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Wang Y, Liu X, Zheng Y, Yang Y, Chen M. Endocrine regulation of reproductive biology in echinoderms: An evolutionary perspective from closest marine invertebrate relatives to chordates. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2024; 580:112105. [PMID: 37952726 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2023.112105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Echinoderms are a phylum of invertebrate deuterostomes, which contain echinoids, asteroids, holothuroids, crinoids, and ophiuroids. Echinoderms have special evolutionary position and unique characteristics, including pentamerous radial body structure, elaborate calcareous endoskeletons, and versatile water vascular system. Echinoderms exhibit extraordinarily diverse reproductive modes: asexual reproduction, sexual reproduction, sexual reversal, etc. Endocrine regulation plays important well-known roles in sex differentiation, gonadal development and maturation, gametogenesis, and reproductive behavior in vertebrates. However, the entire picture of reproductive endocrinology in echinoderms as an evolutionary model of the closest marine invertebrate relatives to chordates has not been revealed. Here, we reviewed previous and recent research progress on reproductive endocrinology in echinoderms, mainly including two sections: Sex steroids in echinoderms and neuropeptide regulation in echinoderm reproduction. This review introduces a variety of endocrine regulatory mechanisms in reproductive biology of echinoderms. It discusses the vertebrate-like sex steroids, putative steroidogenic pathway and metabolism, and reproduction-related neuropeptides. The review will provide a deeper understanding about endocrine regulatory mechanisms of gonadal development in lower deuterostomes and the application of endocrine control in economic echinoderm species in aquaculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixin Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Xinghai Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Yingqiu Zheng
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Yujia Yang
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.
| | - Muyan Chen
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.
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Jönsson M, Morin M, Wang CK, Craik DJ, Degnan SM, Degnan BM. Sex-specific expression of pheromones and other signals in gravid starfish. BMC Biol 2022; 20:288. [PMID: 36528687 PMCID: PMC9759900 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01491-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many echinoderms form seasonal aggregations prior to spawning. In some fecund species, a spawning event can lead to population outbreaks with detrimental ecosystem impacts. For instance, outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS), a corallivore, can destroy coral reefs. Here, we examine the gene expression in gravid male and female COTS prior to spawning in the wild, to identify genome-encoded factors that may regulate aggregation and spawning. This study is informed by a previously identified exoproteome that attracts conspecifics. To capture the natural gene expression profiles, we isolated RNAs from gravid female and male COTS immediately after they were removed from the Great Barrier Reef. RESULTS: Sexually dimorphic gene expression is present in all seven somatic tissues and organs that we surveyed and in the gonads. Approximately 40% of the exoproteome transcripts are differentially expressed between sexes. Males uniquely upregulate an additional 68 secreted factors in their testes. A suite of neuropeptides in sensory organs, coelomocytes and gonads is differentially expressed between sexes, including the relaxin-like gonad-stimulating peptide and gonadotropin-releasing hormones. Female sensory tentacles-chemosensory organs at the distal tips of the starfish arms-uniquely upregulate diverse receptors and signalling molecules, including chemosensory G-protein-coupled receptors and several neuropeptides, including kisspeptin, SALMFamide and orexin. CONCLUSIONS Analysis of 103 tissue/organ transcriptomes from 13 wild COTS has revealed genes that are consistently differentially expressed between gravid females and males and that all tissues surveyed are sexually dimorphic at the molecular level. This finding is consistent with female and male COTS using sex-specific pheromones to regulate reproductive aggregations and synchronised spawning events. These pheromones appear to be received primarily by the sensory tentacles, which express a range of receptors and signalling molecules in a sex-specific manner. Furthermore, coelomocytes and gonads differentially express signalling and regulatory factors that control gametogenesis and spawning in other echinoderms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Jönsson
- grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Centre for Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Marie Morin
- grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Centre for Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Conan K. Wang
- grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Institute for Molecular Bioscience, ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Institute for Molecular Bioscience, ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Sandie M. Degnan
- grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Centre for Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Bernard M. Degnan
- grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Centre for Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
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Wang T, Cao Z, Shen Z, Yang J, Chen X, Yang Z, Xu K, Xiang X, Yu Q, Song Y, Wang W, Tian Y, Sun L, Zhang L, Guo S, Zhou N. Existence and functions of a kisspeptin neuropeptide signaling system in a non-chordate deuterostome species. eLife 2020; 9:53370. [PMID: 32513385 PMCID: PMC7282810 DOI: 10.7554/elife.53370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The kisspeptin system is a central modulator of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in vertebrates. Its existence outside the vertebrate lineage remains largely unknown. Here, we report the identification and characterization of the kisspeptin system in the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus. The gene encoding the kisspeptin precursor generates two mature neuropeptides, AjKiss1a and AjKiss1b. The receptors for these neuropeptides, AjKissR1 and AjKissR2, are strongly activated by synthetic A. japonicus and vertebrate kisspeptins, triggering a rapid intracellular mobilization of Ca2+, followed by receptor internalization. AjKissR1 and AjKissR2 share similar intracellular signaling pathways via Gαq/PLC/PKC/MAPK cascade, when activated by C-terminal decapeptide. The A. japonicus kisspeptin system functions in multiple tissues that are closely related to seasonal reproduction and metabolism. Overall, our findings uncover for the first time the existence and function of the kisspeptin system in a non-chordate species and provide new evidence to support the ancient origin of intracellular signaling and physiological functions that are mediated by this molecular system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianming Wang
- National Engineering Research Center of Marine Facilities Aquaculture, Marine Science College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China.,Programs in Human Genetics and Biological Sciences, Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Zheng Cao
- Institute of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhangfei Shen
- Institute of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jingwen Yang
- National Engineering Research Center of Marine Facilities Aquaculture, Marine Science College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China.,Programs in Human Genetics and Biological Sciences, Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Xu Chen
- National Engineering Research Center of Marine Facilities Aquaculture, Marine Science College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Zhen Yang
- National Engineering Research Center of Marine Facilities Aquaculture, Marine Science College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Ke Xu
- National Engineering Research Center of Marine Facilities Aquaculture, Marine Science College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Xiaowei Xiang
- National Engineering Research Center of Marine Facilities Aquaculture, Marine Science College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Qiuhan Yu
- National Engineering Research Center of Marine Facilities Aquaculture, Marine Science College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Yimin Song
- National Engineering Research Center of Marine Facilities Aquaculture, Marine Science College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Weiwei Wang
- Institute of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yanan Tian
- Institute of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lina Sun
- Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Libin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China.,Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Su Guo
- Programs in Human Genetics and Biological Sciences, Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Naiming Zhou
- Institute of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Monroe EB, Annangudi SP, Wadhams AA, Richmond TA, Yang N, Southey BR, Romanova EV, Schoofs L, Baggerman G, Sweedler JV. Exploring the Sea Urchin Neuropeptide Landscape by Mass Spectrometry. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2018; 29:923-934. [PMID: 29667164 PMCID: PMC5943159 DOI: 10.1007/s13361-018-1898-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Revised: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 12/16/2017] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Neuropeptides are essential cell-to-cell signaling messengers and serve important regulatory roles in animals. Although remarkable progress has been made in peptide identification across the Metazoa, for some phyla such as Echinodermata, limited neuropeptides are known and even fewer have been verified on the protein level. We employed peptidomic approaches using bioinformatics and mass spectrometry (MS) to experimentally confirm 23 prohormones and to characterize a new prohormone in nervous system tissue from Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, the purple sea urchin. Ninety-three distinct peptides from known and novel prohormones were detected with MS from extracts of the radial nerves, many of which are reported or experimentally confirmed here for the first time, representing a large-scale study of neuropeptides from the phylum Echinodermata. Many of the identified peptides and their precursor proteins have low homology to known prohormones from other species/phyla and are unique to the sea urchin. By pairing bioinformatics with MS, the capacity to characterize novel peptides and annotate prohormone genes is enhanced. Graphical Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric B Monroe
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Suresh P Annangudi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Andinet A Wadhams
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Timothy A Richmond
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Ning Yang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Bruce R Southey
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Elena V Romanova
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Liliane Schoofs
- Functional Genomics and Proteomics Unit, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Geert Baggerman
- ProMeta Interfacultary Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jonathan V Sweedler
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
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5
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Semmens DC, Mirabeau O, Moghul I, Pancholi MR, Wurm Y, Elphick MR. Transcriptomic identification of starfish neuropeptide precursors yields new insights into neuropeptide evolution. Open Biol 2016; 6:150224. [PMID: 26865025 PMCID: PMC4772807 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.150224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptides are evolutionarily ancient mediators of neuronal signalling in nervous systems. With recent advances in genomics/transcriptomics, an increasingly wide range of species has become accessible for molecular analysis. The deuterostomian invertebrates are of particular interest in this regard because they occupy an ‘intermediate' position in animal phylogeny, bridging the gap between the well-studied model protostomian invertebrates (e.g. Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans) and the vertebrates. Here we have identified 40 neuropeptide precursors in the starfish Asterias rubens, a deuterostomian invertebrate from the phylum Echinodermata. Importantly, these include kisspeptin-type and melanin-concentrating hormone-type precursors, which are the first to be discovered in a non-chordate species. Starfish tachykinin-type, somatostatin-type, pigment-dispersing factor-type and corticotropin-releasing hormone-type precursors are the first to be discovered in the echinoderm/ambulacrarian clade of the animal kingdom. Other precursors identified include vasopressin/oxytocin-type, gonadotropin-releasing hormone-type, thyrotropin-releasing hormone-type, calcitonin-type, cholecystokinin/gastrin-type, orexin-type, luqin-type, pedal peptide/orcokinin-type, glycoprotein hormone-type, bursicon-type, relaxin-type and insulin-like growth factor-type precursors. This is the most comprehensive identification of neuropeptide precursor proteins in an echinoderm to date, yielding new insights into the evolution of neuropeptide signalling systems. Furthermore, these data provide a basis for experimental analysis of neuropeptide function in the unique context of the decentralized, pentaradial echinoderm bauplan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dean C Semmens
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Olivier Mirabeau
- Institut Curie, Genetics and Biology of Cancers Unit, INSERM U830, PSL Research University, Paris 75005, France
| | - Ismail Moghul
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Mahesh R Pancholi
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Yannick Wurm
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Maurice R Elphick
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
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6
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Rousseau K, Dufour S, Vaudry H. Editorial: A Comparative Survey of the RF-Amide Peptide Superfamily. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2015; 6:120. [PMID: 26322015 PMCID: PMC4530588 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2015.00120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2015] [Accepted: 07/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Karine Rousseau
- Laboratory of Biology of Aquatic Organisms and Ecosystems (BOREA), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS 7208, IRD 207, Université Pierre and Marie Curie, UCBN, Paris, France
- *Correspondence: Karine Rousseau,
| | - Sylvie Dufour
- Laboratory of Biology of Aquatic Organisms and Ecosystems (BOREA), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS 7208, IRD 207, Université Pierre and Marie Curie, UCBN, Paris, France
| | - Hubert Vaudry
- Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication, INSERM U982, International Associated Laboratory Samuel de Champlain, Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedicine (IRIB), University of Rouen, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
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7
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Elphick MR. SALMFamide salmagundi: the biology of a neuropeptide family in echinoderms. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2014; 205:23-35. [PMID: 24583124 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2014.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2013] [Revised: 02/14/2014] [Accepted: 02/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The SALMFamides are a family of neuropeptides that occur in species belonging to the phylum Echinodermata. The prototypes for this neuropeptide family (S1 and S2) were discovered in starfish but subsequently SALMFamides were identified in other echinoderms. There are two types of SALMFamides: L-type, which have the C-terminal motif SxLxFamide, and F-type, which have the C-terminal motif SxFxFamide. They are derived from two types of precursor proteins: an L-type SALMFamide precursor, which comprises only L-type or L-type-like SALMFamides and an F-type SALMFamide precursor, which contains several F-type or F-type-like SALMFamides and, typically, one or more L-type SALMFamides. Thus, SALMFamides occur as heterogeneous mixtures of neuropeptides - a SALMFamide salmagundi. SALMFamides are produced by distinct populations of neurons in echinoderm larval and adult nervous systems and are present in the innervation of neuromuscular organs. Both L-type and F-type SALMFamides cause muscle relaxation in echinoderms and, for example, in starfish this effect of SALMFamides may mediate neural control of cardiac stomach eversion in species that feed extra-orally (e.g., Asterias rubens). The SALMFamide S1 also causes inhibition of neural release of a relaxin-like gonadotropin in the starfish Asterina pectinifera. An important issue that remains to be resolved are the relationships of SALMFamides with neuropeptides that have been identified in other phyla. However, it has been noted that the C-terminal SxLxFamide motif of L-type SALMFamides is a feature of some members of a bilaterian neuropeptide family that includes gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) in vertebrates and SIFamide-type neuropeptides in protostomes. Similarly, the C-terminal FxFamide motif of F-type SALMFamides is a feature of vertebrate QRFP (26RFa)-type neuropeptides. These sequence similarities may provide a basis for molecular identification of receptors that mediate effects of SALMFamides. Furthermore, analysis of the actions of the heterogeneous mixtures of SALMFamides that occur in echinoderms may provide new insights into the physiological significance of the general phenomenon of precursor proteins that give rise to neuropeptide "cocktails".
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurice R Elphick
- Queen Mary University of London, School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK.
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8
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Bioactivity and structural properties of chimeric analogs of the starfish SALMFamide neuropeptides S1 and S2. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2014; 1844:1842-50. [PMID: 25110179 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2014.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2014] [Revised: 07/30/2014] [Accepted: 08/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The starfish SALMFamide neuropeptides S1 (GFNSALMFamide) and S2 (SGPYSFNSGLTFamide) are the prototypical members of a family of neuropeptides that act as muscle relaxants in echinoderms. Comparison of the bioactivity of S1 and S2 as muscle relaxants has revealed that S2 is ten times more potent than S1. Here we investigated a structural basis for this difference in potency by comparing the bioactivity and solution conformations (using NMR and CD spectroscopy) of S1 and S2 with three chimeric analogs of these peptides. A peptide comprising S1 with the addition of S2's N-terminal tetrapeptide (Long S1 or LS1; SGPYGFNSALMFamide) was not significantly different to S1 in its bioactivity and did not exhibit concentration-dependent structuring seen with S2. An analog of S1 with its penultimate residue substituted from S2 (S1(T); GFNSALTFamide) exhibited S1-like bioactivity and structure. However, an analog of S2 with its penultimate residue substituted from S1 (S2(M); SGPYSFNSGLMFamide) exhibited loss of S2-type bioactivity and structural properties. Collectively, our data indicate that the C-terminal regions of S1 and S2 are the key determinants of their differing bioactivity. However, the N-terminal region of S2 may influence its bioactivity by conferring structural stability in solution. Thus, analysis of chimeric SALMFamides has revealed how neuropeptide bioactivity is determined by a complex interplay of sequence and conformation.
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Structural analysis of the starfish SALMFamide neuropeptides S1 and S2: The N-terminal region of S2 facilitates self-association. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2014; 1844:358-65. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2013.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2013] [Revised: 10/22/2013] [Accepted: 10/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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10
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Rowe ML, Achhala S, Elphick MR. Neuropeptides and polypeptide hormones in echinoderms: new insights from analysis of the transcriptome of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2014; 197:43-55. [PMID: 24345384 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2013.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2013] [Revised: 12/03/2013] [Accepted: 12/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Echinoderms are of special interest for studies in comparative endocrinology because of their phylogenetic position in the animal kingdom as deuterostomian invertebrates. Furthermore, their pentaradial symmetry as adult animals provides a unique context for analysis of the physiological and behavioral roles of peptide signaling systems. Here we report the first extensive survey of neuropeptide and peptide hormone precursors in a species belonging to the class Holothuroidea. Transcriptome sequence data obtained from the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus were analyzed to identify homologs of precursor proteins that have recently been identified in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (class Echinoidea). A total of 17 precursor proteins have been identified in A. japonicus, including precursors of peptides related to thyrotropin-releasing hormone, pedal peptide/orcokinin-type peptides, AN peptides/tachykinins, luqins, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), GPA2-type glycoprotein hormone subunits and bursicon. In addition, an unusual finding was an A. japonicus calcitonin-type precursor protein (AjCTLPP), the first to be discovered that comprises two calcitonin-like peptides; this contrasts with the products of the alternatively-spliced calcitonin/CGRP gene in vertebrates, which comprise either calcitonin or CGRP. Collectively, the data obtained provide new insights on the evolution and diversity of neuropeptides and polypeptide hormones. Furthermore, because A. japonicus is one of several sea cucumber species that are used for human consumption, our findings may have practical and economic impact by providing a basis for neuroendocrine-based strategies to improve methods of aquaculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew L Rowe
- Queen Mary University of London, School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Sufyan Achhala
- Queen Mary University of London, School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Maurice R Elphick
- Queen Mary University of London, School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK.
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Elphick MR, Mirabeau O. The Evolution and Variety of RFamide-Type Neuropeptides: Insights from Deuterostomian Invertebrates. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2014; 5:93. [PMID: 24994999 PMCID: PMC4062910 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2014.00093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2014] [Accepted: 06/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Five families of neuropeptides that have a C-terminal RFamide motif have been identified in vertebrates: (1) gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH), (2) neuropeptide FF (NPFF), (3) pyroglutamylated RFamide peptide (QRFP), (4) prolactin-releasing peptide (PrRP), and (5) Kisspeptin. Experimental demonstration of neuropeptide-receptor pairings combined with comprehensive analysis of genomic and/or transcriptomic sequence data indicate that, with the exception of the deuterostomian PrRP system, the evolutionary origins of these neuropeptides can be traced back to the common ancestor of bilaterians. Here, we review the occurrence of homologs of vertebrate RFamide-type neuropeptides and their receptors in deuterostomian invertebrates - urochordates, cephalochordates, hemichordates, and echinoderms. Extending analysis of the occurrence of the RFamide motif in other bilaterian neuropeptide families reveals RFamide-type peptides that have acquired modified C-terminal characteristics in the vertebrate lineage (e.g., NPY/NPF), neuropeptide families where the RFamide motif is unique to protostomian members (e.g., CCK/sulfakinins), and RFamide-type peptides that have been lost in the vertebrate lineage (e.g., luqins). Furthermore, the RFamide motif is also a feature of neuropeptide families with a more restricted phylogenetic distribution (e.g., the prototypical FMRFamide-related neuropeptides in protostomes). Thus, the RFamide motif is both an ancient and a convergent feature of neuropeptides, with conservation, acquisition, or loss of this motif occurring in different branches of the animal kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurice R. Elphick
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- *Correspondence: Maurice R. Elphick, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK e-mail:
| | - Olivier Mirabeau
- Institut Curie, Cancer Genetics Unit, Inserm U830, Paris, France
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