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Escarcega RD, Patil AA, Meyer MD, Moruno-Manchon JF, Silvagnoli AD, McCullough LD, Tsvetkov AS. The Tardigrade damage suppressor protein Dsup promotes DNA damage in neurons. Mol Cell Neurosci 2023; 125:103826. [PMID: 36858083 PMCID: PMC10247392 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2023.103826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Tardigrades are microscopic invertebrates, which are capable of withstanding extreme environmental conditions, including high levels of radiation. A Tardigrade protein, Dsup (Damage Suppressor), protects the Tardigrade's DNA during harsh environmental stress and X-rays. When expressed in cancer cells, Dsup protects DNA from single- and double-strand breaks (DSBs) induced by radiation, increases survival of irradiated cells, and protects DNA from reactive oxygen species. These unusual properties of Dsup suggested that understanding how the protein functions may help in the design of small molecules that could protect humans during radiotherapy or space travel. Here, we investigated if Dsup is protective in cortical neurons cultured from rat embryos. We discovered that, in cortical neurons, the codon-optimized Dsup localizes to the nucleus and, surprisingly, promotes neurotoxicity, leading to neurodegeneration. Unexpectedly, we found that Dsup expression results in the formation of DNA DSBs in cultured neurons. With electron microscopy, we discovered that Dsup promotes chromatin condensation. Unlike Dsup's protective properties in cancerous cells, in neurons, Dsup promotes neurotoxicity, induces DNA damage, and rearranges chromatin. Neurons are sensitive to Dsup, and Dsup is a doubtful surrogate for DNA protection in neuronal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocio Diaz Escarcega
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston, TX 77030, United States of America
| | - Abhijeet A Patil
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston, TX 77030, United States of America
| | - Matthew D Meyer
- Shared Equipment Authority, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, United States of America
| | - Jose F Moruno-Manchon
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston, TX 77030, United States of America
| | - Alexander D Silvagnoli
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston, TX 77030, United States of America
| | - Louise D McCullough
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston, TX 77030, United States of America; The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, United States of America
| | - Andrey S Tsvetkov
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston, TX 77030, United States of America; The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, United States of America; UTHealth Consortium on Aging, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX 77030, United States of America.
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2
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Miyazawa K, Itoh SG, Yoshida Y, Arakawa K, Okumura H. Tardigrade Secretory-Abundant Heat-Soluble Protein Varies Entrance Propensity Depending on the Amino-Acid Sequence. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:2361-2368. [PMID: 35316056 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c10788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Secretory-abundant heat-soluble (SAHS) proteins, which constitute a protein family unique to tardigrades, are thought to be essential for anhydrobiosis. Our previous study has revealed that one of the SAHS proteins of Ramazzottius varieornatus (RvSAHS1) has a more flexible entrance than a mammalian fatty-acid-binding protein, which has a crystal structure similar to that of RvSAHS1. Recently, SAHS paralogs that are expressed abundantly and specifically in the early embryos of this tardigrade and Hypsibius exemplaris have been identified. Comparing these amino-acid sequences with that of RvSAHS1, we have found characteristic differences as I113F and D146T. In this study, we investigate I113F and D146T mutants' properties of RvSAHS1 using molecular dynamics simulations and compare the structures and fluctuations of their entrances with those of the wild type. The two mutants exhibit different properties at the entrance of the β-barrel structure. The I113F mutant tends to close the entrance more than the wild type due to the enhanced hydrophobic network inside the cavity. The D146T mutant, in contrast to the I113F mutant, tends to open the entrance. The mechanism by which this mutation opens the entrance is also discussed. Even though only a single mutation located far from the entrance is added to the wild type, there is a clear difference in the tendency to open and close the β-barrel entrance. It indicates that the entrance properties of the SAHS protein are sensitive to the amino-acid sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhisa Miyazawa
- Department of Structural Molecular Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Satoru G Itoh
- Department of Structural Molecular Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Yuki Yoshida
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka 997-0017, Japan.,Systems Biology Program, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Fujisawa 252-0882, Japan
| | - Kazuharu Arakawa
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka 997-0017, Japan.,Systems Biology Program, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Fujisawa 252-0882, Japan.,Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Keio University, Fujisawa 252-0882, Japan
| | - Hisashi Okumura
- Department of Structural Molecular Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
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3
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Giovannini I, Boothby TC, Cesari M, Goldstein B, Guidetti R, Rebecchi L. Production of reactive oxygen species and involvement of bioprotectants during anhydrobiosis in the tardigrade Paramacrobiotus spatialis. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1938. [PMID: 35121798 PMCID: PMC8816950 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05734-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Water unavailability is an abiotic stress causing unfavourable conditions for life. Nevertheless, some animals evolved anhydrobiosis, a strategy allowing for the reversible organism dehydration and suspension of metabolism as a direct response to habitat desiccation. Anhydrobiotic animals undergo biochemical changes synthesizing bioprotectants to help combat desiccation stresses. One stress is the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, the eutardigrade Paramacrobiotus spatialis was used to investigate the occurrence of ROS associated with the desiccation process. We observed that the production of ROS significantly increases as a function of time spent in anhydrobiosis and represents a direct demonstration of oxidative stress in tardigrades. The degree of involvement of bioprotectants, including those combating ROS, in the P. spatialis was evaluated by perturbing their gene functions using RNA interference and assessing the successful recovery of animals after desiccation/rehydration. Targeting the glutathione peroxidase gene compromised survival during drying and rehydration, providing evidence for the role of the gene in desiccation tolerance. Targeting genes encoding glutathione reductase and catalase indicated that these molecules play roles during rehydration. Our study also confirms the involvement of aquaporins 3 and 10 during rehydration. Therefore, desiccation tolerance depends on the synergistic action of many different molecules working together.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Giovannini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via G. Campi 213/D, 41125, Modena, Italy.
| | - Thomas C Boothby
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA.,Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Michele Cesari
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via G. Campi 213/D, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Bob Goldstein
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Roberto Guidetti
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via G. Campi 213/D, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Lorena Rebecchi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via G. Campi 213/D, 41125, Modena, Italy
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Miyazawa K, Itoh SG, Watanabe H, Uchihashi T, Yanaka S, Yagi-Utsumi M, Kato K, Arakawa K, Okumura H. Tardigrade Secretory-Abundant Heat-Soluble Protein Has a Flexible β-Barrel Structure in Solution and Keeps This Structure in Dehydration. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:9145-9154. [PMID: 34375104 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c04850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Secretory-abundant heat-soluble (SAHS) proteins are unique heat-soluble proteins of Tardigrada and are believed to play an essential role in anhydrobiosis, a latent state of life induced by desiccation. To investigate the dynamic properties, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of a SAHS protein, RvSAHS1, were performed in solution and under dehydrating conditions. For comparison purposes, MD simulations of a human liver-type fatty-acid binding protein (LFABP) were performed in solution. Furthermore, high-speed atomic force microscopy observations were conducted to ascertain the results of the MD simulations. Three properties of RvSAHS1 were found as follows. (1) The entrance region of RvSAHS1 is more flexible and can be more extensive in solutions compared with that of a human LFABP because there is no salt bridge between the βD and βE strands. (2) The intrinsically disordered domain in the N-terminal region significantly fluctuates and can form an amphiphilic α-helix. (3) The size of the entrance region gets smaller along with dehydration, keeping the β-barrel structure. Overall, the obtained results provide atomic-level dynamics of SAHS proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhisa Miyazawa
- Department of Structural Molecular Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Satoru G Itoh
- Department of Structural Molecular Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Hiroki Watanabe
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Department of Physics, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
| | - Takayuki Uchihashi
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Department of Physics, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan.,Institute for Glyco-core Research (iGCORE), Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Saeko Yanaka
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan.,Department of Functional Molecular Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Aichi 465-8603, Japan
| | - Maho Yagi-Utsumi
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan.,Department of Functional Molecular Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Aichi 465-8603, Japan
| | - Koichi Kato
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan.,Department of Functional Molecular Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Aichi 465-8603, Japan
| | - Kazuharu Arakawa
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka 997-0017, Japan.,Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Keio University, Fujisawa 252-0882, Japan.,Systems Biology Program, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Fujisawa 252-0882, Japan
| | - Hisashi Okumura
- Department of Structural Molecular Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
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5
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Hazan R, Schoemann M, Klutstein M. Endurance of extremely prolonged nutrient prevention across kingdoms of life. iScience 2021; 24:102745. [PMID: 34258566 PMCID: PMC8258982 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous observations demonstrate that microorganisms can survive very long periods of nutrient deprivation and starvation. Moreover, it is evident that prolonged periods of starvation are a feature of many habitats, and many cells in all kingdoms of life are found in prolonged starvation conditions. Bacteria exhibit a range of responses to long-term starvation. These include genetic adaptations such as the long-term stationary phase and the growth advantage in stationary phase phenotypes characterized by mutations in stress-signaling genes and elevated mutation rates. Here, we suggest using the term "endurance of prolonged nutrient prevention" (EPNP phase), to describe this phase, which was also recently described in eukaryotes. Here, we review this literature and describe the current knowledge about the adaptations to very long-term starvation conditions in bacteria and eukaryotes, its conceptual and structural conservation across all kingdoms of life, and point out possible directions that merit further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronen Hazan
- Institute of Biomedical and Oral Research, Faculty of Dental Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, P.O.B. 12272, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem 9112001, Israel
| | - Miriam Schoemann
- Institute of Biomedical and Oral Research, Faculty of Dental Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, P.O.B. 12272, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem 9112001, Israel
| | - Michael Klutstein
- Institute of Biomedical and Oral Research, Faculty of Dental Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, P.O.B. 12272, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem 9112001, Israel
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6
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Wilsterman K, Ballinger MA, Williams CM. A unifying, eco‐physiological framework for animal dormancy. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Wilsterman
- Biological Sciences University of Montana Missoula MT USA
- Integrative Biology University of California Berkeley CA USA
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Odekunle EA, Elphick MR. Comparative and Evolutionary Physiology of Vasopressin/ Oxytocin-Type Neuropeptide Signaling in Invertebrates. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2020; 11:225. [PMID: 32362874 PMCID: PMC7181382 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification of structurally related hypothalamic hormones that regulate blood pressure and diuresis (vasopressin, VP; CYFQNCPRG-NH2) or lactation and uterine contraction (oxytocin, OT; CYIQNCPLG-NH2) was a major advance in neuroendocrinology, recognized in the award of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1955. Furthermore, the discovery of central actions of VP and OT as regulators of reproductive and social behavior in humans and other mammals has broadened interest in these neuropeptides beyond physiology into psychology. VP/OT-type neuropeptides and their G-protein coupled receptors originated in a common ancestor of the Bilateria (Urbilateria), with invertebrates typically having a single VP/OT-type neuropeptide and cognate receptor. Gene/genome duplications followed by gene loss gave rise to variety in the number of VP/OT-type neuropeptides and receptors in different vertebrate lineages. Recent advances in comparative transcriptomics/genomics have enabled discovery of VP/OT-type neuropeptides in an ever-growing diversity of invertebrate taxa, providing new opportunities to gain insights into the evolution of VP/OT-type neuropeptide function in the Bilateria. Here we review the comparative physiology of VP/OT-type neuropeptides in invertebrates, with roles in regulation of reproduction, feeding, and water/salt homeostasis emerging as common themes. For example, we highlight recent reports of roles in regulation of oocyte maturation in the sea-squirt Ciona intestinalis, extraoral feeding behavior in the starfish Asterias rubens and energy status and dessication resistance in ants. Thus, VP/OT-type neuropeptides are pleiotropic regulators of physiological processes, with evolutionarily conserved roles that can be traced back to Urbilateria. To gain a deeper understanding of the evolution of VP/OT-type neuropeptide function it may be necessary to not only determine the actions of the peptides but also to characterize the transcriptomic/proteomic/metabolomic profiles of cells expressing VP/OT-type precursors and/or VP/OT-type receptors within the framework of anatomically and functionally identified neuronal networks. Furthermore, investigation of VP/OT-type neuropeptide function in a wider range of invertebrate species is now needed if we are to determine how and when this ancient signaling system was recruited to regulate diverse physiological and behavioral processes in different branches of animal phylogeny and in contrasting environmental contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maurice R. Elphick
- School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
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Yañez-Guerra LA, Elphick MR. Evolution and Comparative Physiology of Luqin-Type Neuropeptide Signaling. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:130. [PMID: 32132900 PMCID: PMC7041311 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Luqin is a neuropeptide that was discovered and named on account of its expression in left upper quadrant cells of the abdominal ganglion in the mollusc Aplysia californica. Subsequently, luqin-type peptides were identified as cardio-excitatory neuropeptides in other molluscs and a cognate receptor was discovered in the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis. Phylogenetic analyses have revealed that orthologs of molluscan luqin-type neuropeptides occur in other phyla; these include neuropeptides in ecdysozoans (arthropods, nematodes) that have a C-terminal RYamide motif (RYamides) and neuropeptides in ambulacrarians (echinoderms, hemichordates) that have a C-terminal RWamide motif (RWamides). Furthermore, precursors of luqin-type neuropeptides typically have a conserved C-terminal motif containing two cysteine residues, although the functional significance of this is unknown. Consistent with the orthology of the neuropeptides and their precursors, phylogenetic and pharmacological studies have revealed that orthologous G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) mediate effects of luqin-type neuropeptides in spiralians, ecdysozoans, and ambulacrarians. Luqin-type signaling originated in a common ancestor of the Bilateria as a paralog of tachykinin-type signaling but, unlike tachykinin-type signaling, luqin-type signaling was lost in chordates. This may largely explain why luqin-type signaling has received less attention than many other neuropeptide signaling systems. However, insights into the physiological actions of luqin-type neuropeptides (RYamides) in ecdysozoans have been reported recently, with roles in regulation of feeding and diuresis revealed in insects and roles in regulation of feeding, egg laying, locomotion, and lifespan revealed in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Furthermore, characterization of a luqin-type neuropeptide in the starfish Asterias rubens (phylum Echinodermata) has provided the first insights into the physiological roles of luqin-type signaling in a deuterostome. In conclusion, although luqin was discovered in Aplysia over 30 years ago, there is still much to be learnt about luqin-type neuropeptide signaling. This will be facilitated in the post-genomic era by the emerging opportunities for experimental studies on a variety of invertebrate taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Alfonso Yañez-Guerra
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maurice R Elphick
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
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