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Lebbe EKM, Tytgat J. In the picture: disulfide-poor conopeptides, a class of pharmacologically interesting compounds. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2016; 22:30. [PMID: 27826319 PMCID: PMC5100318 DOI: 10.1186/s40409-016-0083-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
During evolution, nature has embraced different strategies for species to survive. One strategy, applied by predators as diverse as snakes, scorpions, sea anemones and cone snails, is using venom to immobilize or kill a prey. This venom offers a unique and extensive source of chemical diversity as it is driven by the evolutionary pressure to improve prey capture and/or to protect their species. Cone snail venom is an example of the remarkable diversity in pharmacologically active small peptides that venoms can consist of. These venom peptides, called conopeptides, are classified into two main groups based on the number of cysteine residues, namely disulfide-rich and disulfide-poor conopeptides. Since disulfide-poor conotoxins are minor components of this venom cocktail, the number of identified peptides and the characterization of these peptides is far outclassed by its cysteine-rich equivalents. This review provides an overview of 12 families of disulfide-poor peptides identified to date as well as the state of affairs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eline K M Lebbe
- Toxicology and Pharmacology, KU Leuven, O&N2, Box 922, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan Tytgat
- Toxicology and Pharmacology, KU Leuven, O&N2, Box 922, Herestraat 49, 3000 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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3
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Henry J, Cornet V, Bernay B, Zatylny-Gaudin C. Identification and expression of two oxytocin/vasopressin-related peptides in the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis. Peptides 2013; 46:159-66. [PMID: 23764263 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2013.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2013] [Revised: 05/10/2013] [Accepted: 05/13/2013] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Two novel members of the oxytocin/vasopressin superfamily have been identified in the cephalopod Sepia officinalis. Oxytocin/vasopressin gene sequences were cloned by Race PCR. The two precursors we identified exhibit the classical organization of OT/VP superfamily precursors: a signal peptide followed by a nonapeptide and a neurophysin domain. The neurophysin domain is entirely conserved for the cuttlefish precursors, but the nonapeptides and the signal peptides differ. The first nonapeptide, called sepiatocin, is highly homologous to Octopus vulgaris octopressin. The second nonapeptide, called pro-sepiatocin, shows sequence homologies with a Crustacean oxytocin/vasopressin-like peptide identified in Daphnia culex and with a novel form of oxytocin described in New World monkeys. The expression of pro-sepiatocin is restricted to the supraesophageal and subesophageal masses of the brain whereas sepiatocin is expressed in the entire central nervous system. Sepiatocin, as described for octopressin, modulates the contractile activity of several muscles such as penis, oviduct and vena cava muscles; this suggests its involvement in reproduction and blood circulation. Pro-sepiatocin is released in the hemolymph; it is a neurohormone able to target numerous peripheral organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joël Henry
- FRE3484 BioMEA, Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, F-14032 Caen, France
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4
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Lewis RJ, Dutertre S, Vetter I, Christie MJ. Conus Venom Peptide Pharmacology. Pharmacol Rev 2012; 64:259-98. [DOI: 10.1124/pr.111.005322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 323] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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Tayo LL, Lu B, Cruz LJ, Yates JR. Proteomic analysis provides insights on venom processing in Conus textile. J Proteome Res 2010; 9:2292-301. [PMID: 20334424 DOI: 10.1021/pr901032r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Conus species of marine snails deliver a potent collection of toxins from the venom duct via a long proboscis attached to a harpoon tooth. Conotoxins are known to possess powerful neurological effects and some have been developed for therapeutic uses. Using mass-spectrometry based proteomics, qualitative and quantitative differences in conotoxin components were found in the proximal, central and distal sections of the Conus textile venom duct suggesting specialization of duct sections for biosynthesis of particular conotoxins. Reversed phase HPLC followed by Orbitrap mass spectrometry and data analysis using SEQUEST and ProLuCID identified 31 conotoxin sequences and 25 post-translational modification (PTM) variants with King-Kong 2 peptide being the most abundant. Several previously unreported variants of known conopeptides were found and this is the first time that HyVal is reported for a disulfide rich Conus peptide. Differential expression along the venom duct, production of PTM variants, alternative proteolytic cleavage sites, and venom processing enroute to the proboscis all appear to contribute to enriching the combinatorial pool of conopeptides and producing the appropriate formulation for a particular hunting situation. The complementary tools of mass spectrometry-based proteomics and molecular biology can greatly accelerate the discovery of Conus peptides and provide insights on envenomation and other biological strategies of cone snails.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lemmuel L Tayo
- School of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Mapua Institute of Technology, Muralla Street Intramuros, Manila 1002, Philippines
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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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Gwee PC, Tay BH, Brenner S, Venkatesh B. Characterization of the neurohypophysial hormone gene loci in elephant shark and the Japanese lamprey: origin of the vertebrate neurohypophysial hormone genes. BMC Evol Biol 2009; 9:47. [PMID: 19243634 PMCID: PMC2656470 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-9-47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2008] [Accepted: 02/26/2009] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vasopressin and oxytocin are mammalian neurohypophysial hormones with distinct functions. Vasopressin is involved mainly in osmoregulation and oxytocin is involved primarily in parturition and lactation. Jawed vertebrates contain at least one homolog each of vasopressin and oxytocin, whereas only a vasopressin-family hormone, vasotocin, has been identified in jawless vertebrates. The genes encoding vasopressin and oxytocin are closely linked tail-to-tail in eutherian mammals whereas their homologs in chicken, Xenopus and coelacanth (vasotocin and mesotocin) are linked tail-to-head. In contrast, their pufferfish homologs, vasotocin and isotocin, are located on the same strand of DNA with isotocin located upstream of vasotocin and separated by five genes. These differences in the arrangement of the two genes in different bony vertebrate lineages raise questions about their origin and ancestral arrangement. To trace the origin of these genes, we have sequenced BAC clones from the neurohypophysial gene loci in a cartilaginous fish, the elephant shark (Callorhinchus milii), and in a jawless vertebrate, the Japanese lamprey (Lethenteron japonicum). We have also analyzed the neurohypophysial hormone gene locus in an invertebrate chordate, the amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae). RESULTS The elephant shark neurohypophysial hormone genes encode vasotocin and oxytocin, and are linked tail-to-head like their homologs in coelacanth and non-eutherian tetrapods. Besides the hypothalamus, the two genes are also expressed in the ovary. In addition, the vasotocin gene is expressed in the kidney, rectal gland and intestine. These expression profiles indicate a paracrine role for the two hormones. The lamprey locus contains a single neurohypophysial hormone gene, the vasotocin. The synteny of genes in the lamprey locus is conserved in elephant shark, coelacanth and tetrapods but disrupted in teleost fishes. The amphioxus locus encodes a single neurohypophysial hormone, designated as [Ile4]vasotocin. CONCLUSION The vasopressin- and oxytocin-family of neurohypophysial hormones evolved in a common ancestor of jawed vertebrates through tandem duplication of the ancestral vasotocin gene. The duplicated genes were linked tail-to-head like their homologs in elephant shark, coelacanth and non-eutherian tetrapods. In contrast to the conserved linkage of the neurohypophysial genes in these vertebrates, the neurohypophysial hormone gene locus has experienced extensive rearrangements in the teleost lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pai-Chung Gwee
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), Biopolis, 138673 Singapore.
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Dutertre S, Croker D, Daly NL, Andersson A, Muttenthaler M, Lumsden NG, Craik DJ, Alewood PF, Guillon G, Lewis RJ. Conopressin-T from Conus tulipa reveals an antagonist switch in vasopressin-like peptides. J Biol Chem 2008; 283:7100-8. [PMID: 18174156 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m706477200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
We report the discovery of conopressin-T, a novel bioactive peptide isolated from Conus tulipa venom. Conopressin-T belongs to the vasopressin-like peptide family and displays high sequence homology to the mammalian hormone oxytocin (OT) and to vasotocin, the endogenous vasopressin analogue found in teleost fish, the cone snail's prey. Conopressin-T was found to act as a selective antagonist at the human V 1a receptor. All peptides in this family contain two conserved amino acids within the exocyclic tripeptide (Pro7 and Gly9), which are replaced with Leu7 and Val9 in conopressin-T. Whereas conopressin-T binds only to OT and V 1a receptors, an L7P analogue had increased affinity for the V 1a receptor and weak V2 receptor binding. Surprisingly, replacing Gly9 with Val9 in OT and vasopressin revealed that this position can function as an agonist/antagonist switch at the V 1a receptor. NMR structures of both conopressin-T and L7P analogue revealed a marked difference in the orientation of the exocyclic tripeptide that may serve as templates for the design of novel ligands with enhanced affinity for the V 1a receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Dutertre
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
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Takuwa-Kuroda K, Iwakoshi-Ukena E, Kanda A, Minakata H. Octopus, which owns the most advanced brain in invertebrates, has two members of vasopressin/oxytocin superfamily as in vertebrates. REGULATORY PEPTIDES 2003; 115:139-49. [PMID: 12972329 DOI: 10.1016/s0167-0115(03)00151-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
A novel member of the vasopressin/oxytocin superfamily, octopressin (OP), has been isolated from Octopus vulgaris. Since another peptide of this superfamily, cephalotocin (CT), was isolated from the same species [Neurosci. Lett. 134 (1992) 191], Octopus has two members of the superfamily as in vertebrates, an observation made for the first time in invertebrates. Octopressin caused contractions of the Octopus peripheral tissues such as oviduct, aorta, rectum, etc. Cephalotocin had no effects on tested tissues. The octopressin and cephalotocin precursors were composed of a signal peptide, a nonapeptide, and a neurophysin domain-the typical structural organizations of the superfamily precursors. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)/Southern blot analysis revealed that octopressin mRNA was expressed in the supraesophageal and subesophageal brains, and the buccal and gastric ganglia. Cephalotocin mRNA was expressed mostly in the subesophageal brain. In situ hybridization in the brain showed that octopressin mRNA was localized in many lobes. Expression of cephalotocin mRNA was almost limited in the ventral median vasomotor lobe. Some of the neurons in this lobe are the source of the neurosecretory system of the vena cava, where cephalotocin was originally isolated. These results suggest that octopressin may be a multifunctional neuropeptide contributing to reproduction, cardiac circulation, and feeding. Cephalotocin may play important roles in metabolism, homeostasis, etc., as a neurohormone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoko Takuwa-Kuroda
- Suntory Institute for Bioorganic Research, 1-1-1 Wakayamadai, Shimamotocho, Mishimagun, 618-8503, Osaka, Japan
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Morishita F, Nitagai Y, Furukawa Y, Matsushima O, Takahashi T, Hatta M, Fujisawa T, Tunamoto S, Koizumi O. Identification of a vasopressin-like immunoreactive substance in hydra. Peptides 2003; 24:17-26. [PMID: 12576081 DOI: 10.1016/s0196-9781(02)00272-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Vasopressin (VP)-like immunoreactivity has long been known in the hydra nervous system, but has not yet been structurally identified. In this study, using HPLC fractionation and an immunological assay, we have purified two peptides, FPQSFLPRGamide and SFLPRGamide, from Hydra magnipapillata. Both the peptides shared the same C-terminal structure, -PRGamide, with Arg-VP. The nonapeptide proved to be Hym-355, a peptide that stimulates neuronal differentiation in hydra. Detailed evaluation by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and double immunostaining using anti-VP and anti-Hym-355 antibodies enabled us to conclude that the two peptides account for a major part of the VP-like immunoreactivity in hydra nerve cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Morishita
- Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University, Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8526, Japan.
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11
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Milde H, Weber WM, Salzet M, Clauss W. Regulation of Na(+) transport across leech skin by peptide hormones and neurotransmitters. J Exp Biol 2001; 204:1509-17. [PMID: 11273812 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.204.8.1509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
An increase in intracellular cyclic AMP concentration stimulates transepithelial Na(+) transport across the skin of the leech Hirudo medicinalis, but it is unclear how cytosolic cyclic AMP levels are elevated in vivo. In search of this external stimulus, we performed Ussing chamber experiments to test several peptide hormones and neurotransmitters for their effect on Na(+) transport across leech dorsal integument. Although all the peptide hormones under investigation significantly affected ion transport across leech integument, none of them mimicked the effect of an experimental rise in intracellular cyclic AMP level. The invertebrate peptides conopressin and angiotensin II amide inhibited short-circuit-current- (I(sc)) and amiloride-sensitive Na(+) transport (I(amil)), although to slightly different degrees. The vertebrate peptide hormones 8-arginine-vasopressin and 8-lysine-vasopressin both produced an inhibition of I(amil) comparable with that caused by angiotensin II amide. However, 8-lysine-vasopressin reduced I(sc), whereas 8-arginine-vasopressin induced a moderate increase in I(sc). The neurotransmitter dopamine, which occurs in the leech central nervous system in relatively large amounts, and its precursor l-dopamine both induced large decreases in I(sc) and I(amil). However, the reactions evoked by the catecholamines showed no pronounced similarity to the effects of intracellular cyclic AMP. Two other neurotransmitters known to occur in leeches, serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) and gamma-n-aminobutyric acid (GABA), had no influence on transepithelial ion transport in leech skin.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Milde
- Institute for Animal Physiology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Wartweg 95, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
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Fujino Y, Nagahama T, Oumi T, Ukena K, Morishita F, Furukawa Y, Matsushima O, Ando M, Takahama H, Satake H, Minakata H, Nomoto K. Possible functions of oxytocin/vasopressin-superfamily peptides in annelids with special reference to reproduction and osmoregulation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1999. [DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-010x(19990901)284:4<401::aid-jez6>3.0.co;2-u] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Satake H, Takuwa K, Minakata H, Matsushima O. Evidence for conservation of the vasopressin/oxytocin superfamily in Annelida. J Biol Chem 1999; 274:5605-11. [PMID: 10026177 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.274.9.5605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Annetocin is a structurally and functionally oxytocin-related peptide isolated from the earthworm Eisenia foetida. We present the characterization of the annetocin cDNA. Sequence analyses of the deduced precursor polypeptide revealed that the annetocin precursor is composed of three segments: a signal peptide, an annetocin sequence flanked by a Gly C-terminal amidation signal and a Lys-Arg dibasic processing site, and a neurophysin domain, similar to other oxytocin family precursors. The proannetocin showed 37.4-45.8% amino acid homology to other prohormones. In the neurophysin domain, 14 cysteines and amino acid residues essential for association of a neurophysin with a vasopressin/oxytocin superfamily peptide were conserved, suggesting that the Eisenia neurophysin can bind to annetocin. Furthermore, in situ hybridization experiments demonstrated that the annetocin gene is expressed exclusively in neurons of the central nervous system predicted to be involved in regulation of reproductive behavior. These findings confirm that annetocin is a member of the vasopressin/oxytocin superfamily. This is the first identification of the cDNA encoding the precursor of an invertebrate oxytocin-related peptide and also the first report of the identification of an annelid vasopressin/oxytocin-related precursor.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Satake
- Suntory Institute for Bioorganic Research, Wakayamadai 1-1-1, Shimamoto-cho, Mishima-gun, Osaka 618-8503, Japan
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van Kesteren RE, Geraerts WP. Molecular evolution of ligand-binding specificity in the vasopressin/oxytocin receptor family. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1998; 839:25-34. [PMID: 9629128 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1998.tb10728.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R E van Kesteren
- Graduate School Neurosciences Amsterdam, Institute of Neuroscience Vrije Universiteit, The Netherlands.
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Abstract
Examination of neuropeptide families can provide information about phyletic relationships and evolutionary processes. In this article the oxytocin/vasopressin family, growth hormone releasing factor (GRF) superfamily and the substance P/tachykinin family have been considered in detail because they have been isolated from an extraordinarily diverse array of species from several vertebrate classes and invertebrate phyla. More important is that the nucleotide sequence of mRNA or cDNA encoding many of these peptides has been determined, which has allowed evolutionary distances to be estimated based on the DNA mutation rate. The origin of a given family lies in a primordial gene that arose many millions of years ago, and through time, exon duplication and insertion, gene duplication, point mutation and exon loss, the family developed into the forms that are now recognised. For example, in birds, GRF and pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide (PACAP) are encoded by the same gene, which probably arose as a result of exon duplication and tandem insertion of the ancestral GRF gene. In mammals GRF is the sole product on one gene, and PACAP is the product of a gene that also produces PACAP-related peptide (PRP), which is homologous to GRF. Thus it appears that between birds and mammals the GRF/PACAP gene duplicated: exon loss gave rise to the mammalian GRF gene, while mutation led to the formation of the mammalian PRP/PACAP gene. The neuropeptide Y superfamily is considered briefly, as is cionin, which is an invertebrate peptide that is closely related to the mammalian gastrin/cholecystokinin family.
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Affiliation(s)
- C H Hoyle
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology and Centre for Neuroscience, University College London, UK.
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van Kesteren RE, Tensen CP, Smit AB, van Minnen J, Kolakowski LF, Meyerhof W, Richter D, van Heerikhuizen H, Vreugdenhil E, Geraerts WP. Co-evolution of ligand-receptor pairs in the vasopressin/oxytocin superfamily of bioactive peptides. J Biol Chem 1996; 271:3619-26. [PMID: 8631971 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.271.7.3619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In order to understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie the co-evolution of related yet functionally distinct peptide-receptor pairs, we study receptors for the vasopressin-related peptide Lys-conopressin in the mollusc Lymnaea stagnalis. In addition to a previously cloned Lys-conopressin receptor (LSCPR1), we have now identified a novel Lys-conopressin receptor subtype, named LSCPR2. The two receptors have a differential distribution in the reproductive organs and the brain, which suggests that they are involved in the control of distinct aspects of reproduction and mediate transmitter-like and/or modulatory effects of Lys-conopressin on different types of central neurons. In contrast to LSCPR1, LSCPR2 is maximally activated by both Lys-conopressin and Ile-conopressin, an oxytocin-like synthetic analog of Lys-conopressin. Together with a study of the phylogenetic relationships of Lys-conopressin receptors and their vertebrate counterparts, these data suggest that LSCPR2 represents an ancestral receptor to the vasopressin/oxytocin receptor family in the vertebrates. Based on our findings, we provide a theory of the molecular co-evolution of the functionally distinct ligand-receptor pairs of the vasopressin/oxytocin superfamily of bioactive peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- R E van Kesteren
- Department of Experimental Zoology, Graduate School of Neurosciences Amsterdam, Institute of Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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17
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van Kesteren RE, Tensen CP, Smit AB, van Minnen J, van Soest PF, Kits KS, Meyerhof W, Richter D, van Heerikhuizen H, Vreugdenhil E. A novel G protein-coupled receptor mediating both vasopressin- and oxytocin-like functions of Lys-conopressin in Lymnaea stagnalis. Neuron 1995; 15:897-908. [PMID: 7576638 DOI: 10.1016/0896-6273(95)90180-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
We have cloned a receptor, named LSCPR, for vasopressin-related Lys-conopressin in Lymnaea stagnalis. Lys-conopressin evokes Ca(2+)-dependent Cl- currents in Xenopus oocytes injected with LSCPR cRNA. Expression of LSCPR mRNA was detected in central neurons and peripheral muscles associated with reproduction. Upon application of Lys-conopressin, both neurons and muscle cells depolarize owing to an enhancement of voltage-dependent Ca2+ currents and start firing action potentials. Some neurons coexpress LSCPR and Lys-conopressin, suggesting an autotransmitter-like function for this peptide. Lys-conopressin also induces a depolarizing response in LSCPR-expressing neuroendocrine cells that control carbohydrate metabolism. Thus, in addition to oxytocin-like reproductive functions, LSCPR mediates vasopressin-like metabolic functions of Lys-conopressin as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- R E van Kesteren
- Department of Experimental Zoology, Graduate School of Neurosciences Amsterdam, Institute of Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Chauvet J, Michel G, Ouedraogo Y, Chou J, Chait BT, Acher R. A new neurohypophysial peptide, seritocin ([Ser5,Ile8]-oxytocin), identified in a dryness-resistant African toad, Bufo regularis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PEPTIDE AND PROTEIN RESEARCH 1995; 45:482-7. [PMID: 7591488 DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-3011.1995.tb01064.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
From the pituitary neurointermediate lobe of the African toad Bufo regularis, vasotocin, hydrin 2 (vasotocinyl-Gly) and a mesotocin-like peptide have been isolated by HPLC and characterized by mass spectrometry, amino acid sequence and chromatographic coelution with synthetic peptides. The mesotocin-like peptide has been identified as [Ser5,Ile8]-oxytocin in place of mesotocin ([Ile8]-oxytocin) found in all other amphibians investigated to date. The name seritocin is suggested. The molecule is virtually devoid of oxytocic activity on rat uterus in contrast to mesotocin. On the other hand, the molar ratio of hydrin 2 to vasotocin in the pituitary reaches 2, whereas it is about 1 in toads and frogs from temperate regions. B. regularis is an anuran species able to withstand a hot and dry season by burrowing. The possible relationship between occurrence of seritocin and adaptation to arid environment remains to be demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Chauvet
- Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, University of Paris VI, France
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Nielsen DB, Dykert J, Rivier JE, McIntosh JM. Isolation of Lys-conopressin-G from the venom of the worm-hunting snail, Conus imperialis. Toxicon 1994; 32:845-8. [PMID: 7940591 DOI: 10.1016/0041-0101(94)90009-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Vasopressin homologs have previously been isolated from the venom of fish-hunting cone snails. We investigated whether a vasopressin-like peptide is found in the worm-hunter, Conus imperialis. Using i.c. injections in mice, we isolated a peptide from the venom of C. imperialis which induces scratching and grooming behavior characteristic of the conopressins. Biochemical characterization showed that this peptide is identical to Lys-conopressin-G. The results led us to speculate that the vasopressin-like peptides in Conus venoms may be examples of an evolving conversion of endogenous peptides for specialized venom uses.
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Affiliation(s)
- D B Nielsen
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City 84112
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Salzet M, Bulet P, Van Dorsselaer A, Malecha J. Isolation, structural characterization and biological function of a lysine-conopressin in the central nervous system of the pharyngobdellid leech Erpobdella octoculata. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY 1993; 217:897-903. [PMID: 8223646 DOI: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1993.tb18319.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Several neuropeptides are suspected to act on the control of hydric balance in leeches. One of these peptides, a peptide immunoreactive to an antibody against oxytocin, was previously characterized from the central nervous system of the leech Erpobdella octoculata [Salzet, M., Wattez, C., Verger-Bocquet, M., Beauvillain, J.-C. & Malecha, J. (1993) Brain Res. 601, 173-184]. This paper reports the isolation from the central nervous system of E. octoculata of another peptide of the oxytocin/vasopressin family; a lysine-vasopressin-like molecule. Its purification was performed by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography combined with both dot immunobinding assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for lysine-vasopressin. The amino acid sequence was established by Edman degradation and confirmed by electrospray-mass-spectrometry measurement. The nonapeptide obtained corresponded to the lysine-conopressin previously isolated from the venom of the mollusc Conus geographus [Cruz, L. L., de Santos, V., Zafaralla, G. C., Ramilo, C. A., Zeikus, R., Gray, W. R. & Olivera, B. M. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 15821-15824]. In leeches, synthetic lysine-conopressin exerts a diuretic effect which can be compared to that of the arginine-vasopressin-like peptide isolated in the Insect Locusta migratoria [Proux, J., Miller, C. A., Li, J. P., Carney, R. L., Girardie, A., Delaage, M. & Schooley, D. A. (1987) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 149, 180-186].
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Affiliation(s)
- M Salzet
- Laboratoire de Phylogénie moléculaire des Annélides, ERS 20 CNRS, Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
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