning and memory, food arousal, and predator/prey relationships. Finally, we discuss interesting future directions that have recently become experimentally tractable. Studying oxytocin in invertebrates offers precise insights into the activity of neuropeptides on well-defined neural circuits; the principles that emerge may also be represented in the more complex vertebrate brain. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 77: 128-142, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan A Lockard
- Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, 10065
| | - Margaret S Ebert
- Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, 10065
| | - Cornelia I Bargmann
- Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, 10065.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, 10065
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17
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Paré P, Paixão-Côrtes VR, Tovo-Rodrigues L, Vargas-Pinilla P, Viscardi LH, Salzano FM, Henkes LE, Bortolini MC. Oxytocin and arginine vasopressin receptor evolution: implications for adaptive novelties in placental mammals. Genet Mol Biol 2016; 39:646-657. [PMID: 27505307 PMCID: PMC5127151 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2015-0323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Accepted: 02/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin receptor (OXTR) and arginine vasopressin receptors
(AVPR1a, AVPR1b, and AVPR2) are paralogous genes
that emerged through duplication events; along the evolutionary timeline, owing to
speciation, numerous orthologues emerged as well. In order to elucidate the
evolutionary forces that shaped these four genes in placental mammals and to reveal
specific aspects of their protein structures, 35 species were selected. Specifically,
we investigated their molecular evolutionary history and intrinsic protein disorder
content, and identified the presence of short linear interaction motifs.
OXTR seems to be under evolutionary constraint in placental
mammals, whereas AVPR1a, AVPR1b, and AVPR2 exhibit
higher evolutionary rates, suggesting that they have been under relaxed or
experienced positive selection. In addition, we describe here, for the first time,
that the OXTR, AVPR1a, AVPR1b, and AVPR2 mammalian orthologues preserve their
disorder content, while this condition varies among the paralogues. Finally, our
results reveal the presence of short linear interaction motifs, indicating possible
functional adaptations related to physiological and/or behavioral taxa-specific
traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Paré
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Vanessa R Paixão-Côrtes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Luciana Tovo-Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Fisiologia da Reprodução Animal, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Curitibanos, SC, Brazil
| | - Pedro Vargas-Pinilla
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Lucas Henriques Viscardi
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Francisco Mauro Salzano
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Luiz E Henkes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Epidemiologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPEL), Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Maria Catira Bortolini
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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18
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Feldman R, Monakhov M, Pratt M, Ebstein RP. Oxytocin Pathway Genes: Evolutionary Ancient System Impacting on Human Affiliation, Sociality, and Psychopathology. Biol Psychiatry 2016; 79:174-84. [PMID: 26392129 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 245] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2015] [Revised: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT), a nonapeptide signaling molecule originating from an ancestral peptide, appears in different variants across all vertebrate and several invertebrate species. Throughout animal evolution, neuropeptidergic signaling has been adapted by organisms for regulating response to rapidly changing environments. The family of OT-like molecules affects both peripheral tissues implicated in reproduction, homeostasis, and energy balance, as well as neuromodulation of social behavior, stress regulation, and associative learning in species ranging from nematodes to humans. After describing the OT-signaling pathway, we review research on the three genes most extensively studied in humans: the OT receptor (OXTR), the structural gene for OT (OXT/neurophysin-I), and CD38. Consistent with the notion that sociality should be studied from the perspective of social life at the species level, we address human social functions in relation to OT-pathway genes, including parenting, empathy, and using social relationships to manage stress. We then describe associations between OT-pathway genes with psychopathologies involving social dysfunctions such as autism, depression, or schizophrenia. Human research particularly underscored the involvement of two OXTR single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs53576, rs2254298) with fewer studies focusing on other OXTR (rs7632287, rs1042778, rs2268494, rs2268490), OXT (rs2740210, rs4813627, rs4813625), and CD38 (rs3796863, rs6449197) single nucleotide polymorphisms. Overall, studies provide evidence for the involvement of OT-pathway genes in human social functions but also suggest that factors such as gender, culture, and early environment often confound attempts to replicate first findings. We conclude by discussing epigenetics, conceptual implications within an evolutionary perspective, and future directions, especially the need to refine phenotypes, carefully characterize early environments, and integrate observations of social behavior across ecological contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Feldman
- Department of Psychology (RF, MP) Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel; Gonda Brain Sciences Center (RF), Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
| | - Mikhail Monakhov
- Department of Psychology (MM, RPE), National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Maayan Pratt
- Department of Psychology (RF, MP) Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Richard P Ebstein
- Department of Psychology (MM, RPE), National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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19
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Oldfield RG, Harris RM, Hofmann HA. Integrating resource defence theory with a neural nonapeptide pathway to explain territory-based mating systems. Front Zool 2015; 12 Suppl 1:S16. [PMID: 26813803 PMCID: PMC4722349 DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-12-s1-s16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The ultimate-level factors that drive the evolution of mating systems have been well studied, but an evolutionarily conserved neural mechanism involved in shaping behaviour and social organization across species has remained elusive. Here, we review studies that have investigated the role of neural arginine vasopressin (AVP), vasotocin (AVT), and their receptor V1a in mediating variation in territorial behaviour. First, we discuss how aggression and territoriality are a function of population density in an inverted-U relationship according to resource defence theory, and how territoriality influences some mating systems. Next, we find that neural AVP, AVT, and V1a expression, especially in one particular neural circuit involving the lateral septum of the forebrain, are associated with territorial behaviour in males of diverse species, most likely due to their role in enhancing social cognition. Then we review studies that examined multiple species and find that neural AVP, AVT, and V1a expression is associated with territory size in mammals and fishes. Because territoriality plays an important role in shaping mating systems in many species, we present the idea that neural AVP, AVT, and V1a expression that is selected to mediate territory size may also influence the evolution of different mating systems. Future research that interprets proximate-level neuro-molecular mechanisms in the context of ultimate-level ecological theory may provide deep insight into the brain-behaviour relationships that underlie the diversity of social organization and mating systems seen across the animal kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald G Oldfield
- Texas Research Institute for Environmental Studies, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77341 USA; Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106 USA; Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 USA
| | - Rayna M Harris
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 USA; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 USA
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 USA; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 USA; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 USA
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20
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Evolutionary pattern in the OXT-OXTR system in primates: coevolution and positive selection footprints. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 112:88-93. [PMID: 25535371 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1419399112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin is a nonapeptide involved in a wide range of physiologic and behavioral functions. Until recently, it was believed that an unmodified oxytocin sequence was present in all placental mammals. This study analyzed oxytocin (OXT) in 29 primate species and the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) in 21 of these species. We report here three novel OXT forms in the New World monkeys, as well as a more extensive distribution of a previously described variant (Leu8Pro). In structural terms, these OXTs share the same three low-energy conformations in solution during molecular dynamic simulations, with subtle differences in their side chains. A consistent signal of positive selection was detected in the Cebidae family, and OXT position 8 showed a statistically significant (P = 0.013) correlation with litter size. Several OXTR changes were identified, some of them promoting gain or loss of putative phosphorylation sites, with possible consequences for receptor internalization and desensitization. OXTR amino acid sites are under positive selection, and intramolecular and intermolecular coevolutionary processes with OXT were also detected. We suggest that some New World monkey OXT-OXTR forms can be correlated to male parental care through the increase of cross-reactivity with its correlated vasopressin system.
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21
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Stewart MJ, Favrel P, Rotgans BA, Wang T, Zhao M, Sohail M, O'Connor WA, Elizur A, Henry J, Cummins SF. Neuropeptides encoded by the genomes of the Akoya pearl oyster Pinctata fucata and Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas: a bioinformatic and peptidomic survey. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:840. [PMID: 25277059 PMCID: PMC4200219 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2014] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oysters impart significant socio-ecological benefits from primary production of food supply, to estuarine ecosystems via reduction of water column nutrients, plankton and seston biomass. Little though is known at the molecular level of what genes are responsible for how oysters reproduce, filter nutrients, survive stressful physiological events and form reef communities. Neuropeptides represent a diverse class of chemical messengers, instrumental in orchestrating these complex physiological events in other species. RESULTS By a combination of in silico data mining and peptide analysis of ganglia, 74 putative neuropeptide genes were identified from genome and transcriptome databases of the Akoya pearl oyster, Pinctata fucata and the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, encoding precursors for over 300 predicted bioactive peptide products, including three newly identified neuropeptide precursors PFGx8amide, RxIamide and Wx3Yamide. Our findings also include a gene for the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and two egg-laying hormones (ELH) which were identified from both oysters. Multiple sequence alignments and phylogenetic analysis supports similar global organization of these mature peptides. Computer-based peptide modeling of the molecular tertiary structures of ELH highlights the structural homologies within ELH family, which may facilitate ELH activity leading to the release of gametes. CONCLUSION Our analysis demonstrates that oysters possess conserved molluscan neuropeptide domains and overall precursor organization whilst highlighting many previously unrecognized bivalve idiosyncrasies. This genomic analysis provides a solid foundation from which further studies aimed at the functional characterization of these molluscan neuropeptides can be conducted to further stimulate advances in understanding the ecology and cultivation of oysters.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Scott F Cummins
- School of Science and Education, Genecology Research Center, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland 4558, Australia.
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22
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Kelly AM, Goodson JL. Social functions of individual vasopressin-oxytocin cell groups in vertebrates: what do we really know? Front Neuroendocrinol 2014; 35:512-29. [PMID: 24813923 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2014.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2013] [Revised: 04/18/2014] [Accepted: 04/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Vasopressin-oxytocin (VP-OT) nonapeptides modulate numerous social and stress-related behaviors, yet these peptides are made in multiple nuclei and brain regions (e.g., >20 in some mammals), and VP-OT cells in these areas often exhibit overlapping axonal projections. Furthermore, the magnocellular cell groups release peptide volumetrically from dendrites and soma, which gives rise to paracrine modulation in distal brain areas. Nonapeptide receptors also tend to be promiscuous. Hence, behavioral effects that are mediated by any given receptor type (e.g., the OT receptor) in a target brain region cannot be conclusively attributed to either VP or OT, nor to a specific cell group. We here review what is actually known about the social behavior functions of nonapeptide cell groups, with a focus on aggression, affiliation, bonding, social stress, and parental behavior, and discuss recent studies that demonstrate a diversity of sex-specific contributions of VP-OT cell groups to gregariousness and pair bonding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aubrey M Kelly
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
| | - James L Goodson
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
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23
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Beets I, Temmerman L, Janssen T, Schoofs L. Ancient neuromodulation by vasopressin/oxytocin-related peptides. WORM 2013; 2:e24246. [PMID: 24058873 PMCID: PMC3704447 DOI: 10.4161/worm.24246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2013] [Revised: 02/25/2013] [Accepted: 03/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Neuropeptidergic signaling is widely adopted by animals for the regulation of physiology and behavior in a rapidly changing environment. The vasopressin/oxytocin neuropeptide family originates from an ancestral peptide precursor in the antecedent of protostomian and deuterostomian animals. In vertebrates, vasopressin and oxytocin have both hormonal effects on peripheral target tissues, such as in the regulation of reproduction and water balance, and neuromodulatory actions in the central nervous system controlling social behavior and cognition. The recent identification of vasopressin/oxytocin-related signaling in C. elegans reveals that this peptidergic system is widespread among nematodes. Genetic analysis of the C. elegans nematocin system denotes vasopressin/oxytocin-like peptides as ancient neuromodulators of neuronal circuits involved in reproductive behavior and associative learning, whereas former invertebrate studies focused on conserved peripheral actions of this peptide family. Nematocin provides neuromodulatory input into the gustatory plasticity circuit as well as into distinct male mating circuits to generate a coherent mating behavior. Molecular interactions are comparable to those underlying vasopressin- and oxytocin-mediated effects in the mammalian brain. Understanding how the vasopressin/oxytocin family fine-tunes neuronal circuits for social behavior, learning and memory poses a major challenge. Functional conservation of these effects in nematodes and most likely in other invertebrates enables the development of future models to help answering this question.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Beets
- Department of Biology; Functional Genomics and Proteomics Group; KU Leuven; Leuven, Belgium
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Abstract
New findings • What is the topic of this review? This article describes the discovery and function of invertebrate oxytocin and vasopressin neuropeptides. • What advances does it highlight? The novel discovery of oxytocin-like peptides in arthropods is described. An up-to date overview is gven of the functional role (physiology and behaviour) of oxytocin and vasopressin signalling. The application of natural peptides for drug development is discussed. Neuropeptides and regulatory peptide hormones control many developmental, physiological and behavioural processes in animals, including humans. The nonapeptides oxytocin and arginine vasopressin are produced and released by the pituitary gland and have actions on many organs and tissues. Receptive cells possess particular receptors to which the peptides bind as ligands, leading to activation of G-protein-coupled receptors, hence cellular responses. In humans and other mammalian species, oxytocin and vasopressin mediate a range of peripheral and central physiological functions that are important for osmoregulation, reproduction, complex social behaviours, memory and learning. The origin of the oxytocin/vasopressin signalling system is thought to date back more than 600 million years. All vertebrate oxytocin- and vasopressin-like peptides have presumably evolved from the ancestral nonapeptide vasotocin by gene duplication and today are present in vertebrates, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Oxytocin- and vasopressin-like peptides have been identified in several invertebrate species, including molluscs, annelids, nematodes and arthropods. Members of this peptide family share high sequence similarity, and it is possible that they are functionally related across the entire animal kingdom. However, it is evident that not all animals express oxytocin/vasopressin neuropeptides and that there is little information available about the biology and physiology of this signalling system of invertebrates and, in particular, of insects, which represent more than half of all known living organisms. This report describes the discovery of novel oxytocin- and vasopressin-like peptides in arthropods and summarizes the status quo of the functional relevance of this neuropeptide signalling system in invertebrates, which will have beneficial implications for the design of selective and potent ligands to human oxytocin and vasopressin receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian W Gruber
- C. W. Gruber: Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
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Kutina AV, Marina AS, Eliseev II, Titov MI, Natochin YV. Synthesis and study of effect of analogs of conopressin S on excretion of ions and water by rat kidney. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2013. [DOI: 10.1134/s0022093012050052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Gruber CW, Muttenthaler M. Discovery of defense- and neuropeptides in social ants by genome-mining. PLoS One 2012; 7:e32559. [PMID: 22448224 PMCID: PMC3308954 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0032559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2011] [Accepted: 01/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural peptides of great number and diversity occur in all organisms, but analyzing their peptidome is often difficult. With natural product drug discovery in mind, we devised a genome-mining approach to identify defense- and neuropeptides in the genomes of social ants from Atta cephalotes (leaf-cutter ant), Camponotus floridanus (carpenter ant) and Harpegnathos saltator (basal genus). Numerous peptide-encoding genes of defense peptides, in particular defensins, and neuropeptides or regulatory peptide hormones, such as allatostatins and tachykinins, were identified and analyzed. Most interestingly we annotated genes that encode oxytocin/vasopressin-related peptides (inotocins) and their putative receptors. This is the first piece of evidence for the existence of this nonapeptide hormone system in ants (Formicidae) and supports recent findings in Tribolium castaneum (red flour beetle) and Nasonia vitripennis (parasitoid wasp), and therefore its confinement to some basal holometabolous insects. By contrast, the absence of the inotocin hormone system in Apis mellifera (honeybee), another closely-related member of the eusocial Hymenoptera clade, establishes the basis for future studies on the molecular evolution and physiological function of oxytocin/vasopressin-related peptides (vasotocin nonapeptide family) and their receptors in social insects. Particularly the identification of ant inotocin and defensin peptide sequences will provide a basis for future pharmacological characterization in the quest for potent and selective lead compounds of therapeutic value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian W Gruber
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Vienna, Austria.
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Goodson JL, Kelly AM, Kingsbury MA. Evolving nonapeptide mechanisms of gregariousness and social diversity in birds. Horm Behav 2012; 61:239-50. [PMID: 22269661 PMCID: PMC3312996 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2011] [Revised: 01/06/2012] [Accepted: 01/07/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Of the major vertebrate taxa, Class Aves is the most extensively studied in relation to the evolution of social systems and behavior, largely because birds exhibit an incomparable balance of tractability, diversity, and cognitive complexity. In addition, like humans, most bird species are socially monogamous, exhibit biparental care, and conduct most of their social interactions through auditory and visual modalities. These qualities make birds attractive as research subjects, and also make them valuable for comparative studies of neuroendocrine mechanisms. This value has become increasingly apparent as more and more evidence shows that social behavior circuits of the basal forebrain and midbrain are deeply conserved (from an evolutionary perspective), and particularly similar in birds and mammals. Among the strongest similarities are the basic structures and functions of avian and mammalian nonapeptide systems, which include mesotocin (MT) and arginine vasotocin (VT) systems in birds, and the homologous oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (VP) systems, respectively, in mammals. We here summarize these basic properties, and then describe a research program that has leveraged the social diversity of estrildid finches to gain insights into the nonapeptide mechanisms of grouping, a behavioral dimension that is not experimentally tractable in most other taxa. These studies have used five monogamous, biparental finch species that exhibit group sizes ranging from territorial male-female pairs to large flocks containing hundreds or thousands of birds. The results provide novel insights into the history of nonapeptide functions in amniote vertebrates, and yield remarkable clarity on the nonapeptide biology of dinosaurs and ancient mammals. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin, Vasopressin, and Social Behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- James L Goodson
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
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Minakata H. Oxytocin/vasopressin and gonadotropin-releasing hormone from cephalopods to vertebrates. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2010; 1200:33-42. [PMID: 20633131 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2010.05569.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in peptide search methods have revealed two peptide systems that have been conserved through metazoan evolution. Members of the oxytocin/vasopressin-superfamily have been identified from protostomian and deuterostomian animals, indicating that the oxytocin/vasopressin hormonal system represents one of the most ancient systems. In most protostomian animals, a single member of the superfamily shares oxytocin-like and vasopressin-like actions. Co-occurrence of two members has been discovered in modern cephalopods, octopus, and cuttlefish. We propose that cephalopods have developed two peptides in the molluscan evolutionary lineage like vertebrates have established two lineages in the oxytocin/vasopressin superfamily. The existence of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in protostomian animals was initially suggested by immunohistochemical analysis using chordate GnRH antibodies. A peptide with structural features similar to those of chordate GnRHs was originally isolated from octopus, and an identical peptide has been characterized from squid and cuttlefish. Novel forms of GnRH-like molecules from other molluscs, an annelid, arthropods, and nematodes demonstrate somewhat conserved structures at the N-terminal regions; but structures of the C-terminal regions critical to gonadotropin-releasing activity are diverse. These findings may be important for the study of the molecular evolution of GnRH in protostomian animals.
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Crisp KM. Behavioral neurobiology: leech lust in the lab. Curr Biol 2010; 20:R276-8. [PMID: 20334835 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2010.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Crisp
- Biology Department, Saint Olaf College, 1520 Saint Olaf Avenue Northfield, MN 55024, USA
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Wagenaar DA, Hamilton MS, Huang T, Kristan WB, French KA. A hormone-activated central pattern generator for courtship. Curr Biol 2010; 20:487-95. [PMID: 20226670 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2010.02.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2009] [Revised: 02/01/2010] [Accepted: 02/05/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Medicinal leeches (Hirudo spp.) are simultaneous hermaphrodites. Mating occurs after a stereotyped twisting and oral exploration that result in the alignment of the male and/or female gonopores of one leech with the complementary gonopores of a partner. The neural basis of this behavior is presently unknown and currently impossible to study directly because electrophysiological recording techniques disrupt the behavior. RESULTS Here we report that (Arg(8))-conopressin G and two other members of the oxytocin/vasopressin family of peptide hormones induce in Hirudo verbana a sequence of behaviors that closely mimic elements of spontaneous reproductive behavior. Through a series of progressively more reduced preparations, we show that one of these behaviors, a stereotyped twisting that is instrumental in aligning gonopores in preparation for copulation, is the product of a central pattern generator that consists of oscillators in ganglia M5 and M6 (the ganglia in the reproductive segments of the leech), and also in ganglion M4, which was not previously known to play a role in reproductive behavior. We find that the behavior is periodic, with a remarkably long cycle period of around five minutes, placing it among the slowest behavioral rhythms (other than diurnal and annual rhythms) yet described. CONCLUSION These results establish the leech as a new model system for studying aspects of the neuronal basis of reproductive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Wagenaar
- Broad Fellows Program and Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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Ukena K, Iwakoshi-Ukena E, Hikosaka A. Unique form and osmoregulatory function of a neurohypophysial hormone in a urochordate. Endocrinology 2008; 149:5254-61. [PMID: 18583415 DOI: 10.1210/en.2008-0607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The cyclic nonapeptides, oxytocin and vasopressin, are neurohypophysial hormones that regulate many significant physiological processes related especially to reproduction and osmoregulation. In this study, we characterized an oxytocin-related peptide cDNA from a urochordate, Styela plicata, thought to be a sister group to vertebrates. Sequence analysis of the deduced precursor polypeptide revealed that the precursor is composed of three segments: a signal peptide, an oxytocin-like sequence flanked by a Gly C-terminal amidation signal and a Lys-Arg dibasic processing site, and a neurophysin domain, similar to other oxytocin/vasopressin family precursors. However, unlike other members of this family, the tunicate oxytocin-like peptide (CYISDCPNSRFWST-NH2) is a tetradecapeptide. We termed this peptide Styela oxytocin-related peptide (SOP). Furthermore, analyses of mass spectrometry, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry demonstrated production of mature SOP in the cerebral ganglion. To elucidate the physiological action of SOP, we kept the tunicate for 2 d under the three different concentrations of seawater, 60, 100, and 130%, and measured the expression levels of SOP mRNA in the cerebral ganglion. The greatest expression of SOP mRNA was observed in the 60% seawater. In 60% seawater, but not in 100 or 130%, the tunicate mostly closed the atrial and branchial siphons. Therefore, we investigated the contractile effects of SOP on the siphons in vitro. SOP caused contractions in both siphons in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, these results suggest that SOP acts to prevent the influx of a low concentration of seawater into the body and thus play an important role in osmoregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuyoshi Ukena
- Section of Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-7-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8521, Japan.
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Genomics, transcriptomics, and peptidomics of neuropeptides and protein hormones in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum. Genome Res 2007; 18:113-22. [DOI: 10.1101/gr.6714008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 296] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Tessmar-Raible K, Raible F, Christodoulou F, Guy K, Rembold M, Hausen H, Arendt D. Conserved sensory-neurosecretory cell types in annelid and fish forebrain: insights into hypothalamus evolution. Cell 2007; 129:1389-400. [PMID: 17604726 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2007.04.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 249] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2006] [Revised: 01/12/2007] [Accepted: 04/26/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Neurosecretory control centers form part of the forebrain in many animal phyla, including vertebrates, insects, and annelids. The evolutionary origin of these centers is largely unknown. To identify conserved, and thus phylogenetically ancient, components of neurosecretory brain centers, we characterize and compare neurons that express the prohormone vasotocin (vasopressin/oxytocin)-neurophysin in the developing forebrain of the annelid Platynereis dumerilii and of the zebrafish. These neurons express the same tissue-restricted microRNA, miR-7, and conserved, cell-type-specific combinations of transcription factors (nk2.1, rx, and otp) that specify their identity, as evidenced by the specific requirement of zebrafish rx3 for vasotocin-neurophysin expression. MiR-7 also labels another shared population of neurons containing RFamides. Since the vasotocinergic and RFamidergic neurons appear to be directly sensory in annelid and fish, we propose that cell types with dual sensory-neurosecretory properties were the starting point for the evolution of neurosecretory brain centers in Bilateria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Tessmar-Raible
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, D-69012 Heidelberg, Germany.
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Tessmar-Raible K. The evolution of neurosecretory centers in bilaterian forebrains: insights from protostomes. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2007; 18:492-501. [PMID: 17576082 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2007.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2007] [Accepted: 04/30/2007] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Forebrain neurosecretory systems are widespread in the animal kingdom. This review focuses on recent molecular data from protostomes, discusses the original complexity of the bilaterian forebrain neurosecretory system, provides an evolutionary scenario for the emergence of the vertebrate preoptic area/hypothalamus/neurohypophysis and suggests a possible function for an ancient set of sensory-neurosecretory cells present in the medial neurosecretory bilaterian forebrain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Tessmar-Raible
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Dev. Biol. Unit, Meyerhofstr. 1, D-69012 Heidelberg, Germany.
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Lazari MFM, Alponti RF, Freitas TA, Breno MC, da Conceicao IM, Silveira PF. Absence of oxytocin in the central nervous system of the snake Bothrops jararaca. J Comp Physiol B 2006; 176:821-30. [PMID: 16838134 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-006-0103-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2005] [Revised: 05/30/2006] [Accepted: 06/07/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
We used four complementary techniques to investigate the presence of oxytocin peptide in the hypophysis and brain of the snake Bothrops jararaca. A high-pressure liquid chromatographic analysis failed to show oxytocin in extracts of hypophysial and brain tissues but provided estimative values of the amounts of vasotocin (12 ng/mg hypophysis and 0.5 ng/mg brain) and mesotocin (500 pg/mg hypophysis and 8 pg/mg brain). Western blots with a polyclonal anti-oxytocin antibody failed to detect oxytocin in both tissues but detected compounds with higher molecular weight than oxytocin, as well as a relatively weak cross-reactivity with mesotocin. The reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis failed to detect the expression of oxytocin gene transcript, but detected a transcript related to the mesotocin-neurophysin precursor in both tissues. Immunohistochemistry with the same anti-oxytocin antibody detected strong staining in the neurohypophysis and in few fibers in the inner zone of the median eminence, which was not abolished by pre-adsorption of this antibody with oxytocin, vasopressin, vasotocin or mesotocin and might not be attributed to oxytocin. In conclusion, our data demonstrate the absence of oxytocin in the central nervous system of the snake B. jararaca and underline the pitfalls that can result from the use of a single technique to investigate the presence of peptides in tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Fatima Magalhaes Lazari
- Department of Pharmacology, Experimental Endocrinology Unit, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Kanda A, Satake H, Kawada T, Minakata H. Novel evolutionary lineages of the invertebrate oxytocin/vasopressin superfamily peptides and their receptors in the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris). Biochem J 2005; 387:85-91. [PMID: 15504101 PMCID: PMC1134935 DOI: 10.1042/bj20041230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The common octopus, Octopus vulgaris, is the first invertebrate species that was shown to possess two oxytocin/vasopressin (OT/VP) superfamily peptides, octopressin (OP) and cephalotocin (CT). Previously, we cloned a GPCR (G-protein-coupled receptor) specific to CT [CTR1 (CT receptor 1)]. In the present study, we have identified an additional CTR, CTR2, and a novel OP receptor, OPR. Both CTR2 and OPR include domains and motifs typical of GPCRs, and the intron- exon structures are in accord with those of OT/VP receptor genes. CTR2 and OPR expressed in Xenopus oocytes induced calcium-mediated inward chloride current in a CT- and OP-specific manner respectively. Several regions and residues, which are requisite for binding of the vertebrate OT/VP receptor family with their ligands, are highly conserved in CTRs, but not in OPR. These different sequences between CTRs and OPR, as well as the amino acid residues of OP and CT at positions 2-5, were presumed to play crucial roles in the binding selectivity to their receptors, whereas the difference in the polarity of OT/VP family peptide residues at position 8 confers OT and VP with the binding specificity in vertebrates. CTR2 mRNA was present in various peripheral tissues, and OPR mRNA was detected in both the nervous system and peripheral tissues. Our findings suggest that the CT and OP genes, similar to the OT/VP family, evolved through duplication, but the ligand-receptor selectivity were established through different evolutionary lineages from those of their vertebrate counterparts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsuhiro Kanda
- Suntory Institute for Bioorganic Research, 1-1-1 Wakayamadai, Shimamoto, Mishima, Osaka 618-8503, Japan
| | - Honoo Satake
- Suntory Institute for Bioorganic Research, 1-1-1 Wakayamadai, Shimamoto, Mishima, Osaka 618-8503, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Kawada
- Suntory Institute for Bioorganic Research, 1-1-1 Wakayamadai, Shimamoto, Mishima, Osaka 618-8503, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Minakata
- Suntory Institute for Bioorganic Research, 1-1-1 Wakayamadai, Shimamoto, Mishima, Osaka 618-8503, Japan
- To whom correspondence should be addressed (email )
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Widarto TH, Holmstrup M, Forbes VE. The influence of nonylphenol on life-history of the earthworm Dendrobaena octaedra Savigny: linking effects from the individual- to the population-level. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2004; 58:147-159. [PMID: 15157569 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2004.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2003] [Revised: 03/08/2004] [Accepted: 03/18/2004] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
We conducted a study to look at the effects of nonylphenol (NP) on the life-history of the parthenogenetic earthworm, Dendrobaena octaedra. During a 196-day study, we observed that the growth rate of juveniles and the percentage of worms producing cocoons were the only traits significantly affected by NP, while the total number of cocoons produced was marginally affected. Despite some fairly large changes in the average values of individual life-history traits caused by NP, the effects were difficult to detect statistically due to large interindividual variability. A declining trend was observed for population growth rate (lambda) with increasing NP concentration, but the decline was not statistically significant. The percent reduction in lambda was less than the percent reduction in the most sensitive life-history trait (fecundity). An elasticity analysis showed that lambda was more sensitive to changes in survival than to changes in reproductive traits. However, neither juvenile nor adult survival were affected by NP, and decomposition analysis showed that the minor changes in lambda were mainly caused by effects of NP on time to first reproduction, time between reproduction events and fecundity. The present study suggests that extrapolation from laboratory studies to population effects in the field may be greatly enhanced by combining ecotoxicological and demographic methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- T H Widarto
- Department of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, PO Box 260, Roskilde DK-4000, Denmark
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Goodson JL, Evans AK, Bass AH. Putative isotocin distributions in sonic fish: relation to vasotocin and vocal-acoustic circuitry. J Comp Neurol 2003; 462:1-14. [PMID: 12761820 PMCID: PMC2679688 DOI: 10.1002/cne.10679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Recent neurophysiological evidence in the plainfin midshipman fish (Porichthys notatus) demonstrated that isotocin (IT) and arginine vasotocin (AVT) modulate fictive vocalizations divergently between three reproductive morphs. To provide an anatomical framework for the modulation of vocalization by IT and to foster comparisons with the distributions of the IT homologues mesotocin (MT) and oxytocin (OT) in other vertebrate groups, we describe putative IT distributions in the midshipman and the closely related gulf toadfish, Opsanus beta. Double-label fluorescent histochemistry was used for IT and AVT (by using antibodies for MT, OT, and the mammalian AVT homologue, arginine vasopressin [AVP]). MT/OT-like immunoreactive (MT/OT-lir) cell groups were found in the anterior parvocellular, posterior parvocellular, and magnocellular preoptic nuclei. MT/OT-lir fibers and putative terminals densely innervated the ventral telencephalon and numerous areas in the hypothalamus and brainstem. These distributions included all sites of vocal-acoustic integration recently identified for the forebrain and midbrain and diencephalic components of the ascending auditory pathway. Results were qualitatively comparable across morphs, species, and seasons. In contrast to the widespread distribution of MT/OT-lir, AVP-lir somata, fibers, and putative terminals were almost completely restricted to vocal-acoustic regions. These data parallel previous descriptions of AVT immunoreactivity in these species, although the present methods showed a previously undescribed, seasonally variable AVP-lir cell group in the anterior tuberal hypothalamus, a vocally active site and a component of the ascending auditory pathway. These findings provided anatomic support for the role of IT and AVT in the modulation of vocal behavior at multiple levels of the central vocal-acoustic circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- James L Goodson
- Psychology Department, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093, USA.
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Frenkel L, Freudenthal R, Romano A, Nahmod VE, Maldonado H, Delorenzi A. Angiotensin II and the transcription factor Rel/NF-kappaB link environmental water shortage with memory improvement. Neuroscience 2003; 115:1079-87. [PMID: 12453481 DOI: 10.1016/s0306-4522(02)00583-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
One of the essential requirements even in the most ancient life forms is to be able to preserve body fluid medium. In line with such requirement, animals need to perform different behaviors to cope with water shortages. As angiotensin II (ANGII) is involved on a widespread range of functions in vertebrates, including memory modulation, an integrative role, in response to an environmental water shortage, has been envisioned. Previous work on the semi-terrestrial and brackish-water crab Chasmagnathus granulatus showed that endogenous ANGII enhanced an associative long-term memory and, in addition, that high salinity environment induces both an increase of brain ANGII levels and memory improvement. Here, we show that in the crab Chasmagnathus air exposure transiently increases blood sodium concentration, significantly increases brain ANGII immunoreactivity, and has a facilitatory effect on memory that is abolished by a non-selective ANGII receptor antagonist, saralasin. Furthermore, Rel/NF-kappaB, a transcription factor activated by ANGII in mammals and during memory consolidation in Chasmagnathus brain, is induced in the crab's brain by air exposure. Moreover, nuclear brain NF-kappaB is activated by ANGII, and this effect is reversed by saralasin. Our results constitute the first demonstration in an invertebrate that cognitive functions are modulated by an environmental stimulus through a neuropeptide and give evolutionary support to the role of angiotensins in memory processes. Moreover, these results suggest that angiotensinergic system is preserved across evolution not only in its structure and molecular mechanisms, but also in its capability of coordinating specific adaptative responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Frenkel
- Laboratorio de Neurobiologi;a de la Memoria, Departamento de Fisiologi;a, Biologi;a Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón II (C1428EHA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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40
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Lubics A, Reglodi D, Szelier M, Lengvári I, Kozicz T. Comparative distribution of urocortin- and CRF-like immunoreactivities in the nervous system of the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris. Peptides 2003; 24:205-13. [PMID: 12668204 DOI: 10.1016/s0196-9781(03)00028-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and urocortin (Ucn) are both members of the CRF neuropeptide family. The distribution of Ucn- and CRF-like immunoreactive (ir) structures in the central nervous system of several vertebrate species has been studied, but little is known about that in non-vertebrates. We used a highly specific polyclonal antibody against rat Ucn and CRF to determine and compare the distribution of Ucn- and CRF-like immunoreactivity in the earthworm nervous system. Several Ucn- and CRF-like ir perikarya were described in the cerebral ganglion, subesophageal and ventral cord ganglia. The majority of Ucn-like ir cells were found in the ventral ganglia, whereas CRF-like ir cells were most abundant in the cerebral ganglion. Scattered Ucn- and CRF-like ir varicose fiber terminals were seen in all areas of the earthworm central nervous system. Ucn-like ir cell bodies and fiber terminals were also demonstrated in the pharyngeal wall. No co-localization of Ucn- and CRF-like ir nervous structures were observed. This study provided morphological evidence that Ucn- and CRF-like neurosecretory products exist in the earthworm central nervous system. Furthermore, both the distribution and morphology of Ucn- and CRF-like ir structures were distinct, therefore, it can be hypothesized that these neuropeptides exert different neurendocrine functions in the earthworm nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Lubics
- Department of Human Anatomy, Medical Faculty, University of Pécs, Szigeti ut 12, 7624, Pécs, Hungary.
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41
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Rose JD, Moore FL. Behavioral neuroendocrinology of vasotocin and vasopressin and the sensorimotor processing hypothesis. Front Neuroendocrinol 2002; 23:317-41. [PMID: 12381329 DOI: 10.1016/s0091-3022(02)00004-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Vasotocin (AVT) and vasopressin (AVP) are potent modulators of social behaviors in diverse species of vertebrates. This review addresses questions about how and where AVT and AVP act to modulate social behaviors, focusing on research with an amphibian model (Taricha granulosa). In general, the behaviorally important AVT and AVP neurons occur in the forebrain and project to sites throughout the brain. Social behaviors are modulated by AVT and AVP acting at multiple sites in the brain and at multiple levels in the behavioral sequence. This review proposes that AVT and AVP can act on sensory pathways to modulate the responsiveness of neurons to behaviorally relevant sensory stimuli and also can act on motor pathways in the brainstem and spinal cord to modulate the neuronal output to behavior-specific pattern generators. This neurobehavioral model, in which AVT and AVP are thought to modulate social behaviors by affecting sensorimotor processing, warrants further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D Rose
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
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