1
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Lone JB, Long JZ, Svensson KJ. Size matters: the biochemical logic of ligand type in endocrine crosstalk. LIFE METABOLISM 2024; 3:load048. [PMID: 38425548 PMCID: PMC10904031 DOI: 10.1093/lifemeta/load048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
The endocrine system is a fundamental type of long-range cell-cell communication that is important for maintaining metabolism, physiology, and other aspects of organismal homeostasis. Endocrine signaling is mediated by diverse blood-borne ligands, also called hormones, including metabolites, lipids, steroids, peptides, and proteins. The size and structure of these hormones are fine-tuned to make them bioactive, responsive, and adaptable to meet the demands of changing environments. Why has nature selected such diverse ligand types to mediate communication in the endocrine system? What is the chemical, signaling, or physiologic logic of these ligands? What fundamental principles from our knowledge of endocrine communication can be applied as we continue as a field to uncover additional new circulating molecules that are claimed to mediate long-range cell and tissue crosstalk? This review provides a framework based on the biochemical logic behind this crosstalk with respect to their chemistry, temporal regulation in physiology, specificity, signaling actions, and evolutionary development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jameel Barkat Lone
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jonathan Z. Long
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Stanford Diabetes Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Katrin J. Svensson
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Stanford Diabetes Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, CA 94305, USA
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2
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Liu H, Chen M. Morphology and Chemical Messenger Regulation of Echinoderm Muscles. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1349. [PMID: 37887059 PMCID: PMC10603993 DOI: 10.3390/biology12101349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
The muscular systems of echinoderms play important roles in various physiological and behavioral processes, including feeding, reproduction, movement, respiration, and excretion. Like vertebrates, echinoderm muscle systems can be subdivided into two major divisions, somatic and visceral musculature. The former usually has a myoepithelial organization, while the latter contains muscle bundles formed by the aggregation of myocytes. Neurons and their processes are also detected between these myoepithelial cells and myocytes, which are capable of releasing a variety of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides to regulate muscle activity. Although many studies have reported the pharmacological effects of these chemical messengers on various muscles of echinoderms, there has been limited research on their receptors and their signaling pathways. The muscle physiology of echinoderms is similar to that of chordates, both of which have the deuterostome mode of development. Studies of muscle regulation in echinoderms can provide new insights into the evolution of myoregulatory systems in deuterostomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Muyan Chen
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China;
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3
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Quinn J, Ethier EC, Novielli A, Malone A, Ramirez CE, Salloum L, Trombetta BA, Kivisäkk P, Bremang M, Selzer S, Fournier M, Das S, Xing Y, Arnold SE, Carlyle BC. Cerebrospinal Fluid and Brain Proteoforms of the Granin Neuropeptide Family in Alzheimer's Disease. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2023; 34:649-667. [PMID: 36912488 PMCID: PMC10080684 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.2c00341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The granin neuropeptide family is composed of acidic secretory signaling molecules that act throughout the nervous system to help modulate synaptic signaling and neural activity. Granin neuropeptides have been shown to be dysregulated in different forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent studies have suggested that the granin neuropeptides and their protease-cleaved bioactive peptides (proteoforms) may act as both powerful drivers of gene expression and as a biomarker of synaptic health in AD. The complexity of granin proteoforms in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and brain tissue has not been directly addressed. We developed a reliable nontryptic mass spectrometry assay to comprehensively map and quantify endogenous neuropeptide proteoforms in the brain and CSF of individuals diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment and dementia due to AD compared to healthy controls, individuals with preserved cognition despite AD pathology ("Resilient"), and those with impaired cognition but no AD or other discernible pathology ("Frail"). We drew associations between neuropeptide proteoforms, cognitive status, and AD pathology values. Decreased levels of VGF proteoforms were observed in CSF and brain tissue from individuals with AD compared to controls, while select proteoforms from chromogranin A showed the opposite effect. To address mechanisms of neuropeptide proteoform regulation, we showed that the proteases Calpain-1 and Cathepsin S can cleave chromogranin A, secretogranin-1, and VGF into proteoforms found in both the brain and CSF. We were unable to demonstrate differences in protease abundance in protein extracts from matched brains, suggesting that regulation may occur at the level of transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- James
P. Quinn
- Massachusetts
General Hospital Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Elizabeth C. Ethier
- Massachusetts
General Hospital Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Angelo Novielli
- Massachusetts
General Hospital Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Aygul Malone
- Advanced
Proteomics Facility, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher E. Ramirez
- Massachusetts
General Hospital Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Lauren Salloum
- Massachusetts
General Hospital Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Bianca A. Trombetta
- Massachusetts
General Hospital Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Pia Kivisäkk
- Massachusetts
General Hospital Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Michael Bremang
- Proteome
Sciences LLC, Frankfurt am Main, Hessen 60438, Germany
| | - Stefan Selzer
- Proteome
Sciences LLC, Frankfurt am Main, Hessen 60438, Germany
| | - Marjorie Fournier
- Advanced
Proteomics Facility, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
| | - Sudeshna Das
- Massachusetts
General Hospital Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Yaoyi Xing
- Department
of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics, University
of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
- Kavli
Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University
of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, United
Kingdom
| | - Steven E. Arnold
- Massachusetts
General Hospital Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Becky C. Carlyle
- Massachusetts
General Hospital Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, United States
- Department
of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics, University
of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
- Kavli
Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University
of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, United
Kingdom
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4
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Thomas G, Couture F, Kwiatkowska A. The Path to Therapeutic Furin Inhibitors: From Yeast Pheromones to SARS-CoV-2. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:3435. [PMID: 35408793 PMCID: PMC8999023 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The spurious acquisition and optimization of a furin cleavage site in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is associated with increased viral transmission and disease, and has generated intense interest in the development and application of therapeutic furin inhibitors to thwart the COVID-19 pandemic. This review summarizes the seminal studies that informed current efforts to inhibit furin. These include the convergent efforts of endocrinologists, virologists, and yeast geneticists that, together, culminated in the discovery of furin. We describe the pioneering biochemical studies which led to the first furin inhibitors that were able to block the disease pathways which are broadly critical for pathogen virulence, tumor invasiveness, and atherosclerosis. We then summarize how these studies subsequently informed current strategies leading to the development of small-molecule furin inhibitors as potential therapies to combat SARS-CoV-2 and other diseases that rely on furin for their pathogenicity and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary Thomas
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - Frédéric Couture
- TransBIOTech, Lévis, QC G6V 6Z3, Canada;
- Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Laval University, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Intégré de Santé et de Services Sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches, Lévis, QC G6V 3Z1, Canada
| | - Anna Kwiatkowska
- Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada
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5
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Lyapina I, Ivanov V, Fesenko I. Peptidome: Chaos or Inevitability. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:13128. [PMID: 34884929 PMCID: PMC8658490 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222313128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Thousands of naturally occurring peptides differing in their origin, abundance and possible functions have been identified in the tissue and biological fluids of vertebrates, insects, fungi, plants and bacteria. These peptide pools are referred to as intracellular or extracellular peptidomes, and besides a small proportion of well-characterized peptide hormones and defense peptides, are poorly characterized. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that unknown bioactive peptides are hidden in the peptidomes of different organisms. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms of generation and properties of peptidomes across different organisms. Based on their origin, we propose three large peptide groups-functional protein "degradome", small open reading frame (smORF)-encoded peptides (smORFome) and specific precursor-derived peptides. The composition of peptide pools identified by mass-spectrometry analysis in human cells, plants, yeast and bacteria is compared and discussed. The functions of different peptide groups, for example the role of the "degradome" in promoting defense signaling, are also considered.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Igor Fesenko
- Department of Functional Genomics and Proteomics of Plants, Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (I.L.); (V.I.)
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6
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Zhuang X, Cheng CHC. Propagation of a De Novo Gene under Natural Selection: Antifreeze Glycoprotein Genes and Their Evolutionary History in Codfishes. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12111777. [PMID: 34828383 PMCID: PMC8622921 DOI: 10.3390/genes12111777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The de novo birth of functional genes from non-coding DNA as an important contributor to new gene formation is increasingly supported by evidence from diverse eukaryotic lineages. However, many uncertainties remain, including how the incipient de novo genes would continue to evolve and the molecular mechanisms underlying their evolutionary trajectory. Here we address these questions by investigating evolutionary history of the de novo antifreeze glycoprotein (AFGP) gene and gene family in gadid (codfish) lineages. We examined AFGP phenotype on a phylogenetic framework encompassing a broad sampling of gadids from freezing and non-freezing habitats. In three select species representing different AFGP-bearing clades, we analyzed all AFGP gene family members and the broader scale AFGP genomic regions in detail. Codon usage analyses suggest that motif duplication produced the intragenic AFGP tripeptide coding repeats, and rapid sequence divergence post-duplication stabilized the recombination-prone long repetitive coding region. Genomic loci analyses support AFGP originated once from a single ancestral genomic origin, and shed light on how the de novo gene proliferated into a gene family. Results also show the processes of gene duplication and gene loss are distinctive in separate clades, and both genotype and phenotype are commensurate with differential local selective pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Zhuang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
- Correspondence: (X.Z.); (C.-H.C.C.)
| | - C.-H. Christina Cheng
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
- Correspondence: (X.Z.); (C.-H.C.C.)
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7
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He D, Cao Z, Zhang R, Li W. Molecular Cloning and Functional Identification of the Antimicrobial Peptide Gene Ctri9594 from the Venom of the Scorpion Chaerilus tricostatus. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:antibiotics10080896. [PMID: 34438946 PMCID: PMC8388681 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10080896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Scorpion venom is a mixture of bioactive peptides, among which neurotoxins and antimicrobial peptides serve especially vital functions. Scorpion venom peptides in Buthidae species have been well described, but toxic peptides from non-Buthidae species have been under-investigated. Here, an antimicrobial peptide gene, Ctri9594, was cloned and functionally identified from the venom of the scorpion Chaerilus tricostatus. The precursor nucleotide sequence of Ctri9594 is 199 nt in length, including a 43 nt 5′ UTR, 115 nt 3′ UTR and 210 nt ORF. The ORF encodes 69 amino acid residues, containing a 21 aa signal peptide, 14 aa mature peptide, 3 aa C-terminal posttranslational processing signal and 31 aa propeptide. Multiple sequence alignment and evolutionary analyses show that Ctri9594 is an antimicrobial peptide in scorpion venom. The mature peptide of Ctri9594 was chemically synthesized with a purity greater than 95% and a molecular mass of 1484.4 Da. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) indicate that the synthesized mature peptide of Ctri9594 has inhibitory activity against Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus thuringensis, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Micrococcus luteus) but not Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) or a fungus (Candida albicans). The antimicrobial mechanism of Ctri9594 is inferred to be related to its amphiphilic α-helix structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dangui He
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China;
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China;
| | - Zhijian Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China;
| | - Ruhong Zhang
- Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430200, China
- Correspondence: (R.Z.); (W.L.)
| | - Wenhua Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China;
- Correspondence: (R.Z.); (W.L.)
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8
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Kotwica-Rolinska J, Krištofová L, Chvalová D, Pauchová L, Provazník J, Hejníková M, Sehadová H, Lichý M, Vaněčková H, Doležel D. Functional analysis and localisation of a thyrotropin-releasing hormone-type neuropeptide (EFLa) in hemipteran insects. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 122:103376. [PMID: 32339620 PMCID: PMC7294237 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2020.103376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2019] [Revised: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
EFLamide (EFLa) is a neuropeptide known for a long time from crustaceans, chelicerates and myriapods. Recently, EFLa-encoding genes were identified in the genomes of apterygote hexapods including basal insect species. In pterygote insects, however, evidence of EFLa was limited to partial sequences in the bed bug (Cimex), migratory locust and a few phasmid species. Here we present identification of a full length EFLa-encoding transcript in the linden bug, Pyrrhocoris apterus (Heteroptera). We created complete null mutants allowing unambiguous anatomical location of this peptide in the central nervous system. Only 2-3 EFLa-expressing cells are located very close to each other near to the surface of the lateral protocerebrum with dense neuronal arborization. Homozygous null EFLa mutants are fully viable and do not have any visible defect in development, reproduction, lifespan, diapause induction or circadian rhythmicity. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that EFLa-encoding transcripts are produced by alternative splicing of a gene that also produces Prohormone-4. However, this Proh-4/EFLa connection is found only in Hemiptera and Locusta, whereas EFLa-encoding transcripts in apterygote hexapods, chelicerates and crustaceans are clearly distinct from Proh-4 genes. The exact mechanism leading to the fused Proh-4/EFLa transcript is not yet determined, and might be a result of canonical cis-splicing, cis-splicing of adjacent genes (cis-SAG), or trans-splicing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Kotwica-Rolinska
- Biology Center of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Entomology, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Krištofová
- Biology Center of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Entomology, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Daniela Chvalová
- Biology Center of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Entomology, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Pauchová
- Biology Center of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Entomology, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Provazník
- Biology Center of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Entomology, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Markéta Hejníková
- Biology Center of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Entomology, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Sehadová
- Biology Center of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Entomology, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Lichý
- Biology Center of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Entomology, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Vaněčková
- Biology Center of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Entomology, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - David Doležel
- Biology Center of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Entomology, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
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9
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Singaram K, Gold-Smith FD, Petrov MS. Motilin: a panoply of communications between the gut, brain, and pancreas. Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2020; 14:103-111. [PMID: 31996050 DOI: 10.1080/17474124.2020.1718492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Motilin was first alluded to nearly a century ago. But it remains a rather abstruse peptide, in the shadow of its younger but more lucid 'cousin' ghrelin.Areas covered: The review aimed to bring to the fore multifarious aspects of motilin research with a view to aiding prioritization of future studies on this gastrointestinal peptide.Expert opinion: Growing evidence indicates that rodents (mice, rats, guinea pigs) do not have functional motilin system and, hence, studies in these species are likely to have a minimal translational impact. Both the active peptide and motilin receptor were initially localized to the upper gastrointestinal tract only but more recently - also to the brain (in both humans and other mammals with functional motilin system). Motilin is now indisputably implicated in interdigestive contractile activity of the gastrointestinal tract (in particular, gastric phase III of the migrating motor complex). Beyond this role, evidence is building that there is a cross-talk between motilin system and the brain-pancreas axis, suggesting that motilin exerts not only contractile but also orexigenic and insulin secretagogue actions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Maxim S Petrov
- School of Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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10
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Corbière A, Vaudry H, Chan P, Walet-Balieu ML, Lecroq T, Lefebvre A, Pineau C, Vaudry D. Strategies for the Identification of Bioactive Neuropeptides in Vertebrates. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:948. [PMID: 31619945 PMCID: PMC6759750 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptides exert essential functions in animal physiology by controlling e.g., reproduction, development, growth, energy homeostasis, cardiovascular activity and stress response. Thus, identification of neuropeptides has been a very active field of research over the last decades. This review article presents the various methods used to discover novel bioactive peptides in vertebrates. Initially identified on the basis of their biological activity, some neuropeptides have also been discovered for their ability to bind/activate a specific receptor or based on their biochemical characteristics such as C-terminal amidation which concerns half of the known neuropeptides. More recently, sequencing of the genome of many representative species has facilitated peptidomic approaches using mass spectrometry and in silico screening of genomic libraries. Through these different approaches, more than a hundred of bioactive neuropeptides have already been identified in vertebrates. Nevertheless, researchers continue to find new neuropeptides or to identify novel functions of neuropeptides that had not been detected previously, as it was recently the case for nociceptin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Auriane Corbière
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, Inserm, Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Communication and Differentiation, Neuropeptides, Neuronal Death and Cell Plasticity Team, Rouen, France
| | - Hubert Vaudry
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, Inserm, Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Communication and Differentiation, Neuropeptides, Neuronal Death and Cell Plasticity Team, Rouen, France.,Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, Regional Cell Imaging Platform of Normandy (PRIMACEN), Rouen, France
| | - Philippe Chan
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, Rouen Proteomic Platform (PISSARO), Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedicine (IRIB), Rouen, France
| | - Marie-Laure Walet-Balieu
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, Rouen Proteomic Platform (PISSARO), Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedicine (IRIB), Rouen, France
| | - Thierry Lecroq
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, LITIS EA 4108, Information Processing in Biology & Health, Rouen, France
| | - Arnaud Lefebvre
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, LITIS EA 4108, Information Processing in Biology & Health, Rouen, France
| | | | - David Vaudry
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, Inserm, Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Communication and Differentiation, Neuropeptides, Neuronal Death and Cell Plasticity Team, Rouen, France.,Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, Regional Cell Imaging Platform of Normandy (PRIMACEN), Rouen, France.,Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, Rouen Proteomic Platform (PISSARO), Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedicine (IRIB), Rouen, France
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11
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Chen M, Talarovicova A, Zheng Y, Storey KB, Elphick MR. Neuropeptide precursors and neuropeptides in the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus: a genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic analysis. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8829. [PMID: 31222106 PMCID: PMC6586643 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45271-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus is a foodstuff with very high economic value in China, Japan and other countries in south-east Asia. It is at the heart of a multibillion-dollar industry and to meet demand for this product, aquaculture methods and facilities have been established. However, there are challenges associated with optimization of reproduction, feeding and growth in non-natural environments. Therefore, we need to learn more about the biology of A. japonicus, including processes such as aestivation, evisceration, regeneration and albinism. One of the major classes of molecules that regulate physiology and behaviour in animals are neuropeptides, and a few bioactive peptides have already been identified in A. japonicus. To facilitate more comprehensive investigations of neuropeptide function in A. japonicus, here we have analysed genomic and transcriptomic sequence data and proteomic data to identify neuropeptide precursors and neuropeptides in this species. We identified 44 transcripts encoding neuropeptide precursors or putative neuropeptide precursors, and in some instances neuropeptides derived from these precursors were confirmed by mass spectrometry. Furthermore, analysis of genomic sequence data enabled identification of the location of neuropeptide precursor genes on genomic scaffolds and linkage groups (chromosomes) and determination of gene structure. Many of the precursors identified contain homologs of neuropeptides that have been identified in other bilaterian animals. Precursors of neuropeptides that have thus far only been identified in echinoderms were identified, including L- and F-type SALMFamides, AN peptides and others. Precursors of several peptides that act as modulators of neuromuscular activity in A. japonicus were also identified. The discovery of a large repertoire of neuropeptide precursors and neuropeptides provides a basis for experimental studies that investigate the physiological roles of neuropeptide signaling systems in A. japonicus. Looking ahead, some of these neuropeptides may have effects that could be harnessed to enable improvements in the aquaculture of this economically important species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muyan Chen
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, PR, China.
| | - Alzbeta Talarovicova
- School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Yingqiu Zheng
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, PR, China
| | - Kenneth B Storey
- Institute of Biochemistry, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Maurice R Elphick
- School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK.
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12
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De Oliveira AL, Calcino A, Wanninger A. Extensive conservation of the proneuropeptide and peptide prohormone complement in mollusks. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4846. [PMID: 30890731 PMCID: PMC6425005 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40949-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
As one of the most diverse groups of invertebrate animals, mollusks represent powerful models for neurobiological and developmental studies. Neuropeptides and peptide hormones are a heterogeneous class of signalling molecules involved in chemical communication between neurons and in neuroendocrine regulation. Here we present a fine-grained view of the molluscan neuropeptide and peptide hormone toolkit. Our results expand the distribution of several peptide families (e.g., prokineticin, insulin-related peptides, prohormone-4, LFRFamide) within Lophotrochozoa and provide evidence for an early origin of others (e.g., GNXQN/prohormone-2, neuroparsin). We identified a new peptide family broadly distributed among conchiferan mollusks, the PXRX family. We found the Wnt antagonist dickkopf1/2/4 ortholog in lophotrochozoans and nematodes and reveal that the egg-laying hormone family is a DH44 homolog restricted to gastropods. Our data demonstrate that numerous peptides evolved much earlier than previously assumed and that key signalling elements are extensively conserved among extant mollusks.
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Affiliation(s)
- A L De Oliveira
- Department of Integrative Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - A Calcino
- Department of Integrative Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - A Wanninger
- Department of Integrative Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, Vienna, 1090, Austria.
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13
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Mamedov T, Musayeva I, Acsora R, Gun N, Gulec B, Mammadova G, Cicek K, Hasanova G. Engineering, and production of functionally active human Furin in N. benthamiana plant: In vivo post-translational processing of target proteins by Furin in plants. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213438. [PMID: 30861020 PMCID: PMC6413912 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A plant expression platform with eukaryotic post-translational modification (PTM) machinery has many advantages compared to other protein expression systems. This promising technology is useful for the production of a variety of recombinant proteins including, therapeutic proteins, vaccine antigens, native additives, and industrial enzymes. However, plants lack some of the important PTMs, including furin processing, which limits this system for the production of certain mammalian complex proteins of therapeutic value. Furin is a ubiquitous proprotein convertase that is involved in the processing (activation) of a wide variety of precursor proteins, including blood coagulation factors, cell surface receptors, hormones and growth factors, viral envelope glycoproteins, etc. and plays a critical regulatory role in a wide variety of cellular events. In this study, we engineered the human furin gene for expression in plants and demonstrated the production of a functional active recombinant truncated human furin in N. benthamiana plant. We demonstrate that plant produced human furin is highly active both in vivo and in vitro and specifically cleaved the tested target proteins, Factor IX (FIX) and Protective Antigen (PA83). We also demonstrate that both, enzymatic deglycosylation and proteolytic processing of target proteins can be achieved in vivo by co-expression of deglycosylating and furin cleavage enzymes in a single cell to produce deglycosylated and furin processed target proteins. It is highly expected that this strategy will have many potential applications in pharmaceutical industry and can be used to produce safe and affordable therapeutic proteins, antibodies, and vaccines using a plant expression system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarlan Mamedov
- Akdeniz University, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Antalya, Turkey
- Azerbaijan National Academy of Science, Department of Biology and Medical Science, Baku, Azerbaijan
| | - Ilaha Musayeva
- Akdeniz University, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Antalya, Turkey
| | - Rabia Acsora
- Akdeniz University, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Antalya, Turkey
| | - Nilufer Gun
- Akdeniz University, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Antalya, Turkey
| | - Burcu Gulec
- Akdeniz University, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Antalya, Turkey
| | - Gulshan Mammadova
- Akdeniz University, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Antalya, Turkey
| | - Kader Cicek
- Akdeniz University, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Antalya, Turkey
| | - Gulnara Hasanova
- Akdeniz University, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Antalya, Turkey
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14
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Wang W, Guo DY, Lin YJ, Tao YX. Melanocortin Regulation of Inflammation. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2019; 10:683. [PMID: 31649620 PMCID: PMC6794349 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and α-, β-, and γ-melanocyte-stimulating hormones (α-, β-, γ-MSH), collectively known as melanocortins, together with their receptors (melanocortin receptors), are components of an ancient modulatory system. The clinical use of ACTH in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis started in 1949, originally thought that the anti-inflammatory action was through hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and glucocorticoid-dependent. Subsequent decades have witnessed extensive attempts in unraveling the physiology and pharmacology of the melanocortin system. It is now known that ACTH, together with α-, β-, and γ-MSHs, also possess glucocorticoid-independent anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects by activating the melanocortin receptors expressed in the brain or peripheral immune cells. This review will briefly introduce the melanocortin system and highlight the action of melanocortins in the regulation of immune functions from in vitro, in vivo, preclinical, and clinical studies. The potential therapeutic use of melanocortins are also summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xiamen Huli Guoyu Clinic, Co., Ltd., Xiamen, China
| | - Dong-Yu Guo
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xiamen Huli Guoyu Clinic, Co., Ltd., Xiamen, China
- *Correspondence: Dong-Yu Guo
| | - Yue-Jun Lin
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xiamen Huli Guoyu Clinic, Co., Ltd., Xiamen, China
| | - Ya-Xiong Tao
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
- Ya-Xiong Tao
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15
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Andoh M, Ueno T, Kawasaki K. Tissue-dependent induction of antimicrobial peptide genes after body wall injury in house fly ( Musca domestica) larvae. Drug Discov Ther 2018; 12:355-362. [DOI: 10.5582/ddt.2018.01063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Minako Andoh
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts
| | - Takayuki Ueno
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts
| | - Kiyoshi Kawasaki
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts
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16
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de Pablo F, Hernández-Sánchez C, de la Rosa EJ. The Prohormone Proinsulin as a Neuroprotective Factor: Past History and Future Prospects. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:426. [PMID: 30534050 PMCID: PMC6275302 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Proinsulin was first identified as the primary translation product of the insulin gene in Donald Steiner’s laboratory in 1967, and was the first prohormone to be isolated and sequenced. While its role as an insulin precursor has been extensively studied in the field of endocrinology, the bioactivity of the proinsulin molecule itself has received much less attention. Insulin binds to isoforms A and B of the insulin receptor (IR) with high affinity. Proinsulin, in contrast, binds with high affinity only to IR-A, which is present in the nervous system, among other tissues and elicits antiapoptotic and neuroprotective effects in the developing and postnatal nervous system. Proinsulin specifically exerts neuroprotection in the degenerating retina in mouse and rat models of retinitis pigmentosa (RP), delaying photoreceptor and vision loss after local administration in the eye or systemic (intramuscular) administration of an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector that induces constitutive proinsulin release. AAV-mediated proinsulin expression also decreases the expression of neuroinflammation markers in the hippocampus and sustains cognitive performance in a mouse model of precocious brain senescence. We have therefore proposed that proinsulin should be considered a functionally distinct member of the insulin superfamily. Here, we briefly review the legacy of Steiner’s research, the neural expression of proinsulin, and the tissue expression patterns and functional characteristics of IR-A. We discuss the neuroprotective activity of proinsulin and its potential as a therapeutic tool in neurodegenerative conditions of the central nervous system, particularly in retinal dystrophies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flora de Pablo
- 3D Lab, Development, Differentiation and Degeneration, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CIB/CSIC), Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Catalina Hernández-Sánchez
- 3D Lab, Development, Differentiation and Degeneration, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CIB/CSIC), Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Enrique J de la Rosa
- 3D Lab, Development, Differentiation and Degeneration, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CIB/CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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17
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Tsalafouta A, Sarropoulou E, Papandroulakis N, Pavlidis M. Characterization and Expression Dynamics of Key Genes Involved in the Gilthead Sea Bream (Sparus aurata) Cortisol Stress Response during Early Ontogeny. MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2018; 20:611-622. [PMID: 29948235 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-018-9833-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The present study identified and characterized six key genes involved in the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata), a commercially important European aquaculture species. The key genes involved in the HPI axis for which gene structure and synteny analysis was carried out, comprised of two functional forms of glucocorticoid receptors (GR), as well as three forms of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) genes and one form of mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) gene. To explore their functional roles during development but also in the stress response, the expression profiles of gr1, gr2, mr, pomc_aI, pomc_aII, and pomc_β were examined during early ontogeny and after an acute stress challenge. The acute stress challenge was applied at the stage of full formation of all fins, where whole body cortisol was also measured. Both the cortisol and the molecular data implied that sea bream larvae at the stage of the full formation of all fins at 45 dph are capable of a response to stress of a similar profile as observed in adult fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Tsalafouta
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, P.O. Box 2208, 714 09, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
| | - E Sarropoulou
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Center for Marine Research, P.O. Box 2214, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - N Papandroulakis
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Center for Marine Research, P.O. Box 2214, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - M Pavlidis
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, P.O. Box 2208, 714 09, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
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18
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Abstract
Neuropeptides are evolutionarily ancient mediators of neuronal signalling that regulate a wide range of physiological processes and behaviours in animals. Neuropeptide signalling has been investigated extensively in vertebrates and protostomian invertebrates, which include the ecdysozoans Drosophila melanogaster (Phylum Arthropoda) and Caenorhabditis elegans (Phylum Nematoda). However, until recently, an understanding of evolutionary relationships between neuropeptide signalling systems in vertebrates and protostomes has been impaired by a lack of genome/transcriptome sequence data from non-ecdysozoan invertebrates. The echinoderms—a deuterostomian phylum that includes sea urchins, sea cucumbers and starfish—have been particularly important in providing new insights into neuropeptide evolution. Sequencing of the genome of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (Class Echinoidea) enabled discovery of (i) the first invertebrate thyrotropin-releasing hormone-type precursor, (ii) the first deuterostomian pedal peptide/orcokinin-type precursors and (iii) NG peptides—the ‘missing link’ between neuropeptide S in tetrapod vertebrates and crustacean cardioactive peptide in protostomes. More recently, sequencing of the neural transcriptome of the starfish Asterias rubens (Class Asteroidea) enabled identification of 40 neuropeptide precursors, including the first kisspeptin and melanin-concentrating hormone-type precursors to be identified outside of the chordates. Furthermore, the characterization of a corazonin-type neuropeptide signalling system in A. rubens has provided important new insights into the evolution of gonadotropin-releasing hormone-related neuropeptides. Looking forward, the discovery of multiple neuropeptide signalling systems in echinoderms provides opportunities to investigate how these systems are used to regulate physiological and behavioural processes in the unique context of a decentralized, pentaradial bauplan.
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19
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Rogers DW, McConnell E, Miller EL, Greig D. Diminishing Returns on Intragenic Repeat Number Expansion in the Production of Signaling Peptides. Mol Biol Evol 2017; 34:3176-3185. [PMID: 28961820 PMCID: PMC5850478 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msx243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Signaling peptides enable communication between cells, both within and between individuals, and are therefore key to the control of complex physiological and behavioral responses. Since their small sizes prevent direct transmission to secretory pathways, these peptides are often produced as part of a larger polyprotein comprising precursors for multiple related or identical peptides; the physiological and behavioral consequences of this unusual gene structure are not understood. Here, we show that the number of mature-pheromone-encoding repeats in the yeast α-mating-factor gene MFα1 varies considerably between closely related isolates of both Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its sister species Saccharomyces paradoxus. Variation in repeat number has important phenotypic consequences: Increasing repeat number caused higher pheromone production and greater competitive mating success. However, the magnitude of the improvement decreased with increasing repeat number such that repeat amplification beyond that observed in natural isolates failed to generate more pheromone, and could actually reduce sexual fitness. We investigate multiple explanations for this pattern of diminishing returns and find that our results are most consistent with a translational trade-off: Increasing the number of encoded repeats results in more mature pheromone per translation event, but also generates longer transcripts thereby reducing the rate of translation—a phenomenon known as length-dependent translation. Length-dependent translation may be a powerful constraint on the evolution of genes encoding repetitive or modular proteins, with important physiological and behavioral consequences across eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Rogers
- Experimental Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany.,Department of Evolutionary Theory, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Ellen McConnell
- Experimental Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany.,Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Eric L Miller
- Experimental Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany.,Department of Veterinary Medicine, Cambridge Veterinary School, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Duncan Greig
- Experimental Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany.,Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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20
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Cao F, Gamble AB, Onagi H, Howes J, Hennessy JE, Gu C, Morgan JAM, Easton CJ. Detection of Biosynthetic Precursors, Discovery of Glycosylated Forms, and Homeostasis of Calcitonin in Human Cancer Cells. Anal Chem 2017; 89:6992-6999. [PMID: 28590120 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.7b00457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The peptide hormone calcitonin is intimately connected with human cancer development and proliferation. Its biosynthesis is reasoned to proceed via glycine-, α-hydroxyglycine-, glycyllysine-, and glycyllysyllysine-extended precursors; however, as a result of the limitations of current analytical methods, until now, there has been no procedure capable of detecting these individual species in cell or tissue samples. Therefore, their presence and dynamics in cancer had not been established. Here, we report the first methodology for the separation, detection, and quantification of calcitonin and each of its precursors in human cancer cells. We also report the discovery and characterization of O-glycosylated calcitonin and its analogous biosynthetic precursors. Through direct and simultaneous analysis of the glycosylated and nonglycosylated species, we interrogate the hormone biosynthesis. This shows that the cellular calcitonin level is maintained to mitigate effects of biosynthetic enzyme inhibitors that substantially change the proportions of calcitonin-related species released into the culture medium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feihua Cao
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University , Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Allan B Gamble
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University , Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Hideki Onagi
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University , Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Joanna Howes
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University , Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - James E Hennessy
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University , Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Chen Gu
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University , Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Jeremy A M Morgan
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University , Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Christopher J Easton
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University , Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
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21
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Chrétien M, Mbikay M. 60 YEARS OF POMC: From the prohormone theory to pro-opiomelanocortin and to proprotein convertases (PCSK1 to PCSK9). J Mol Endocrinol 2016; 56:T49-62. [PMID: 26762158 DOI: 10.1530/jme-15-0261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2015] [Accepted: 01/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), is a polyprotein expressed in the pituitary and the brain where it is proteolytically processed into peptide hormones and neuropeptides with distinct biological activities. It is the prototype of multipotent prohormones. The prohormone theory was first suggested in 1967 when Chrétien and Li discovered γ-lipotropin and observed that (i) it was part of β-lipotropin (β-LPH), a larger polypeptide characterized 2 years earlier and (ii) its C-terminus was β-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (β-MSH). This discovery led them to propose that the lipotropins might be related biosynthetically to the biologically active β-MSH in a precursor to end product relationship. The theory was widely confirmed in subsequent years. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the sequencing of β-LPH, we reflect over the lessons learned from the sequencing of those proteins; we explain their extension to the larger POMC precursor; we examine how the theory of precursor endoproteolysis they inspired became relevant for vast fields in biology; and how it led, after a long and arduous search, to the novel proteolytic enzymes called proprotein convertases. This family of nine enzymes plays multifaceted functions in growth, development, metabolism, endocrine, and brain functions. Their genetics has provided many insights into health and disease. Their therapeutic targeting is foreseeable in the near future. Thus, what started five decades ago as a theory based on POMC fragments, has opened up novel and productive avenues of biological and medical research, including, for our own current interest, a highly intriguing hypocholesterolemic Gln152His PCSK9 mutation in French-Canadian families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Chrétien
- Laboratory of Functional EndoproteolysisClinical Research Institute of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Majambu Mbikay
- Laboratory of Functional EndoproteolysisClinical Research Institute of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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22
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Liu YM, Li ZY, Hu H, Xu SP, Chang Q, Liao YH, Pan RL, Liu XM. Tenuifolin, a secondary saponin from hydrolysates of polygalasaponins, counteracts the neurotoxicity induced by Aβ25-35 peptides in vitro and in vivo. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2015; 128:14-22. [PMID: 25444865 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2014.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Revised: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with damage to hippocampal neurons and declines in cognitive functions. The accumulation of amyloid peptides is regarded as a crucial event in the initiation of AD. The neurotoxicity induced by Aβ25-35 peptides was used to screen for cytoprotective factors in vitro, and the cognitive deficits induced by the injection of Aβ25-35 into the hippocampus were used to evaluate effect on learning and memory. Our previous study revealed that hydrolysate of polygalasaponins (HPS) clearly improve the cognitive deficits induced by the injection of Aβ25-35 in mice, but the potential active constituent of HPS remains unclear. The purposes of this study were to separate and purify the secondary saponins of HPS, screen for neuroprotective effects of the constituents in vitro, and to evaluate the effect of cognition in vivo. Various chromatographic methods were used to separate and purify the HPS. The neuroprotective effects were examined in Aβ25-35-damage-induced PC12 cells. The protective effect of tenuifolin on the cognitive impairments induced by Aβ25-35 injection was assessed using the Morris water maze and step-through passive avoidance tests. Tenuifolin and fallaxsaponin A were isolated from the HPS. Tenuifolin possessed neuroprotective effects against Aβ25-35-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells and significantly improved the cognitive deficits induced by the intrahippocampal injection of Aβ25-35 in mice. Thus, tenuifolin is one of the active constituents of HPS against the neurotoxicity induced by Aβ25-35 peptides in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-min Liu
- Natural Medicine Chemistry Research Center, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zong-yang Li
- Natural Medicine Chemistry Research Center, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Han Hu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Peking University Health Science Center, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Shu-ping Xu
- Research Center for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Qi Chang
- Research Center for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yong-hong Liao
- Natural Medicine Chemistry Research Center, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Rui-le Pan
- Natural Medicine Chemistry Research Center, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Xin-min Liu
- Research Center for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China.
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23
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Fu CY, Xia RL, Zhang TF, Lu Y, Zhang SF, Yu ZQ, Jin T, Mou XZ. Hemokinin-1(4-11)-induced analgesia selectively up-regulates δ-opioid receptor expression in mice. PLoS One 2014; 9:e90446. [PMID: 24587368 PMCID: PMC3938741 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2013] [Accepted: 01/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Our previous studies have shown that an active fragment of human tachykinins (hHK-1(4-11)) produced an opioid-independent analgesia after intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection in mice, which has been markedly enhanced by a δ OR antagonist, naltrindole hydrochloride (NTI). In this study, we have further characterized the in vivo analgesia after i.c.v. injection of hHK-1(4-11) in mouse model. Our qRT-PCR results showed that the mRNA levels of several ligands and receptors (e.g. PPT-A, PPT-C, KOR, PDYN and PENK) have not changed significantly. Furthermore, neither transcription nor expression of NK1 receptor, MOR and POMC have changed noticeably. In contrast, both mRNA and protein levels of DOR have been up-regulated significantly, indicating that the enhanced expression of δ opioid receptor negatively modulates the analgesia induced by i.c.v. injection of hHK-1(4-11). Additionally, the combinatorial data from our previous and present experiments strongly suggest that the discriminable distribution sites in the central nervous system between hHK-1(4-11) and r/mHK-1 may be attributed to their discriminable analgesic effects. Altogether, our findings will not only contribute to the understanding of the complicated mechanisms regarding the nociceptive modulation of hemokinin-1 as well as its active fragments at supraspinal level, but may also lead to novel pharmacological interventions.
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MESH Headings
- Analgesia
- Animals
- Blotting, Western
- Female
- Gene Expression/drug effects
- Humans
- Injections, Intraventricular
- Male
- Mice, Inbred ICR
- Peptide Fragments/administration & dosage
- Peptide Fragments/pharmacology
- Pro-Opiomelanocortin/genetics
- Pro-Opiomelanocortin/metabolism
- Protein Precursors/genetics
- Protein Precursors/metabolism
- Receptors, Opioid, delta/genetics
- Receptors, Opioid, delta/metabolism
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/genetics
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/metabolism
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Tachykinins/administration & dosage
- Tachykinins/chemistry
- Tachykinins/genetics
- Tachykinins/metabolism
- Tachykinins/pharmacology
- Up-Regulation/drug effects
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Affiliation(s)
- Cai-Yun Fu
- Lab of Proteomics and Molecular Enzymology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
- Institute for Cell-Based Drug Development of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
- * E-mail: (CF); (XM); (ZY)
| | - Rui-Long Xia
- Lab of Proteomics and Molecular Enzymology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Teng-Fei Zhang
- Lab of Proteomics and Molecular Enzymology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yan Lu
- Lab of Proteomics and Molecular Enzymology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shi-Fu Zhang
- Lab of Proteomics and Molecular Enzymology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhi-Qiang Yu
- Center for BioEnergetics, The Biodesign Institute, and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
- * E-mail: (CF); (XM); (ZY)
| | - Tao Jin
- Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Zhou Mou
- Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, Hangzhou, China
- Institute for Cell-Based Drug Development of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
- * E-mail: (CF); (XM); (ZY)
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Chrétien M. How the prohormone theory solved two important controversies in hormonal and neural Peptide biosynthesis. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2013; 4:148. [PMID: 24167501 PMCID: PMC3805937 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2013.00148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2013] [Accepted: 10/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
This Prohormone Theory was simultaneously proposed in 1967 by two independent groups using two different approaches and two experimental models. Donald Steiner, in elegant pulse-chase experiments, proposed the existence of proinsulin when he observed that a human insulinoma was producing higher MW forms of immunoreactive insulin, subsequently transformed into insulin-like material (1). Simultaneously and independently, Michel Chrétien, based on amino acid sequence homologies between three pituitary peptides, β-lipotropic hormone (β-LPH), γ-LPH, and β-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (β-MSH), concluded that active peptide hormones are derived from endoproteolytic cleavages of inactive precursors, apparently at pairs of basic amino acids (2). One year later, Donald Chance confirmed that the cleavage sites in proinsulin were also made of paired basic amino acids (3). This novel paradigm solved two major controversies on the biosynthesis of both insulin and neuropeptides. This short review describes how.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Chrétien
- Functional Endoproteolysis Laboratory, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute , Montreal, QC , Canada
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Mirabeau O, Joly JS. Molecular evolution of peptidergic signaling systems in bilaterians. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:E2028-37. [PMID: 23671109 PMCID: PMC3670399 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1219956110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 274] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Peptide hormones and their receptors are widespread in metazoans, but the knowledge we have of their evolutionary relationships remains unclear. Recently, accumulating genome sequences from many different species have offered the opportunity to reassess the relationships between protostomian and deuterostomian peptidergic systems (PSs). Here we used sequences of all human rhodopsin and secretin-type G protein-coupled receptors as bait to retrieve potential homologs in the genomes of 15 bilaterian species, including nonchordate deuterostomian and lophotrochozoan species. Our phylogenetic analysis of these receptors revealed 29 well-supported subtrees containing mixed sets of protostomian and deuterostomian sequences. This indicated that many vertebrate and arthropod PSs that were previously thought to be phyla specific are in fact of bilaterian origin. By screening sequence databases for potential peptides, we then reconstructed entire bilaterian peptide families and showed that protostomian and deuterostomian peptides that are ligands of orthologous receptors displayed some similarity at the level of their primary sequence, suggesting an ancient coevolution between peptide and receptor genes. In addition to shedding light on the function of human G protein-coupled receptor PSs, this work presents orthology markers to study ancestral neuron types that were probably present in the last common bilaterian ancestor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Mirabeau
- Unité propre de Recherche 3294, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
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Chrétien M. My road to Damascus: how I converted to the prohormone theory and the proprotein convertases. Biochem Cell Biol 2012. [PMID: 23194189 DOI: 10.1139/o2012-031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
My desire as a young endocrinologist to improve my clinical skills through a better knowledge of hormone chemistry led me to serendipitous discoveries and unexpected horizons. The first discovery, published in 1967, revealed that peptide hormones are derived from endoproteolytic cleavages of larger precursor polypeptides. It was the foundation of the prohormone theory. Initially thought to apply to a few hormones, the theory rapidly extended to many proteins, including neuropeptides, neurotrophins, growth and transcription factors, receptors, extracellular matrix proteins, bacterial toxins, and viral glycoproteins. Its endoproteolytic activation mechanism has become a fundamental cellular process, affecting many biological functions. It implied the existence of specific endoproteolytic enzymes. These proprotein convertases were discovered in 1990. They have been shown to play a wide range of important roles in health and disease. They have opened up novel therapeutic avenues. Inactivation of PCSK9 to reduce plasma cholesterol is currently the most promising. To make this good thing even better, I recently discovered in a French Canadian family a potent PCSK9 (Gln152His) mutation that significantly lowers plasma cholesterol and should confer cardiovascular longevity. The discovery helped me to complete the loop: "From the bedside to the bench and back to the bedside."
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Chrétien
- Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal, 110 avenue des Pins Ouest, Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada.
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Civelli O, Reinscheid RK, Zhang Y, Wang Z, Fredriksson R, Schiöth HB. G protein-coupled receptor deorphanizations. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 2012; 53:127-46. [PMID: 23020293 PMCID: PMC5828024 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-010611-134548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are major regulators of intercellular interactions. They initiate these actions by being activated by a wide variety of natural ligands. Historically, ligands were discovered first, but the advent of molecular biology reversed this trend. Most GPCRs are identified on the basis of their DNA sequences and thus are initially unmatched to known natural ligands. They are termed orphan GPCRs. Discovering their ligands-i.e., "deorphanizing" the GPCRs-gave birth to the field of reverse pharmacology. This review discusses the present status of GPCR deorphanization, presents a few examples of successes and surprises, and highlights difficulties encountered in these efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Civelli
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92617, USA.
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Komorowski LK, Lecaude SG, Westring CG, Danielson PB, Dores RM. Evolution of gnathostome prodynorphin and proenkephalin: characterization of a shark proenkephalin and prodynorphin cDNAs. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2012; 177:353-64. [PMID: 22210245 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2011.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2011] [Revised: 12/08/2011] [Accepted: 12/14/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Analyses of prodynorphin and proenkephalin cDNAs cloned from the central nervous system of the shark, Heterodontus portusjacksoni, provided additional evidence that these two opioid precursor-coding genes were most likely directly derived from a common ancestral gene. The two cDNAs could be aligned by inserting only seven gaps. The prodynorphin cDNA encodes five opioid sequences which could be aligned to opioid positions B through F in the proenkephalin cDNA. The sequence identity within the opioid positions was 59% at the amino acid level. Shark α-neo-endorphin, dynorphin A, and dynorphin B have amino acid motifs in common with shark met-enkephalin-8, and shark proenkephalin opioid positions E and F, respectively, which have not been observed in other gnathostome prodynorphin and proenkephalin precursor sequences. Shark prodynorphin encodes both kappa (α-neo-endorphin, dynorphin A, and dynorphin B) and delta (met-enkephalin and leu-enkephalin) opioid sequences. Mixed function prodynorphin precursors (encoding both enkephalins and dynorphins) are also found in representatives of the teleost fishes, lungfishes, and amphibians. It appears that only mammals evolved a prodynorphin precursor that exclusively encodes kappa opioid agonists (dynorphins).
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Affiliation(s)
- Leanne K Komorowski
- University of Denver, Department of Biological Sciences, Denver, CO 80210, USA
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Vallarino M, d'Amora M, Dores RM. New insights into the neuroanatomical distribution and phylogeny of opioids and POMC-derived peptides in fish. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2012; 177:338-47. [PMID: 22575795 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2012.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2011] [Revised: 04/09/2012] [Accepted: 04/13/2012] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
This review re-evaluates the use of immunological probes to map enkephalinergic, dynorphinergic, and endorphinergic circuits in the CNS of lobe-finned fishes, ray-finned fishes, and cartilaginous fishes in light of the characterization of proenkephalin, prodynorphin, and POMC sequences from representatives of these groups of fish over the past 20 years. The use of α-MSH specific antisera is a reliable method for detecting POMC immunopositive cell bodies and fibers. Since α-MSH and β-endorphin are co-localized in the same neurons, these studies also reveal the distribution of endorphinergic networks. Met-enkephalin specific antisera can be used to detect enkephalinergic circuits in the CNS of gnathostomes because of the ubiquitous presence of this pentapeptide in the proenkephalin sequences of gnathostomes. However, the use of leu-enkephalin specific antisera to detect enkephalinergic networks is more problematic. While this immunological probe is appropriate for analyzing enkephalinergic networks in mammals and perhaps teleosts, for the lungfishes and cartilaginous fishes this probe is more likely able to detect dynorphinergic circuits. In this regard, there is a need to re-examine dynorphinergic networks in non-mammalian gnathostomes by using species specific antisera directed against dynorphin end-products.
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Abstract
AbstractThe decapeptide gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is the primary factor responsible for the hypothalamic control of gonadotropin (GTH) secretion. This review focuses on a family of neuropeptides, LPXRFamide (LPXRFa) peptides, which have been implicated in the regulation of GTH secretion. LPXRFa acts on the pituitary via a G protein-coupled receptor, LPXRFa-R, to enhance gonadal development and maintenance by increasing gonadotropin release and synthesis. Because LPXRFa exists and functions in several fish species, LPXRFa is considered to be a key neurohormone in fish reproduction control. The precursors to LPXRFamide peptides encoded plural LPXRFamide peptides and were highly divergent in vertebrates, particularly in lower vertebrates. Tissue distribution analyses indicated that LPXRFamide peptides were highly concentrated in the hypothalamus and other brainstem regions. In view of the localization and expression of LPXRFamide peptides in the hypothalamo-hypophysial system, LPXRFamide peptide in fish increase GTH release in vitro and in vivo. This review summarizes the advances made in our understanding of the biosynthesis, mode of action and functional significance of LPXRFa, a newly discovered key neurohormone.
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Ctriporin, a new anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus peptide from the venom of the scorpion Chaerilus tricostatus. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2011; 55:5220-9. [PMID: 21876042 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00369-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic-resistant microbes, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, seriously threaten human health. The outbreak of "superbugs" in recent years emphasizes once again the need for the development of new antimicrobial agents or resources. Antimicrobial peptides have an evident bactericidal effect against multidrug-resistant pathogens. In the present study, a new antimicrobial peptide, ctriporin, was cloned and characterized from the venom of the scorpion Chaerilus tricostatus, an animal which has not yet been explored for toxic peptide resources. The MICs of ctriporin against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus luteus, and Candida albicans are 5 to 20 μg/ml. Meanwhile, it MIC against clinical antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains is 10 μg/ml. Furthermore, the potential for ctriporin to be used as a topical antibiotic for treating staphylococcal skin infections was investigated. External use of the peptide ctriporin dramatically decreased the bacterial counts and cured skin infections in mice. In addition, ctriporin demonstrates antimicrobial efficacy via the bactericidal mechanism of rapid cell lysis. Together, these results suggest the potential of developing ctriporin as a new topical antibiotic.
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Abstract
Insulin is a small but beautifully organized protein with a unique two-chain structure, the first protein to be sequenced. The mechanism of its biosynthesis invited much initial speculation but was finally clarified by the discovery of proinsulin, its single-chain precursor. The rich present-day field of protein precursor processing via post-translational proteolysis within the secretory pathway arose in the early 1970s as an offshoot of studies on insulin biosynthesis, which provided a novel paradigm for the generation of many other small neuroendocrine peptides. Before long, this mechanism was also found to play a role in the production of a much wider spectrum of proteins traversing the secretory pathway (receptors, growth factors, blood-clotting components, and even many viral envelope proteins) occurring in almost all eukaryotic cells. Indeed, yeast provided a key clue in the search for the proprotein convertases, the endoproteases that work along with carboxypeptidases and other modifying enzymes, such as the amidating enzyme complex (PAM), in converting inactive or less active precursor proteins into their fully active peptide products. In this "Reflections" article, I have tried to recount the people and events in my life that led to my involvement first in basic biochemical research and then on to insulin, proinsulin, and many relevant related areas that continue to fascinate and challenge my colleagues and me, as well as many other biomedical scientists today, as diabetes mellitus increasingly threatens human health throughout our contemporary world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald F Steiner
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.
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Chen Q, Layton K, Veo K, Angleson JK, Dores RM. α-TC1.9 cells--a model system for analyzing the endoproteolytic processing of POMC. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2011; 172:96-106. [PMID: 21211538 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2010.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2010] [Revised: 12/26/2010] [Accepted: 12/30/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The mouse α-TC1.9 endocrine cell line was used to analyze the amino acid requirements for endoproteolytic processing at the paired basic amino acid cleavage site, K(141)R(142) that is N-terminal to the ACTH sequence in the POMC proprotein of the anuran amphibian, Silurana tropicalis. Real-Time PCR analysis of non-transfected α-TC1.9 cells indicated that these cells endogenously express the pc2 (proprotein convertase 2) gene, but do not express the pc1/3 (proprotein convertase 1/3) gene or the pomc gene. In addition, immunocytochemical analysis and RIA analysis of non-transfected α-TC1.9 cells did not detect the presence of POMC-related products in these cells. For this study the open reading frame of a S. tropicalis POMC cDNA (wild-type) was placed into an expression vector and transiently transfected into α-TC1.9 cells. Two days after transfection the steady-state levels of α-MSH-related and β-endorphin-related end-products were nearly the same as the steady-state levels of these POMC-related end-products in extracts of the S. tropicalis intermediate pituitary. Transient transfection of either the R(142)/A(142)pomc construct or the K(141)/A(141)pomc construct completely blocked cleavage at this site and yielded a 6K immunoreactive product that had the ACTH(1-13)NH(2) sequence at the C-terminal end of the fusion protein. However, substitution of an alanine residue at R(137), Q(138), E(139), and N(140) had no effect on cleavage at the K(141)R(142) cleavage site. Collectively, these results indicate that secondary structure N-terminal to the K(141)R(142) does not appear to influence cleavage at this site. However, both K(141) and R(142) are required for the integrity of this cleavage site. Finally, this study indicates that α-TC1.9 cells should be useful for studying the amino acid requirements for the other endoproteolytic cleavage sites in the S. tropicalis POMC proprotein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quinn Chen
- University of Denver, Department of Biological Sciences, Denver, CO 80210, USA
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Dores RM, Baron AJ. Evolution of POMC: origin, phylogeny, posttranslational processing, and the melanocortins. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2011; 1220:34-48. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2010.05928.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Dores RM, Majeed Q, Komorowski L. Observations on the radiation of lobe-finned fishes, ray-finned fishes, and cartilaginous fishes: phylogeny of the opioid/orphanin gene family and the 2R hypothesis. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2011; 170:253-64. [PMID: 20937278 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2010.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2010] [Revised: 09/28/2010] [Accepted: 09/30/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
At the close of the Devonian Period the rapid decline in the diversity of the lobe-finned fishes was countered by the emergence and diversification of the ray-finned fishes and the cartilaginous fishes that now dominate marine and freshwater ecosystems. All of these jawed vertebrates were derived from the ancestral gnathostomes; a chordate lineage that had experienced two genome duplication events during the evolution of the phylum. This review analyzes trends in the phylogeny of the opioid/orphanin gene family (four prohormone/neuropeptide precursor-coding genes) in the major classes of gnathostomes that survived the extinction events at the close of the Devonian Period and focuses on some features of this gene family that appear to set the cartilaginous fishes (class Chondrichthyes) apart from class Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fishes and tetrapods) and class Actinopterygii (the ray-finned fishes).
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Dores
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80210, USA.
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Abstract
Studies of the biosynthesis of insulin in a human insulinoma beginning in 1965 provided the first evidence for a precursor of insulin, the first such prohormone to be identified. Further studies with isolated rat islets then confirmed that the precursor became labeled more rapidly than insulin and later was converted to insulin by a proteolytic processing system located mainly within the secretory granules of the beta cell and was then stored or secreted. The precursor was designated "proinsulin" in 1967 and was isolated and sequenced from beef and pork sources. These structural studies confirmed that the precursor was a single polypeptide chain which began with the B chain of insulin, continued through a connecting segment of 30-35 amino acids and terminated with the A chain. Paired basic residues were identified at the sites of excision of the C-peptide. Human proinsulin and C-peptide were then similarly obtained and sequenced. The human C-peptide assay was developed and provided a useful tool for measuring insulin levels indirectly in diabetics treated with insulin. The discovery of other precursor proteins for a variety of peptide hormones, neuropeptides, or plasma proteins then followed, with all having mainly dibasic cleavage sites for processing. The subsequent discovery of a similar biosynthetic pathway in yeast led to the identification of eukaryotic families of specialized processing subtilisin-like endopeptidases coupled with carboxypeptidase B-like exopeptidases. Most neuroendocrine peptides are processed by two specialized members of this family - PC2 and/or PC1/3 - followed by carboxypeptidase E (CPE). This brief report concentrates mainly on the role of insulin biosynthesis in providing a useful early paradigm of precursor processing in the secretory pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald F Steiner
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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Shahjahan M, Ikegami T, Osugi T, Ukena K, Doi H, Hattori A, Tsutsui K, Ando H. Synchronised expressions of LPXRFamide peptide and its receptor genes: seasonal, diurnal and circadian changes during spawning period in grass puffer. J Neuroendocrinol 2011; 23:39-51. [PMID: 21083774 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2010.02081.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Among the RFamide peptide family, the LPXRFamide peptide (LPXRFa) group regulates the release of various pituitary hormones and, recently, LPXRFa genes were found to be regulated by photoperiod via melatonin. As a first step towards investigating the role of LPXRFa on reproductive function in grass puffer (Takifugu niphobles), which spawns in semilunar cycles, genes encoding LPXRFa and its receptor (LPXRFa-R) were cloned, and seasonal, diurnal and circadian changes in their absolute amounts of mRNAs in the brain and pituitary were examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The grass puffer LPXRFa precursor contains two putative RFamide peptides and one possible RYamide peptide. LPXRFa and LPXRFa-R genes were extensively expressed in the diencephalon and pituitary. The expression levels of both genes were significantly elevated during the spawning periods in both sexes in the brain and pituitary, although they were low in the spawning fish just after releasing eggs and sperm. The treatment of primary pituitary cultures with goldfish LPXRFa increased the amounts of follicle-stimulating hormone β- and luteinising hormone β-subunit mRNAs. In the diencephalon, LPXRFa and LPXRFa-R genes showed synchronised diurnal and circadian variations with one peak at zeitgeber time 3 and circadian time 15, respectively. The correlated expression patterns of LPXRFa and LPXRFa-R genes in the diencephalon and pituitary and the possible stimulatory effects of LPXRFa on gonadotrophin subunit gene expression suggest the functional significance of the LPXRFa and LPXRFa-R system in the regulation of lunar-synchronised spawning of grass puffer.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Shahjahan
- Laboratory of Advanced Animal and Marine Bioresources, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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Gharaei A, Mahboudi F, Esmaili-Sari A, Edalat R, Adeli A, Keyvanshokooh S. Molecular cloning of cDNA of mammalian and chicken II gonadotropin-releasing hormones (mGnRHs and cGnRH-II) in the beluga (Huso huso) and the disruptive effect of methylmercury on gene expression. FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2010; 36:803-817. [PMID: 19821139 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-009-9356-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2008] [Accepted: 09/16/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Two gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) isoforms were identified in the beluga (Huso huso) brain by cDNA sequencing: prepro-mammalian GnRH (mGnRH) and prepro-chicken GnRH-II (cGnRH-II). The nucleotide sequences of the beluga mGnRH and cGnRH-II precursors are 273 and 258 base pairs (bp) long, encoding peptides of 91 and 86 amino acids, respectively. To investigate the effect of methylmercury (MeHg) on GnRH gene expression, animals were fed with four diets containing increasing levels of MeHg (0 mg kg(-1) [control]; 0.76 mg kg(-1) [low]; 7.8 mg kg(-1) [medium]; 16.22 mg kg(-1) [high]) for 32 days. The effects of MeHg on brain GnRH mRNA levels were evaluated by real-time PCR. A significant decrease in brain mGnRH and cGnRH-II mRNA levels were detected in fish receiving high dietary MeHg dose compared to controls on day 11 (P < 0.05). On day 18 and 32, all treatment groups had significantly lower brain mGnRH and cGnRH-II mRNA levels compared to the control group (P < 0.05). These findings demonstrate a disruptive role of MeHg on the level of brain mGnRH and cGnRH-II mRNAs in immature beluga.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Gharaei
- Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, Universityof Zabol, P.O.Box 98615-538, Zabol, Sistan & Blouchestan, Iran.
| | | | - Abbas Esmaili-Sari
- Department of Environment, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Mazandaran, Iran
| | - Rozita Edalat
- Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ahmad Adeli
- Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeed Keyvanshokooh
- Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Marine Natural Resources, Khorramshahr University of Marine Science and Technology, Khorramshahr, Khouzestan, Iran
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Abstract
The past four decades have witnessed extraordinary advances in the molecular understanding of neurotransmitters, their receptors, and second messengers. This essay highlights a selected group of particular notable discoveries, emphasizing seminal findings that have transformed thinking in the field.
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Imamura M, Wada S, Ueda K, Saito A, Koizumi N, Iwahana H, Sato R. Multipeptide precursor structure of acaloleptin A isoforms, antibacterial peptides from the Udo longicorn beetle, Acalolepta luxuriosa. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2009; 33:1120-1127. [PMID: 19527748 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2009.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2009] [Revised: 06/05/2009] [Accepted: 06/06/2009] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
We previously purified acaloleptin A1, A2, and A3, antibacterial peptides that are produced in the larval hemolymph of Acalolepta luxuriosa (Udo longicorn beetle). In this study, we performed cDNA cloning. The cDNA sequence showed a predicted acaloleptin A precursor that consisted of five acaloleptin A isoforms. Four (isoforms 1, 2, 3 and 4) of the five isoforms of the acaloleptin A precursor had high-level sequence identities with each other, but the N-terminal region of isoform 5 differed from those of the other acaloleptin A isoforms. Northern and Western blot analyses showed that acaloleptin A isoforms were mass-produced soon after bacterial inoculation. Finally, we purified isoform 5 from hemolymph of the immunized larvae. Isoform 5, unlike acaloleptin A1, A2 and A3, showed antimicrobial activities against a Gram-positive bacterium, Micrococcus luteus and a fungus, Magnaporthe grisea. These results suggest that the multipeptide structure of the acaloleptin A precursor allows A. luxuriosa high-level production of antibacterial peptides and resistance to a wide range of microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morikazu Imamura
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Saiwai-cho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan
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Sonmez K, Zaveri NT, Kerman IA, Burke S, Neal CR, Xie X, Watson SJ, Toll L. Evolutionary sequence modeling for discovery of peptide hormones. PLoS Comput Biol 2009; 5:e1000258. [PMID: 19132080 PMCID: PMC2603333 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2008] [Accepted: 11/21/2008] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
There are currently a large number of "orphan" G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) whose endogenous ligands (peptide hormones) are unknown. Identification of these peptide hormones is a difficult and important problem. We describe a computational framework that models spatial structure along the genomic sequence simultaneously with the temporal evolutionary path structure across species and show how such models can be used to discover new functional molecules, in particular peptide hormones, via cross-genomic sequence comparisons. The computational framework incorporates a priori high-level knowledge of structural and evolutionary constraints into a hierarchical grammar of evolutionary probabilistic models. This computational method was used for identifying novel prohormones and the processed peptide sites by producing sequence alignments across many species at the functional-element level. Experimental results with an initial implementation of the algorithm were used to identify potential prohormones by comparing the human and non-human proteins in the Swiss-Prot database of known annotated proteins. In this proof of concept, we identified 45 out of 54 prohormones with only 44 false positives. The comparison of known and hypothetical human and mouse proteins resulted in the identification of a novel putative prohormone with at least four potential neuropeptides. Finally, in order to validate the computational methodology, we present the basic molecular biological characterization of the novel putative peptide hormone, including its identification and regional localization in the brain. This species comparison, HMM-based computational approach succeeded in identifying a previously undiscovered neuropeptide from whole genome protein sequences. This novel putative peptide hormone is found in discreet brain regions as well as other organs. The success of this approach will have a great impact on our understanding of GPCRs and associated pathways and help to identify new targets for drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kemal Sonmez
- SRI International, Menlo Park, California, United States of America
| | | | - Ilan A. Kerman
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Sharon Burke
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Charles R. Neal
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Xinmin Xie
- AfaSci, Burlingame, California, United States of America
| | - Stanley J. Watson
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Lawrence Toll
- SRI International, Menlo Park, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Palermo F, Nabissi M, Cardinaletti G, Tibaldi E, Mosconi G, Polzonetti-Magni AM. Cloning of sole proopiomelanocortin (POMC) cDNA and the effects of stocking density on POMC mRNA and growth rate in sole, Solea solea. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2008; 155:227-33. [PMID: 17559851 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2007.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2006] [Revised: 03/14/2007] [Accepted: 05/01/2007] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) is an important gene implicated in different functions, such as the stress response of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. The aim of the present study was to determine whether farming conditions, such as stocking density, can be considered a powerful stressor influencing in turn the growth rate in juvenile fish. Thus, POMC cDNA expression was investigated during adaptation to farming conditions in sole (Solea solea), as a model for studying the effects of rearing densities on stress response; different stocking densities (50, 100, and 250 animals/m(2)) were applied and, after 7 and 21 days, the fishes were examined for body weight and plasma cortisol levels as indicators of stress. In addition, proopiomelanocortin was cloned and sequenced from the brain of sole, allowing semi-quantitative RT-PCR to be performed to evaluate POMC mRNA expression in brain tissue. There was a significant increase in cortisol levels in fish reared at high stocking densities of 250/m(2) compared to fish reared at control densities of 100 and 50/m(2), in both experimental times, i.e., 7 and 21 days. The high stocking densities were also found to decrease the specific growth rate of fish. Moreover, it was demonstrated that the highest stocking density induced a significant decrease in sole POMC mRNA expression. It is concluded that POMC and cortisol are both involved in the stress response due to high rearing densities, during which cortisol may serve as a negative regulator of POMC.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Palermo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Morfologiche e Biochimiche Comparate, Università degli Studi di Camerino, via Gentile III da Varano, 62032 Camerino (MC), Italy
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44
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Roberts E, Shoureshi P, Kozak K, Szynskie L, Baron A, Lecaude S, Dores RM. Tracking the evolution of the proenkephalin gene in tetrapods. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2007; 153:189-97. [PMID: 17449037 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2007.02.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2006] [Accepted: 02/21/2007] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In gnathostomes there is remarkable consistency in the organization of the proenkephalin gene. This opioid precursor encodes seven opioid (YGGF) sequences: five pentapeptide sequences, a met-enkephalin-7 sequence and a met-enkephalin-8 sequence. Yet, within vertebrate lineages there can be distinct sets of pentapeptide opioids (YGGFM or YGGFL). In the Sarcopterygii, the sixth opioid position in lungfishes and anuran amphibian proenkephalin genes encodes a met-enkephalin (YGGFM) sequence. However, in mammalian proenkephalin there is a leu-enkephalin (YGGFL) sequence at this position. This study was done to test the hypothesis that the presence of the leu-enkephalin sequence in mammals is a feature common to amniote vertebrates, but not present in anamniote vertebrates. To resolve this issue, proenkephalin cDNAs were cloned from the urodele amphibians, Amphiuma means and Necturus maculosus, and two amniote vertebrates, the turtle, Chrysemys scripta, and the brown snake, Storeria dekayi. As predicted, a met-enkephalin sequence is present at the sixth opioid position in urodele amphibians; whereas, a leu-enkephalin sequence is present at this opioid site in the reptile proenkephalin sequences. These data are consistent with the conclusion that the transition from a met-enkephalin sequence to a leu-enkephalin sequence at the sixth opioid position in tetrapod proenkephalins occurred in the ancestral proto-reptiles. Phylogenetic analyses, using the Maximum Parsimony and Neighbor-Joining algorithms, of the amphibian proenkephalin sequences supported the position that anuran and urodele amphibians are a monophyletic assemblage. The same analysis of reptile-related proenkephalin sequences, including the deduced amino acid sequence of a partially characterized alligator proenkephalin cDNA, could not conclusively resolve the phylogeny of the major reptilian orders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Roberts
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, 2190 E. Iliff, Olin Hall 102, Denver, CO 80210, USA
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45
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Akamatsu T, Purwanti N, Karabasil MR, Li X, Yao C, Kanamori N, Hosoi K. Temporospatially regulated expression of subtilisin-like proprotein convertase PACE4 (SPC4) during development of the rat submandibular gland. Dev Dyn 2007; 236:314-20. [PMID: 17083113 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.21008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The temporospatial expression of PACE4, a member of the mammalian subtilisin-like proprotein convertase family involved in the activation of growth/differentiation factors, was investigated by in situ hybridization during the development of the rat submandibular gland (SMG). At the initiation stage (day 15.5 of gestation; E15), PACE4 was intensely expressed in the submandibular epithelium, but weakly expressed in the mesenchymal cells. At E16 when the branching morphogenesis becomes obvious, the expression of PACE4 in the mesenchyme was further decreased, although its level in the submandibular epithelium had not changed remarkably from that at E15. During the next stage of embryonic development (E17-E20), PACE4 was expressed in the cells derived from the submandibular epithelium, which include the proacinar, terminal tubular, and presumptive ductal cells. In the perinatal SMG, PACE4 was still expressed intensely in the terminal portion of the SMG containing the proacinar and terminal tubular cells, whereas its expression in the ductal cells was obviously decreased at the second postnatal day (P2) and at P6. Acinar cells expressing no PACE4 appeared, and their numbers increased following their development (P9-P20). At P30 when the PACE4 expression in the acinar cells was completely suppressed, its expression in the ductal cells became intense again. This temporospatially regulated expression of PACE4 suggests its apparent association with the proliferation, differentiation, and establishment of functional acinar and ductal cells of the SMG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuya Akamatsu
- Department of Molecular Oral Physiology, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan
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Lee J, Alrubaian J, Dores RM. Are lungfish living fossils? Observation on the evolution of the opioid/orphanin gene family. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2006; 148:306-14. [PMID: 16930601 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2006.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2006] [Revised: 07/16/2006] [Accepted: 07/19/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
This minireview considers the possibility that there is a correlation between the slow rate of morphological change and speciation events that has been occurred within the lungfish lineage since the Permian period, and the apparent slow rate of divergence in the amino acid sequences of lungfish opioid precursor sequences. The status of lungfish as "living fossils" is considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Lee
- Division of Cardiology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO 80262, USA
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Alrubaian J, Lecaude S, Barba J, Szynskie L, Jacobs N, Bauer D, Brown C, Kaminer I, Bagrosky B, Dores RM. Trends in the evolution of the prodynorphin gene in teleosts: cloning of eel and tilapia prodynorphin cDNAs. Peptides 2006; 27:797-804. [PMID: 16274850 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2005.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2005] [Revised: 09/13/2005] [Accepted: 09/14/2005] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The detection of the prodynorphin gene in anuran amphibians and lungfishes may indicate that this gene arose as a result of the duplication of the proenkephalin gene early during the divergence of the Sarcopterygii, or that this gene may predate the divergence of the ray-finned fish and the lobe-finned fish. The cloning of prodynorphin-related genes from the pufferfish and zebrafish supports the latter hypothesis. This study analyzes trends in the radiation of the prodynorphin gene in teleosts. Prodynorphin cDNAs were cloned from the brain of the eel Anguilla rostrata and the Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. These teleost prodynorphin sequences have distinct alpha-neoendorphin, dynorphin A, and dynorphin B sequences, and a novel opioid sequence, YGGFI. The relationship of these teleost prodynorphin sequences to other actinopterygian and sarcopterygian prodynorphin sequences will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasem Alrubaian
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Kuwait, Kuwait City 13060, Kuwait
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48
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Ikemoto T, Park MK. Molecular and evolutionary characterization of the GnRH-II gene in the chicken: Distinctive genomic organization, expression pattern, and precursor sequence. Gene 2006; 368:28-36. [PMID: 16297571 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2005.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2005] [Revised: 10/03/2005] [Accepted: 10/06/2005] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Of all the structural variants of GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone), GnRH-II has been found to be universally present in and uniquely conserved among jawed vertebrates without any sequence substitutions. Our previous study found that the GnRH-II precursor sequences have become divergent in the lineage of eutherian mammals, based on a comparison between reptilian and mammalian GnRH-II. To elucidate the molecular evolution of GnRH-II throughout amniotes, we have performed the first identification of the avian GnRH-II cDNA/gene from the chicken, the species used for the initial discovery of GnRH-II peptide. Gene arrangement around the GnRH-II in the chicken was similar to that in mammals; however, a gene MRPS26 was partly overlapped with the downstream part of the GnRH-II in the chicken. It was identified that the GnRH-II/MRPS26 locus generated at least five distinct types of transcripts with different expression patterns and three of them may produce functional GnRH-II decapeptide. Sequence comparison revealed that the prepro-GnRH-II polypeptide of the chicken was substantially different from those of other species regarding the length and similarity. The present results strongly indicated that considerable variations were generated in the precursor sequence of the evolutionarily conserved GnRH-II during amniote evolution. It was also suggested that the sequence divergence seen in the chicken may have occurred independently of that in the mammalian lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadahiro Ikemoto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
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Khalap A, Bagrosky B, Lecaude S, Youson J, Danielson P, Dores RM. Trends in the Evolution of the Proenkephalin and Prodynorphin Genes in Gnathostomes. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2006; 1040:22-37. [PMID: 15891003 DOI: 10.1196/annals.1327.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The opioid/orphanin gene family provides a model system for analyzing the outcomes of genome duplication events. Recent studies on the proenkephalin gene provide additional evidence that the organizational plan for this gene has been conserved throughout the extensive radiation of the gnathostome vertebrates. However, an analysis of the amino acid sequence of proenkephalin from the zebrafish, Danio rerio, suggests that novel forms of this opioid precursor may be evolving in teleosts. Analyses of sarcopterygian prodynorphin sequences revealed a proenkephalin signature in prodynorphin. Current studies on the opioid/orphanin gene family point to the duplication events that shaped this family occurring prior to the radiation of the gnathostomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Khalap
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, CO 80210, USA
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50
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Lansac G, Dong W, Dubois CM, Benlarbi N, Afonso C, Fournier I, Salzet M, Day R. Lipopolysaccharide mediated regulation of neuroendocrine associated proprotein convertases and neuropeptide precursor processing in the rat spleen. J Neuroimmunol 2005; 171:57-71. [PMID: 16337011 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2005.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2005] [Accepted: 09/21/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Within the secretory pathway, the family of proprotein convertases cleave inactive precursors at paired basic residues to generate a myriad of biologically active peptides. Within the PC family, PC1/3 and PC2 are well known for their preferential expression within neuroendocrine cells. However, various data now indicate their potential expression in immune cells. The aim of our study was two fold: (1) survey PC expression in immune tissues, with emphasis on PC1/3 and PC2 and (2) examine PC expression under conditions that mimic an infectious state using lipopolysaccharide, known to activate immune cells via toll-like receptors. Spatial and temporal analyses of tissues from control and lipopolysaccharide treated rats were carried out using in situ hybridization histochemistry, Northern blot, mass spectrometry and antibacterial assays. Our tissue survey showed the basal expression of all PCs in the lymph nodes, thymus and spleen including PC1/3 and PC2. Focusing on the spleen, basal expression of PC1/3 was seen in the red pulp/marginal zone areas, suggesting expression within macrophages. Lipopolysaccharide treatment produced significant changes in PC1/3 expression and notably an induction in B lymphocytes within germinal centers. Similarly, PC2, which was undetectable in control spleens, was induced in germinal centers following lipopolysaccharide treatment. The PC1/3 and PC2 substrate proenkephalin was also induced following lipopolysaccharide treatment in the marginal zone, where PC1/3 expression was also found. Mass spectrometry analysis of spleen extracts demonstrated the presence of the antibacterial peptide enkelytin. Our studies confirmed that PC1/3 and PC2 expression was not restricted to neurons and endocrine cells, but was also found under basal conditions in both macrophage and lymphocytes. Additionally, plasticity of PC expression in immune cells was observed under conditions that mimic pathogen-like infections, suggesting a mechanistic link through Toll-like receptors. Collectively, these data clearly implicate PCs in immune responses, both innate and acquired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Lansac
- Département de Pharmacologie, Faculté de médecine, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada, J1H 5N4
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