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Hamanaka Y, Hasebe M, Shiga S. Neural mechanism of circadian clock-based photoperiodism in insects and snails. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2024; 210:601-625. [PMID: 37596422 PMCID: PMC11226556 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-023-01662-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
The photoperiodic mechanism distinguishes between long and short days, and the circadian clock system is involved in this process. Although the necessity of circadian clock genes for photoperiodic responses has been demonstrated in many species, how the clock system contributes to photoperiodic mechanisms remains unclear. A comprehensive study, including the functional analysis of relevant genes and physiology of their expressing cells, is necessary to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms. Since Drosophila melanogaster exhibits a shallow photoperiodism, photoperiodic mechanisms have been studied in non-model species, starting with brain microsurgery and neuroanatomy, followed by genetic manipulation in some insects. Here, we review and discuss the involvement of the circadian clock in photoperiodic mechanisms in terms of neural networks in insects. We also review recent advances in the neural mechanisms underlying photoperiodic responses in insects and snails, and additionally circadian clock systems in snails, whose involvement in photoperiodism has hardly been addressed yet. Brain neurosecretory cells, insulin-like peptide/diuretic hormone44-expressing pars intercerebralis neurones in the bean bug Riptortus pedestris and caudo-dorsal cell hormone-expressing caudo-dorsal cells in the snail Lymnaea stagnalis, both promote egg laying under long days, and their electrical excitability is attenuated under short and medium days, which reduces oviposition. The photoperiodic responses of the pars intercerebralis neurones are mediated by glutamate under the control of the clock gene period. Thus, we are now able to assess the photoperiodic response by neurosecretory cell activity to investigate the upstream mechanisms, that is, the photoperiodic clock and counter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshitaka Hamanaka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama-cho, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
| | - Masaharu Hasebe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama-cho, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
| | - Sakiko Shiga
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama-cho, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan.
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Lu L, Bu L, Laidemitt MR, Zhang SM, Loker ES. Different metazoan parasites, different transcriptomic responses, with new insights on parasitic castration by digenetic trematodes in the schistosome vector snail Biomphalaria glabrata. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:608. [PMID: 38886647 PMCID: PMC11184841 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10454-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gastropods of the genus Biomphalaria (Family Planorbidae) are exploited as vectors by Schistosoma mansoni, the most common causative agent of human intestinal schistosomiasis. Using improved genomic resources, overviews of how Biomphalaria responds to S. mansoni and other metazoan parasites can provide unique insights into the reproductive, immune, and other systems of invertebrate hosts, and their responses to parasite challenges. RESULTS Using Illumina-based RNA-Seq, we compared the responses of iM line B. glabrata at 2, 8, and 40 days post-infection (dpi) to single infections with S. mansoni, Echinostoma paraensei (both digenetic trematodes) or Daubaylia potomaca (a nematode parasite of planorbid snails). Responses were compared to unexposed time-matched control snails. We observed: (1) each parasite provoked a distinctive response with a predominance of down-regulated snail genes at all time points following exposure to either trematode, and of up-regulated genes at 8 and especially 40dpi following nematode exposure; (2) At 2 and 8dpi with either trematode, several snail genes associated with gametogenesis (particularly spermatogenesis) were down-regulated. Regarding the phenomenon of trematode-mediated parasitic castration in molluscs, we define for the first time a complement of host genes that are targeted, as early as 2dpi when trematode larvae are still small; (3) Differential gene expression of snails with trematode infection at 40dpi, when snails were shedding cercariae, was unexpectedly modest and revealed down-regulation of genes involved in the production of egg mass proteins and peptide processing; and (4) surprisingly, D. potomaca provoked up-regulation at 40dpi of many of the reproduction-related snail genes noted to be down-regulated at 2 and 8dpi following trematode infection. Happening at a time when B. glabrata began to succumb to D. potomaca, we hypothesize this response represents an unexpected form of fecundity compensation. We also document expression patterns for other Biomphalaria gene families, including fibrinogen domain-containing proteins (FReDs), C-type lectins, G-protein coupled receptors, biomphalysins, and protease and protease inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS Our study is relevant in identifying several genes involved in reproduction that are targeted by parasites in the vector snail B. glabrata and that might be amenable to manipulation to minimize their ability to serve as vectors of schistosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Lu
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary & Theoretical Immunology, Parasite Division, Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 87131, USA.
| | - Lijing Bu
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary & Theoretical Immunology, Parasite Division, Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 87131, USA
| | - Martina R Laidemitt
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary & Theoretical Immunology, Parasite Division, Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 87131, USA
| | - Si-Ming Zhang
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary & Theoretical Immunology, Parasite Division, Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 87131, USA
| | - Eric S Loker
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary & Theoretical Immunology, Parasite Division, Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 87131, USA
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van Dijk SM, Zizzari ZV, Koene JM, Nakadera Y. Sublethal heat reduces overall reproductive investment and male allocation in a simultaneously hermaphroditic snail species. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231287. [PMID: 38328564 PMCID: PMC10846933 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
The exposure to sublethally high temperature reduces reproductive performance in diverse organisms. Although this effect has been particularly emphasized for males or male reproductive functioning, it remains largely unknown whether the effect of heat on fertility is sex-specific. Here we examined the impact of sublethally high temperature on male and female functions in a simultaneously hermaphroditic snail species, Lymnaea stagnalis. Examining hermaphrodites is useful to evaluate the sex-specific impacts of heat exposure, since they possess male and female functions within a single individual, sharing genetic and environmental factors. Moreover, previously developed sex allocation theory allows us to compare the differential performance of sex functions. In this study, we exposed snails to 20°C (control), 24°C and 28°C for 14 days and assessed their egg and sperm production, sperm transfer, mating behaviour and growth. Both types of gamete production were significantly reduced by higher temperature, leading to an overall reduction of reproductive investment. By quantifying sex allocation, we furthermore revealed that the heat-stressed snails reduced the relative investment in their male function. This study illustrates that examining simultaneous hermaphrodites can provide significant insights for the impact of heat, and the proximate mechanism, on reproduction in diverse organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanna M. van Dijk
- Ecology and Evolution, Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE), Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Z. Valentina Zizzari
- Ecology and Evolution, Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE), Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Joris M. Koene
- Ecology and Evolution, Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE), Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Yumi Nakadera
- Ecology and Evolution, Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE), Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands
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Hanif MA, Hossen S, Cho DH, Kho KH. The Neuropeptide HGAP Regulates Growth, Reproduction, Metamorphosis, Tissue Damage Repair, and Response against Starvation in Pacific Abalone. Neuroendocrinology 2023; 114:453-467. [PMID: 38142675 PMCID: PMC11108583 DOI: 10.1159/000535945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Neuropeptides regulate vital physiological processes in multicellular organisms, including growth, reproduction, metamorphosis, and feeding. Recent transcriptome analyses have revealed neuropeptide genes with potential roles in vertebrate and invertebrate growth and reproduction. Among these genes, haliotid growth-associated peptide (HGAP) was identified as a novel gene in abalone. METHODS This study focused on HGAP in Pacific abalone (Haliotis discus hannai), where the complete cDNA sequence named Hdh-HGAP was identified and characterized. Samples from different experiments, such as metamorphosis, juvenile abalone growth, gonad development stages, muscle remodeling, and starvation, were collected for mRNA expression analysis. RESULTS The sequence spans 552 bp, encoding 96 amino acids with a molecular weight of 10.96 kDa. Expression analysis revealed that Hdh-HGAP exhibited higher levels in muscle tissue. Notably, during metamorphosis, Hdh-HGAP exhibited greater expression in the trochophore, veliger, and juvenile stages than in the cell division stages. Regarding growth patterns, Hdh-HGAP was highly expressed during rapid growth compared to stunted, minimal, and normal growth. In gonadal development, Hdh-HGAP mRNA reached its highest expression level during the ripening stage, indicating a potential role in gonadal cell proliferation and maturation. The in vivo effects of GnRH on gonad development and the expression of the Hdh-HGAP neuropeptide indicate its involvement in regulating reproduction in Pacific abalone. While tissue remodeling is primarily governed by immune genes, Hdh-HGAP was also upregulated during muscle tissue remodeling. Conversely, Hdh-HGAP was downregulated during prolonged starvation. CONCLUSION This study marks the first comprehensive exploration of the Hdh-HGAP neuropeptide gene in Pacific abalone, shedding light on its involvement in growth, reproduction, metamorphosis, tissue remodeling, and response to starvation, although regulatory mechanisms are mostly unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Abu Hanif
- Department of Fisheries Science, Chonnam National University, Yeosu, Republic of Korea
| | - Shaharior Hossen
- Department of Fisheries Science, Chonnam National University, Yeosu, Republic of Korea
| | - Doo Hyun Cho
- Department of Fisheries Science, Chonnam National University, Yeosu, Republic of Korea
| | - Kang Hee Kho
- Department of Fisheries Science, Chonnam National University, Yeosu, Republic of Korea
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Tang J, Yuan M, Wang J, Li Q, Huang B, Wei L, Liu Y, Han Y, Zhang X, Wang X, Zhang M, Wang X. Identification and characterization of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in Zhikong scallop Chlamys farreri during gonadal development. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1180725. [PMID: 37324384 PMCID: PMC10264684 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1180725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) controls synthesis of sex steroid hormones through hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis in vertebrates. But in mollusks, research on neuroendocrine control of gonadal function, such as the function of GnRH during gonadal development is limited. In this study, we investigated the morphology and structure of the nerve ganglia of Zhikong scallop Chlamys farreri by physiological and histological observations. We also cloned the ORF and studied the expression patterns of GnRH in the scallop. Tissue expression analysis showed that GnRH was highly expressed in parietovisceral ganglion (PVG). The in situ hybridization result further confirmed that GnRH mRNA only distributed in some good-sized neurons in the posterior lobe (PL) and some pint-sized neurons in the lateral lobe (LL). In addition, by examining the expression of GnRH during gonadal development in ganglia, we found GnRH displayed higher expression in the female scallops, and showed significant high expression at the growing stage of female scallops in PVG. This study would contribute to gaining insight into the mechanism underlying reproduction regulation by GnRH in the scallop and help to provide a better understanding of reproductive neuroendocrine in mollusks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juyan Tang
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | | | - Jia Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang, China
| | - Qianqian Li
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | - Baoyu Huang
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | - Lei Wei
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | - Yaqiong Liu
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | - Yijing Han
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | - Xuekai Zhang
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | - Xiaona Wang
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | - Meiwei Zhang
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | - Xiaotong Wang
- School of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai, China
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Xu JP, Ding XY, Guo SQ, Wang HY, Liu WJ, Jiang HM, Li YD, Fu P, Chen P, Mei YS, Zhang G, Zhou HB, Jing J. Characterization of an Aplysia vasotocin signaling system and actions of posttranslational modifications and individual residues of the ligand on receptor activity. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1132066. [PMID: 37021048 PMCID: PMC10067623 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1132066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The vasopressin/oxytocin signaling system is present in both protostomes and deuterostomes and plays various physiological roles. Although there were reports for both vasopressin-like peptides and receptors in mollusc Lymnaea and Octopus, no precursor or receptors have been described in mollusc Aplysia. Here, through bioinformatics, molecular and cellular biology, we identified both the precursor and two receptors for Aplysia vasopressin-like peptide, which we named Aplysia vasotocin (apVT). The precursor provides evidence for the exact sequence of apVT, which is identical to conopressin G from cone snail venom, and contains 9 amino acids, with two cysteines at position 1 and 6, similar to nearly all vasopressin-like peptides. Through inositol monophosphate (IP1) accumulation assay, we demonstrated that two of the three putative receptors we cloned from Aplysia cDNA are true receptors for apVT. We named the two receptors as apVTR1 and apVTR2. We then determined the roles of post-translational modifications (PTMs) of apVT, i.e., the disulfide bond between two cysteines and the C-terminal amidation on receptor activity. Both the disulfide bond and amidation were critical for the activation of the two receptors. Cross-activity with conopressin S, annetocin from an annelid, and vertebrate oxytocin showed that although all three ligands can activate both receptors, the potency of these peptides differed depending on their residue variations from apVT. We, therefore, tested the roles of each residue through alanine substitution and found that each substitution could reduce the potency of the peptide analog, and substitution of the residues within the disulfide bond tended to have a larger impact on receptor activity than the substitution of those outside the bond. Moreover, the two receptors had different sensitivities to the PTMs and single residue substitutions. Thus, we have characterized the Aplysia vasotocin signaling system and showed how the PTMs and individual residues in the ligand contributed to receptor activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju-Ping Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Institute for Brain Sciences, Advanced Institute for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Extracellular RNA, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xue-Ying Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Institute for Brain Sciences, Advanced Institute for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Extracellular RNA, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shi-Qi Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Institute for Brain Sciences, Advanced Institute for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Extracellular RNA, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hui-Ying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Institute for Brain Sciences, Advanced Institute for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Extracellular RNA, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wei-Jia Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Institute for Brain Sciences, Advanced Institute for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Extracellular RNA, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hui-Min Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Institute for Brain Sciences, Advanced Institute for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Extracellular RNA, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ya-Dong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Institute for Brain Sciences, Advanced Institute for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Extracellular RNA, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ping Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Institute for Brain Sciences, Advanced Institute for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Extracellular RNA, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ping Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Institute for Brain Sciences, Advanced Institute for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Extracellular RNA, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yu-Shuo Mei
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Institute for Brain Sciences, Advanced Institute for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Extracellular RNA, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Guo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Institute for Brain Sciences, Advanced Institute for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Extracellular RNA, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hai-Bo Zhou
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Peng Cheng Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jian Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Institute for Brain Sciences, Advanced Institute for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Extracellular RNA, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Peng Cheng Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
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Ramakrishnan S, Murphy AD. Peptidergic modulation of a multi-functional central pattern generator in the pulmonate snail. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:286115. [PMID: 36533565 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Egg laying in pulmonate snails is a well-orchestrated process that involves a period of reduced locomotion, followed by substrate cleaning with rhythmic rasping of the surface to make tiny grooves, into which eggs are deposited. Although the neurohormonal control of initiating egg laying has been well established, the signals that modulate the buccal central pattern generator to substrate cleaning during egg laying are not known. Neuropeptides of the invertebrate gonadotropin-releasing hormone/corazonin family (invGnRH/CRZ) have been shown to be involved in reproduction and allied behaviors in many vertebrates and invertebrates. Here, we show that the buccal motor pattern underlying substrate cleaning during egg laying is altered by a vertebrate GnRH agonist. Signals from the intestinal nerve innervating reproductive structures, previously shown to be both necessary and sufficient for egg-laying behaviors, are blocked by a vertebrate GnRH antagonist. Further, the vertebrate GnRH-triggered response elicits rhythmic, phase 2 and non-phase 2 activity in the buccal motor pattern, with a shutdown of phase 3, indicative of repetitive rasping without accompanied swallowing behavior. Using immunohistochemistry, intracellular electrophysiology and extracellular nerve stimulation, we show that a member of the invGnRH/CRZ family of neuropeptides could be the signal that contextually switches the multifunctional buccal CPG to a biphasic rasping rhythm that underlies substrate cleaning behavior during egg laying in the pulmonate snail Planorbella (Helisoma) trivolvis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddharth Ramakrishnan
- Department of Biology and Neuroscience Program, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA 98416, USA
| | - A Don Murphy
- Department of Biology, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
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Juárez OE, Arreola-Meraz L, Sánchez-Castrejón E, Avila-Poveda OH, López-Galindo LL, Rosas C, Galindo-Sánchez CE. Oviducal gland transcriptomics of Octopus maya through physiological stages and the negative effects of temperature on fertilization. PeerJ 2022; 10:e12895. [PMID: 35378931 PMCID: PMC8976471 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Elevated temperatures reduce fertilization and egg-laying rates in the octopus species. However, the molecular mechanisms that control the onset of fertilization and egg-laying in the octopus' oviducal gland are still unclear; and the effect of temperature on the expression of key reproductive genes is unknown. This study aims to better understand the molecular bases of octopus fertilization and egg-laying, and how they are affected by elevated temperatures. Method RNA-seq of oviducal glands was performed for samples before, during, and after fertilization and their transcriptomic profiles were compared. Also, at the fertilization stage, the optimal and thermal-stress conditions were contrasted. Expression levels of key reproductive genes were validated via RT-qPCR. Results In mated females before egg-laying, genes required for the synthesis of spermine, spermidine, which may prevent premature fertilization, and the myomodulin neuropeptide were upregulated. Among the genes with higher expression at the fertilization stage, we found those encoding the receptors of serotonin, dopamine, and progesterone; genes involved in the assembly and motility of the sperm flagellum; genes that participate in the interaction between male and female gametes; and genes associated with the synthesis of eggshell mucoproteins. At temperatures above the optimal range for reproduction, mated females reduced the fertilization rate. This response coincided with the upregulation of myomodulin and APGW-amide neuropeptides. Also, genes associated with fertilization like LGALS3, VWC2, and Pcsk1 were downregulated at elevated temperatures. Similarly, in senescent females, genes involved in fertilization were downregulated but those involved in the metabolism of steroid hormones like SRD5A1 were highly expressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar E. Juárez
- Departamento de Biotecnología Marina, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Baja California, Ensenada, Baja California, México
| | - Lousiana Arreola-Meraz
- Departamento de Biotecnología Marina, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Baja California, Ensenada, Baja California, México
| | - Edna Sánchez-Castrejón
- Departamento de Biotecnología Marina, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Baja California, Ensenada, Baja California, México
| | - Omar Hernando Avila-Poveda
- Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Mazatlán, Sinaloa, México,Programa Investigadoras e Investigadores por México, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Laura L. López-Galindo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Oceanológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Ensenada, Baja California, México
| | - Carlos Rosas
- Unidad Multidisciplinaria de Docencia e Investigación - Sisal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Sisal, Yucatán, México
| | - Clara E. Galindo-Sánchez
- Departamento de Biotecnología Marina, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Baja California, Ensenada, Baja California, México
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9
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Fodor I, Schwarz T, Kiss B, Tapodi A, Schmidt J, Cousins ARO, Katsiadaki I, Scott AP, Pirger Z. Studies on a widely-recognized snail model species ( Lymnaea stagnalis) provide further evidence that vertebrate steroids do not have a hormonal role in the reproduction of mollusks. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:981564. [PMID: 36157463 PMCID: PMC9493083 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.981564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Experiments were carried out to determine whether, as with other mollusks that have been studied, the snail, Lymnaea stagnalis, can absorb, esterify and store vertebrate steroids that are present in the water. We also carried out experiments to determine whether neural tissues of the snail could be immunohistochemically stained with an antibody to human aromatase (a key enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of testosterone [T] to 17β-estradiol [E2]); and, if so, to determine the significance of such staining. Previous studies on other mollusks have reported such staining and have proposed this as decisive evidence that mollusks have the same steroid synthesis pathway as vertebrates. We found that snails absorb, esterify and retain esterified T, E2, progesterone and ethinyl-estradiol (albeit with an absorption rate about four times slower, on a weight basis, than the mussel, Mytilus edulis). We also found that not only anti-human aromatase, but also anti-human nuclear progesterone receptor (nPR) and anti-human gonadotropin-releasing hormone antibodies immunohistochemically stained snail neural cells. However, further experiments, involving gel electrophoretic separation, followed by immunostaining, of proteins extracted from the neural tissue, found at least two positively-stained bands for each antibody, none of which had masses matching the human proteins to which the antibodies had been raised. The anti-aromatase antibody even stained the 140 kDA ladder protein used as a molecular weight marker on the gels. Mass spectrometric analysis of the bands did not find any peptide sequences that corresponded to the human proteins. Our findings confirm that the presence of vertebrate-like sex steroids in molluscan tissues is not necessarily evidence of endogenous origin. The results also show that immunohistochemical studies using antibodies against human proteins are grossly non-specific and likely to have little or no value in studying steroid synthesis or activity in mollusks. Our conclusions are consistent with the fact that genes for aromatase and nPR have not been found in the genome of the snail or of any other mollusk. Our overarching conclusion, from this and our previous studies, is that the endocrinology of mollusks is not the same as that of humans or any other vertebrates and that continuing to carry out physiological and ecotoxicological studies on mollusks on the basis of this false assumption, is an unconscionable waste of resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- István Fodor
- Ecophysiological and Environmental Toxicological Research Group, Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Tihany, Hungary
- *Correspondence: István Fodor,
| | - Tamar Schwarz
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research, Weymouth Laboratory, Weymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Bence Kiss
- Institute of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Antal Tapodi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - János Schmidt
- Institute of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Alex R. O. Cousins
- Lowestoft Laboratory, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft, United Kingdom
| | - Ioanna Katsiadaki
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research, Weymouth Laboratory, Weymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander P. Scott
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research, Weymouth Laboratory, Weymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Zsolt Pirger
- Ecophysiological and Environmental Toxicological Research Group, Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Tihany, Hungary
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10
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Lebreton M, Malgouyres JM, Carayon JL, Bonnafé E, Géret F. Effects of the anxiolytic benzodiazepine oxazepam on freshwater gastropod reproduction: a prospective study. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2021; 30:1880-1892. [PMID: 34379245 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-021-02453-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Psychoactive drugs have emerged as contaminants over the last few decades. These drugs are frequently prescribed and poorly eliminated by wastewater treatment plants, and many are present at non-negligible concentrations in surface waters. Several studies have investigated the non-target organism toxicity of one such drug, oxazepam, a benzodiazepine anxiolytic frequently detected in rivers. However, very little is known about the impact of this drug on reproduction. We investigated the effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of oxazepam on Radix balthica, a freshwater gastropod widespread in Europe. We identified the reproductive organs of Radix balthica. We then exposed this gastropod to oxazepam for two months and assessed several reproductive parameters, from reproductive organ status to behavioral parameters. We found that adults exposed to 10 µg/L oxazepam display an increase in the density of spermatozoa, and that adults exposed to 0.8 µg/L oxazepam displayed a decrease in the number of eggs per egg mass over time. By contrast, oxazepam had no effect on shell length, the size of male reproductive organs or social interactions. Finally, a locomotor activity analysis showed the distance covered over time decreased in all conditions of exposure to oxazepam, potentially reflecting a disturbance of exploratory activity. These results shed light on the effects of oxazepam on the reproduction of a non-target freshwater mollusk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Lebreton
- Biochimie et Toxicologie des Substances Bioactives, EA 7417, INU Champollion, Albi, France.
| | - Jean-Michel Malgouyres
- Biochimie et Toxicologie des Substances Bioactives, EA 7417, INU Champollion, Albi, France
| | - Jean-Luc Carayon
- Biochimie et Toxicologie des Substances Bioactives, EA 7417, INU Champollion, Albi, France
| | - Elsa Bonnafé
- Biochimie et Toxicologie des Substances Bioactives, EA 7417, INU Champollion, Albi, France
| | - Florence Géret
- Biochimie et Toxicologie des Substances Bioactives, EA 7417, INU Champollion, Albi, France
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11
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Voronezhskaya EE. Maternal Serotonin: Shaping Developmental Patterns and Behavioral Strategy on Progeny in Molluscs. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.739787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Serotonin is a well-known neurotransmitter and neurohormone regulating mood, sleep, feeding, and learning in high organisms. Serotonin also affects the embryonic events related to neurogenesis and maturation of hormonal systems, the underlying organism adaptation to a changing environment. Such serotonin-based mother-to-embryo signaling is realized via direct interactions in case of internal fertilization and embryonic development inside the mother body. However, the possibility of such signaling is less obvious in organisms with the ancestral type of embryogenesis and embryo development within the egg, outside the mother body. Our data, based on the investigation of freshwater gastropod molluscs (Lymnaea and Helisoma), demonstrated a correlation between seasonal variations of serotonin content within the female reproductive system, and developmental patterns and the behavioral characteristics of progeny. The direct action of serotonin via posttranslational protein modification—serotonylation—during early development, as well as classical receptor-mediated effects, underlies such serotonin-modulated developmental changes. In the present paper, I will shortly overview our results on freshwater molluscs and parallel the experimental data with the living strategy of these species occupying almost all Holarctic regions.
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12
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Rolón-Martínez S, Habib MR, Mansour TA, Díaz-Ríos M, Rosenthal JJC, Zhou XN, Croll RP, Miller MW. FMRF-NH 2 -related neuropeptides in Biomphalaria spp., intermediate hosts for schistosomiasis: Precursor organization and immunohistochemical localization. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:3336-3358. [PMID: 34041754 PMCID: PMC8273141 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Freshwater snails of the genus Biomphalaria serve as intermediate hosts for the digenetic trematode Schistosoma mansoni, the etiological agent for the most widespread form of intestinal schistosomiasis. As neuropeptide signaling in host snails can be altered by trematode infection, a neural transcriptomics approach was undertaken to identify peptide precursors in Biomphalaria glabrata, the major intermediate host for S. mansoni in the Western Hemisphere. Three transcripts that encode peptides belonging to the FMRF-NH2 -related peptide (FaRP) family were identified in B. glabrata. One transcript encoded a precursor polypeptide (Bgl-FaRP1; 292 amino acids) that included eight copies of the tetrapeptide FMRF-NH2 and single copies of FIRF-NH2 , FLRF-NH2 , and pQFYRI-NH2 . The second transcript encoded a precursor (Bgl-FaRP2; 347 amino acids) that comprised 14 copies of the heptapeptide GDPFLRF-NH2 and 1 copy of SKPYMRF-NH2 . The precursor encoded by the third transcript (Bgl-FaRP3; 287 amino acids) recapitulated Bgl-FaRP2 but lacked the full SKPYMRF-NH2 peptide. The three precursors shared a common signal peptide, suggesting a genomic organization described previously in gastropods. Immunohistochemical studies were performed on the nervous systems of B. glabrata and B. alexandrina, a major intermediate host for S. mansoni in Egypt. FMRF-NH2 -like immunoreactive (FMRF-NH2 -li) neurons were located in regions of the central nervous system associated with reproduction, feeding, and cardiorespiration. Antisera raised against non-FMRF-NH2 peptides present in the tetrapeptide and heptapeptide precursors labeled independent subsets of the FMRF-NH2 -li neurons. This study supports the participation of FMRF-NH2 -related neuropeptides in the regulation of vital physiological and behavioral systems that are altered by parasitism in Biomphalaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solymar Rolón-Martínez
- Institute of Neurobiology and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Mohamed R Habib
- Medical Malacology Laboratory, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt
| | - Tamer A Mansour
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA
- Department of Clinical Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Mansoura, Mansoura, Egypt
| | | | | | - Xiao-Nong Zhou
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Roger P Croll
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Mark W Miller
- Institute of Neurobiology and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
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13
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Wood EA, Stopka SA, Zhang L, Mattson S, Maasz G, Pirger Z, Vertes A. Neuropeptide Localization in Lymnaea stagnalis: From the Central Nervous System to Subcellular Compartments. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:670303. [PMID: 34093125 PMCID: PMC8172996 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.670303] [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: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the relatively small number of neurons (few tens of thousands), the well-established multipurpose model organism Lymnaea stagnalis, great pond snail, has been extensively used to study the functioning of the nervous system. Unlike the more complex brains of higher organisms, L. stagnalis has a relatively simple central nervous system (CNS) with well-defined circuits (e.g., feeding, locomotion, learning, and memory) and identified individual neurons (e.g., cerebral giant cell, CGC), which generate behavioral patterns. Accumulating information from electrophysiological experiments maps the network of neuronal connections and the neuronal circuits responsible for basic life functions. Chemical signaling between synaptic-coupled neurons is underpinned by neurotransmitters and neuropeptides. This review looks at the rapidly expanding contributions of mass spectrometry (MS) to neuropeptide discovery and identification at different granularity of CNS organization. Abundances and distributions of neuropeptides in the whole CNS, eleven interconnected ganglia, neuronal clusters, single neurons, and subcellular compartments are captured by MS imaging and single cell analysis techniques. Combining neuropeptide expression and electrophysiological data, and aided by genomic and transcriptomic information, the molecular basis of CNS-controlled biological functions is increasingly revealed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen A. Wood
- Department of Chemistry, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Sylwia A. Stopka
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Linwen Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Sara Mattson
- Department of Chemistry, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Gabor Maasz
- Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Tihany, Hungary
- Soós Ernő Research and Development Center, University of Pannonia, Nagykanizsa, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Pirger
- Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Tihany, Hungary
| | - Akos Vertes
- Department of Chemistry, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
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14
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Fodor I, Svigruha R, Bozsó Z, Tóth GK, Osugi T, Yamamoto T, Satake H, Pirger Z. Functional characterization and related evolutionary implications of invertebrate gonadotropin-releasing hormone/corazonin in a well-established model species. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10028. [PMID: 33976353 PMCID: PMC8113230 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89614-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In vertebrates, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) peptide is the central mediator of reproduction. Homologous peptides have previously also been identified in molluscan species. However, emerging evidence suggests that these molecules might serve diverse regulatory functions and proposes to consider them as corazonin (CRZ). We previously isolated the full-length cDNA of the invGnRH/CRZ peptide (termed ly-GnRH/CRZ) in the well-established invertebrate model species, the great pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis; however, its predicted functions remain to be verified. In this study, we first confirmed the presence of the deduced active peptide from the central nervous system of L. stagnalis. Further, we performed in vivo and in vitro studies to explore the functions of ly-GnRH/CRZ. Injection of sexually mature specimens with synthetic active peptide had an inhibitory effect on locomotion and an acceleratory effect on egg-laying, but had no effect on feeding. The previously predicted modulatory effect of ly-GnRH/CRZ was supported by its identified co-localization with serotonin on the surface of the heart atria. Lastly, we demonstrated not only the presence of ly-GnRH/CRZ in the penial complex but also that ly-GnRH/CRZ-containing neurons project to the efferent penis nerve, suggesting ly-GnRH/CRZ may directly modulate the motor output of this peripheral tissue. Overall, our findings strongly support that ly-GnRH/CRZ is a multifunctional neuropeptide. These results contribute to the understanding of the GnRH superfamily and, more broadly, disciplines such as comparative endocrinology and neurobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- István Fodor
- NAP Adaptive Neuroethology, Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Klebelsberg Kuno u. 3., Tihany, 8237, Hungary
| | - Réka Svigruha
- NAP Adaptive Neuroethology, Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Klebelsberg Kuno u. 3., Tihany, 8237, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Bozsó
- Department of Medical Chemistry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Gábor K Tóth
- Department of Medical Chemistry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Tomohiro Osugi
- Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, 8-1-1 Seikadai, Seika, Souraku, Kyoto, 619-0284, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Yamamoto
- Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, 8-1-1 Seikadai, Seika, Souraku, Kyoto, 619-0284, Japan
| | - Honoo Satake
- Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, 8-1-1 Seikadai, Seika, Souraku, Kyoto, 619-0284, Japan
| | - Zsolt Pirger
- NAP Adaptive Neuroethology, Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Klebelsberg Kuno u. 3., Tihany, 8237, Hungary.
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15
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Rosa-Casillas M, de Jesús PM, Vicente Rodríguez LC, Habib MR, Croll RP, Miller MW. Identification and localization of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone-related neuropeptide in Biomphalaria, an intermediate host for schistosomiasis. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:2347-2361. [PMID: 33368267 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Freshwater snails of the genus Biomphalaria serve as obligatory hosts for the digenetic trematode Schistosoma mansoni, the causative agent for the most widespread form of intestinal schistosomiasis. Within Biomphalaria, S. mansoni larvae multiply and transform into the cercariae form that can infect humans. Trematode development and proliferation is thought to be facilitated by modifications of host behavior and physiological processes, including a reduction of reproduction known as "parasitic castration." As neuropeptides participate in the control of reproduction across phylogeny, a neural transcriptomics approach was undertaken to identify peptides that could regulate Biomphalaria reproductive physiology. The present study identified a transcript in Biomphalaria alexandrina that encodes a peptide belonging to the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) superfamily. The precursor and the predicted mature peptide, pQIHFTPDWGNN-NH2 (designated Biom-GnRH), share features with peptides identified in other molluscan species, including panpulmonates, opisthobranchs, and cephalopods. An antibody generated against Biom-GnRH labeled neurons in the cerebral, pedal, and visceral ganglia of Biomphalaria glabrata. GnRH-like immunoreactive fiber systems projected to all central ganglia. In the periphery, immunoreactive material was detected in the ovotestis, oviduct, albumen gland, and nidamental gland. As these structures serve crucial roles in the production, transport, nourishment, and encapsulation of eggs, disruption of the GnRH system of Biomphalaria could contribute to reduced reproductive activity in infected snails.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariela Rosa-Casillas
- Institute of Neurobiology and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Paola Méndez de Jesús
- Institute of Neurobiology and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | | | - Mohamed R Habib
- Medical Malacology Department, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt
| | - Roger P Croll
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Mark W Miller
- Institute of Neurobiology and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
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16
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Dong N, Bandura J, Zhang Z, Wang Y, Labadie K, Noel B, Davison A, Koene JM, Sun HS, Coutellec MA, Feng ZP. Ion channel profiling of the Lymnaea stagnalis ganglia via transcriptome analysis. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:18. [PMID: 33407100 PMCID: PMC7789530 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-07287-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis (L. stagnalis) has been widely used as a model organism in neurobiology, ecotoxicology, and parasitology due to the relative simplicity of its central nervous system (CNS). However, its usefulness is restricted by a limited availability of transcriptome data. While sequence information for the L. stagnalis CNS transcripts has been obtained from EST libraries and a de novo RNA-seq assembly, the quality of these assemblies is limited by a combination of low coverage of EST libraries, the fragmented nature of de novo assemblies, and lack of reference genome. RESULTS In this study, taking advantage of the recent availability of a preliminary L. stagnalis genome, we generated an RNA-seq library from the adult L. stagnalis CNS, using a combination of genome-guided and de novo assembly programs to identify 17,832 protein-coding L. stagnalis transcripts. We combined our library with existing resources to produce a transcript set with greater sequence length, completeness, and diversity than previously available ones. Using our assembly and functional domain analysis, we profiled L. stagnalis CNS transcripts encoding ion channels and ionotropic receptors, which are key proteins for CNS function, and compared their sequences to other vertebrate and invertebrate model organisms. Interestingly, L. stagnalis transcripts encoding numerous putative Ca2+ channels showed the most sequence similarity to those of Mus musculus, Danio rerio, Xenopus tropicalis, Drosophila melanogaster, and Caenorhabditis elegans, suggesting that many calcium channel-related signaling pathways may be evolutionarily conserved. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides the most thorough characterization to date of the L. stagnalis transcriptome and provides insights into differences between vertebrates and invertebrates in CNS transcript diversity, according to function and protein class. Furthermore, this study provides a complete characterization of the ion channels of Lymnaea stagnalis, opening new avenues for future research on fundamental neurobiological processes in this model system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Dong
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, 3308 MSB, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Julia Bandura
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, 3308 MSB, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Zhaolei Zhang
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B2, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Karine Labadie
- Genoscope, Institut de biologie François Jacob, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA), Université Paris-Saclay, BP5706, 91057, Evry, France
| | - Benjamin Noel
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, University of Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91057, Evry, France
| | - Angus Davison
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Joris M Koene
- Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hong-Shuo Sun
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, 3308 MSB, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | | | - Zhong-Ping Feng
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, 3308 MSB, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.
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17
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Fodor I, Hussein AAA, Benjamin PR, Koene JM, Pirger Z. The unlimited potential of the great pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis. eLife 2020; 9:e56962. [PMID: 32539932 PMCID: PMC7297532 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Only a limited number of animal species lend themselves to becoming model organisms in multiple biological disciplines: one of these is the great pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis. Extensively used since the 1970s to study fundamental mechanisms in neurobiology, the value of this freshwater snail has been also recognised in fields as diverse as host-parasite interactions, ecotoxicology, evolution, genome editing and 'omics', and human disease modelling. While there is knowledge about the natural history of this species, what is currently lacking is an integration of findings from the laboratory and the field. With this in mind, this article aims to summarise the applicability of L. stagnalis and points out that this multipurpose model organism is an excellent, contemporary choice for addressing a large range of different biological questions, problems and phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- István Fodor
- NAP Adaptive Neuroethology, Department of Experimental Zoology, Balaton Limnological Institute, Centre for Ecological ResearchTihanyHungary
| | - Ahmed AA Hussein
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije UniversiteitAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Paul R Benjamin
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of SussexBrightonUnited Kingdom
| | - Joris M Koene
- Section of Animal Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Zsolt Pirger
- NAP Adaptive Neuroethology, Department of Experimental Zoology, Balaton Limnological Institute, Centre for Ecological ResearchTihanyHungary
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18
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Odekunle EA, Elphick MR. Comparative and Evolutionary Physiology of Vasopressin/ Oxytocin-Type Neuropeptide Signaling in Invertebrates. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2020; 11:225. [PMID: 32362874 PMCID: PMC7181382 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification of structurally related hypothalamic hormones that regulate blood pressure and diuresis (vasopressin, VP; CYFQNCPRG-NH2) or lactation and uterine contraction (oxytocin, OT; CYIQNCPLG-NH2) was a major advance in neuroendocrinology, recognized in the award of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1955. Furthermore, the discovery of central actions of VP and OT as regulators of reproductive and social behavior in humans and other mammals has broadened interest in these neuropeptides beyond physiology into psychology. VP/OT-type neuropeptides and their G-protein coupled receptors originated in a common ancestor of the Bilateria (Urbilateria), with invertebrates typically having a single VP/OT-type neuropeptide and cognate receptor. Gene/genome duplications followed by gene loss gave rise to variety in the number of VP/OT-type neuropeptides and receptors in different vertebrate lineages. Recent advances in comparative transcriptomics/genomics have enabled discovery of VP/OT-type neuropeptides in an ever-growing diversity of invertebrate taxa, providing new opportunities to gain insights into the evolution of VP/OT-type neuropeptide function in the Bilateria. Here we review the comparative physiology of VP/OT-type neuropeptides in invertebrates, with roles in regulation of reproduction, feeding, and water/salt homeostasis emerging as common themes. For example, we highlight recent reports of roles in regulation of oocyte maturation in the sea-squirt Ciona intestinalis, extraoral feeding behavior in the starfish Asterias rubens and energy status and dessication resistance in ants. Thus, VP/OT-type neuropeptides are pleiotropic regulators of physiological processes, with evolutionarily conserved roles that can be traced back to Urbilateria. To gain a deeper understanding of the evolution of VP/OT-type neuropeptide function it may be necessary to not only determine the actions of the peptides but also to characterize the transcriptomic/proteomic/metabolomic profiles of cells expressing VP/OT-type precursors and/or VP/OT-type receptors within the framework of anatomically and functionally identified neuronal networks. Furthermore, investigation of VP/OT-type neuropeptide function in a wider range of invertebrate species is now needed if we are to determine how and when this ancient signaling system was recruited to regulate diverse physiological and behavioral processes in different branches of animal phylogeny and in contrasting environmental contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maurice R. Elphick
- School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
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19
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Sharker MR, Sukhan ZP, Kim SC, Rha SJ, Kho KH. In silico prediction of neuropeptides from the neural ganglia of Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai (Mollusca: Gastropoda). THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2019.1708485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- M. R. Sharker
- Department of Fisheries Science, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, Chonnam National University, Yeosu, Republic of Korea
| | - Z. P. Sukhan
- Department of Fisheries Science, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, Chonnam National University, Yeosu, Republic of Korea
| | - S. C. Kim
- Department of Fisheries Science, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, Chonnam National University, Yeosu, Republic of Korea
| | - S.-J. Rha
- Department of Fisheries Science, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, Chonnam National University, Yeosu, Republic of Korea
| | - K. H. Kho
- Department of Fisheries Science, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, Chonnam National University, Yeosu, Republic of Korea
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20
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Young AP, Landry CF, Jackson DJ, Wyeth RC. Tissue-specific evaluation of suitable reference genes for RT-qPCR in the pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7888. [PMID: 31637135 PMCID: PMC6798871 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) is a robust technique for the quantification and comparison of gene expression. To obtain reliable results with this method, one or more reference genes must be employed to normalize expression measurements among treatments or tissue samples. Candidate reference genes must be validated to ensure that they are stable prior to use in qPCR experiments. The pond snail (Lymnaea stagnalis) is a common research organism, particularly in the areas of learning and memory, and is an emerging model for the study of biological asymmetry, biomineralization, and evolution and development. However, no systematic assessment of qPCR reference genes has been performed in this animal. Therefore, the aim of our research was to identify stable reference genes to normalize gene expression data from several commonly studied tissues in L. stagnalis as well as across the entire body. We evaluated a panel of seven reference genes across six different tissues in L. stagnalis with RT-qPCR. The genes included: elongation factor 1-alpha, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, beta-actin, beta-tubulin, ubiquitin, prenylated rab acceptor protein 1, and a voltage gated potassium channel. These genes exhibited a wide range of expression levels among tissues. The tissue-specific stability of each of the genes was consistent when measured by the standard stability assessment algorithms: geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and RefFinder. Our data indicate that the most stable reference genes vary among the tissues that we examined (central nervous system, tentacles, lips, penis, foot, mantle). Our results were generally congruent with those obtained from similar studies in other molluscs. Given that a minimum of two reference genes are recommended for data normalization, we provide suggestions for strong pairs of reference genes for single- and multi-tissue analyses of RT-qPCR data in L. stagnalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander P Young
- Department of Biology, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS, Canada
| | - Carmen F Landry
- Department of Biology, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS, Canada
| | - Daniel J Jackson
- Department of Geobiology, Georg-August Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Russell C Wyeth
- Department of Biology, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS, Canada
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21
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Acker MJ, Habib MR, Beach GA, Doyle JM, Miller MW, Croll RP. An immunohistochemical analysis of peptidergic neurons apparently associated with reproduction and growth in Biomphalaria alexandrina. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 280:1-8. [PMID: 30923005 PMCID: PMC6635034 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Peptide hormones and neurotransmitters involved in reproduction and growth have been studied extensively in certain gastropod molluscs, such as Lymnaea stagnalis and Aplysia californica. The present study employs antisera that have been used to study peptidergic neurons in those species to probe the central nervous system of another gastropod, Biomphalaria alexandrina, an intermediate host of the parasitic trematode that causes schistosomiasis in humans. Whole mount preparations of central ganglia were stained immunohistochemically, and several populations of neurons appeared to be homologous to those forming the neuroendocrine axis that has been previously described in L. stagnalis. These cells include the caudodorsal cells and the light green and canopy cells, which produce hormones that regulate ovulation and growth, respectively. Other populations of cells containing APGWamide, FMRFamide and/or related peptides are consistent with ones that innervate the penis in L. stagnalis and other gastropods. Identification of neurons that might be responsible for the control of reproduction and growth in Biomphalaria provides an important initial step toward the development of novel methods of disease control and pest management directed toward reducing snail populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison J Acker
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Mohamed R Habib
- Medical Malacology Laboratory, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza 12411, Egypt
| | - Griffin A Beach
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Jillian M Doyle
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Mark W Miller
- Institute of Neurobiology and Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Roger P Croll
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
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22
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Kim MA, Markkandan K, Han NY, Park JM, Lee JS, Lee H, Sohn YC. Neural Ganglia Transcriptome and Peptidome Associated with Sexual Maturation in Female Pacific Abalone ( Haliotis discus hannai). Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10040268. [PMID: 30987054 PMCID: PMC6523705 DOI: 10.3390/genes10040268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2018] [Revised: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic information of reproduction and growth is essential for sustainable molluscan fisheries and aquaculture management. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the reproductive activity of the commercially important Pacific abalone Haliotisdiscushannai. We performed de novo transcriptome sequencing of the ganglia in sexually immature and mature female Pacific abalone to better understand the sexual maturation process and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Of the ~305 million high-quality clean reads, 76,684 transcripts were de novo-assembled with an average length of 741 bp, 28.54% of which were annotated and classified according to Gene Ontology terms. There were 256 differentially expressed genes between the immature and mature abalone. Tandem mass spectrometry analysis, as compared to the predicted-peptide database of abalone ganglia transcriptome unigenes, identified 42 neuropeptide precursors, including 29 validated by peptidomic analyses. Label-free quantification revealed differential occurrences of 18 neuropeptide families between immature and mature abalone, including achatin, FMRFamide, crustacean cardioactive peptide, and pedal peptide A and B that were significantly more frequent at the mature stage. These results represent the first significant contribution to both maturation-related transcriptomic and peptidomic resources of the Pacific abalone ganglia and provide insight into the roles of various neuropeptides in reproductive regulation in marine gastropods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi Ae Kim
- Department of Marine Molecular Bioscience, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung 25457, Korea.
- The East Coast Research Institute of Life Science, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung 25457, Korea.
| | | | - Na-Young Han
- College of Pharmacy, Gachon University, Incheon 21936, Korea.
| | - Jong-Moon Park
- College of Pharmacy, Gachon University, Incheon 21936, Korea.
| | - Jung Sick Lee
- Department of Aqualife Medicine, Chonnam National University, Yeosu 59626, Korea.
| | - Hookeun Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Gachon University, Incheon 21936, Korea.
| | - Young Chang Sohn
- Department of Marine Molecular Bioscience, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung 25457, Korea.
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23
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Zhang M, Wang Y, Li Y, Li W, Li R, Xie X, Wang S, Hu X, Zhang L, Bao Z. Identification and Characterization of Neuropeptides by Transcriptome and Proteome Analyses in a Bivalve Mollusc Patinopecten yessoensis. Front Genet 2018; 9:197. [PMID: 29922332 PMCID: PMC5996578 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptides play essential roles in regulation of reproduction and growth in marine molluscs. But their function in marine bivalves – a group of animals of commercial importance – is largely unexplored due to the lack of systematic identification of these molecules. In this study, we sequenced and analyzed the transcriptome of nerve ganglia of Yesso scallop Patinopecten yessoensis, from which 63 neuropeptide genes were identified based on BLAST and de novo prediction approaches, and 31 were confirmed by proteomic analysis using the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Fifty genes encode known neuropeptide precursors, of which 20 commonly exist in bilaterians and 30 are protostome specific. Three neuropeptides that have not yet been reported in bivalves were identified, including calcitonin/DH31, lymnokinin and pleurin. Characterization of glycoprotein hormones, insulin-like peptides, allatostatins, RFamides, and some reproduction, cardioactivity or feeding related neuropeptides reveals scallop neuropeptides have conserved molluscan neuropeptide domains, but some (e.g., GPB5, APGWamide and ELH) are characterized with bivalve-specific features. Thirteen potentially novel neuropeptides were identified, including 10 that may also exist in other protostomes, and 3 (GNamide, LRYamide, and Vamide) that may be scallop specific. In addition, we found neuropeptides potentially related to scallop shell growth and eye functioning. This study represents the first comprehensive identification of neuropeptides in scallop, and would contribute to a complete understanding on the roles of various neuropeptides in endocrine regulation in bivalve molluscs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiwei Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Yangfan Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Yangping Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Wanru Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Ruojiao Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Xinran Xie
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Shi Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiaoli Hu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.,Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Lingling Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.,Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhenmin Bao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.,Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
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24
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Jékely G, Melzer S, Beets I, Kadow ICG, Koene J, Haddad S, Holden-Dye L. The long and the short of it - a perspective on peptidergic regulation of circuits and behaviour. J Exp Biol 2018; 221:jeb166710. [PMID: 29439060 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.166710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Neuropeptides are the most diverse class of chemical modulators in nervous systems. They contribute to extensive modulation of circuit activity and have profound influences on animal physiology. Studies on invertebrate model organisms, including the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, have enabled the genetic manipulation of peptidergic signalling, contributing to an understanding of how neuropeptides pattern the output of neural circuits to underpin behavioural adaptation. Electrophysiological and pharmacological analyses of well-defined microcircuits, such as the crustacean stomatogastric ganglion, have provided detailed insights into neuropeptide functions at a cellular and circuit level. These approaches can be increasingly applied in the mammalian brain by focusing on circuits with a defined and identifiable sub-population of neurons. Functional analyses of neuropeptide systems have been underpinned by systematic studies to map peptidergic networks. Here, we review the general principles and mechanistic insights that have emerged from these studies. We also highlight some of the challenges that remain for furthering our understanding of the functional relevance of peptidergic modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gáspár Jékely
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Sarah Melzer
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Isabel Beets
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Ilona C Grunwald Kadow
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Life Sciences, ZIEL - Institute for Food and Health, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Joris Koene
- Vrije Universiteit - Ecological Science, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sara Haddad
- Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Mailstop 013, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Lindy Holden-Dye
- Biological Sciences, Highfield Campus, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
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25
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Mansour TA, Habib MR, Rodríguez LCV, Vázquez AH, Alers JM, Ghezzi A, Croll RP, Brown CT, Miller MW. Central nervous system transcriptome of Biomphalaria alexandrina, an intermediate host for schistosomiasis. BMC Res Notes 2017; 10:729. [PMID: 29228974 PMCID: PMC5725652 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-017-3018-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Globally, more than 200 million people live at risk of the neglected tropical disease schistosomiasis (or snail fever). Larval schistosomes require the presence of specific snail species that act as intermediate hosts, supporting their multiplication and transformation into forms that can infect humans. This project was designed to generate a transcriptome from the central nervous system (CNS) of Biomphalaria alexandrina, the major intermediate host for Schistosoma mansoni in Egypt. Results A transcriptome was generated from five pooled central nervous systems dissected from uninfected specimens of B. alexandrina. Raw Illumina RNA-seq data (~ 20.3 million paired end reads of 150 base pairs length each) generated a transcriptome consisting of 144,213 transcript elements with an N50 contig size of 716 base pairs. Orthologs of 15,246 transcripts and homologs for an additional 16,810 transcripts were identified in the UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot database. The B. alexandrina CNS transcriptome provides a resource for future research exploring parasite-host interactions in a simpler nervous system. Moreover, increased understanding of the neural signaling mechanisms involved in the response of B. alexandrina to infection by S. mansoni larvae could lead to novel and highly specific strategies for the control of snail populations. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13104-017-3018-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamer A Mansour
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.,Department of Clinical Pathology, College of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Mohamed R Habib
- Medical Malacology Department, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, 12411, Egypt
| | - Laura C Vicente Rodríguez
- Institute of Neurobiology and Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, 201 Blvd del Valle, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Anthony Hernández Vázquez
- Institute of Neurobiology and Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, 201 Blvd del Valle, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Julián Maldonado Alers
- Institute of Neurobiology and Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, 201 Blvd del Valle, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Alfredo Ghezzi
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Roger P Croll
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - C Titus Brown
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Mark W Miller
- Institute of Neurobiology and Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, 201 Blvd del Valle, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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26
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Buddenborg SK, Bu L, Zhang SM, Schilkey FD, Mkoji GM, Loker ES. Transcriptomic responses of Biomphalaria pfeifferi to Schistosoma mansoni: Investigation of a neglected African snail that supports more S. mansoni transmission than any other snail species. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0005984. [PMID: 29045404 PMCID: PMC5685644 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Revised: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biomphalaria pfeifferi is highly compatible with the widespread human-infecting blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni and transmits more cases of this parasite to people than any other snail species. For these reasons, B. pfeifferi is the world's most important vector snail for S. mansoni, yet we know relatively little at the molecular level regarding the interactions between B. pfeifferi and S. mansoni from early-stage sporocyst transformation to the development of cercariae. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We sought to capture a portrait of the response of B. pfeifferi to S. mansoni as it occurs in nature by undertaking Illumina dual RNA-Seq on uninfected control B. pfeifferi and three intramolluscan developmental stages (1- and 3-days post infection and patent, cercariae-producing infections) using field-derived west Kenyan specimens. A high-quality, well-annotated de novo B. pfeifferi transcriptome was assembled from over a half billion non-S. mansoni paired-end reads. Reads associated with potential symbionts were noted. Some infected snails yielded fewer normalized S. mansoni reads and showed different patterns of transcriptional response than others, an indication that the ability of field-derived snails to support and respond to infection is variable. Alterations in transcripts associated with reproduction were noted, including for the oviposition-related hormone ovipostatin and enzymes involved in metabolism of bioactive amines like dopamine or serotonin. Shedding snails exhibited responses consistent with the need for tissue repair. Both generalized stress and immune factors immune factors (VIgLs, PGRPs, BGBPs, complement C1q-like, chitinases) exhibited complex transcriptional responses in this compatible host-parasite system. SIGNIFICANCE This study provides for the first time a large sequence data set to help in interpreting the important vector role of the neglected snail B. pfeifferi in transmission of S. mansoni, including with an emphasis on more natural, field-derived specimens. We have identified B. pfeifferi targets particularly responsive during infection that enable further dissection of the functional role of these candidate molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K. Buddenborg
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Lijing Bu
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Si-Ming Zhang
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Faye D. Schilkey
- National Center for Genome Resources, Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Gerald M. Mkoji
- Center for Biotechnology Research and Development, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, KEN
| | - Eric S. Loker
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
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27
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Wang T, Zhao M, Liang D, Bose U, Kaur S, McManus DP, Cummins SF. Changes in the neuropeptide content of Biomphalaria ganglia nervous system following Schistosoma infection. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:275. [PMID: 28578678 PMCID: PMC5455113 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2218-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Molluscs, including snails, are prone to parasite infection, which can lead to massive physiological and behavioural changes, yet many of the molecular components involved remain unresolved. Central to this point is the neural system that in snails consists of several ganglia that regulate the animals' physiology and behaviour patterns. The availability of a genomic resource for the freshwater snail Biomphalaria glabrata provides a mean towards the high throughput analysis of changes in the central nervous system (CNS) following infection with Schistosoma miracidia. RESULTS In this study, we performed a proteomic analysis of the B. glabrata CNS at pre-patent infection, providing a list of proteins that were further used within a protein-protein interaction (PPI) framework against S. mansoni proteins. A hub with most connections for both non-infected and infected Biomphalaria includes leucine aminopeptidase 2 (LAP2), which interacts with numerous miracidia proteins that together belong to the immunoglobulin family of cell adhesion related molecules. We additionally reveal the presence of at least 165 neuropeptides derived from the precursors of buccalin, enterin, FMRF, FVRI, pedal peptide 1, 2, 3 and 4, RYamide, RFamide, pleurin and others. Many of these were present at significantly reduced levels in the snail's CNS post-infection, such as the egg laying hormone, a neuropeptide required to initiate egg laying in gastropod molluscs. CONCLUSIONS Our analysis demonstrates that LAP2 may be a key component that regulates parasite infection physiology, as well as establishing that parasite-induced reproductive castration may be facilitated by significant reductions in reproduction-associated neuropeptides. This work helps in our understanding of molluscan neuropeptides and further stimulates advances in parasite-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianfang Wang
- Genecology Research Centre, Faculty of Science, Health and Education, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland 4558 Australia
| | - Min Zhao
- Genecology Research Centre, Faculty of Science, Health and Education, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland 4558 Australia
| | - Di Liang
- Genecology Research Centre, Faculty of Science, Health and Education, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland 4558 Australia
| | - Utpal Bose
- Genecology Research Centre, Faculty of Science, Health and Education, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland 4558 Australia
| | - Satwant Kaur
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, London, UB8 3PH UK
| | - Donald P. McManus
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland 4006 Australia
| | - Scott F. Cummins
- Genecology Research Centre, Faculty of Science, Health and Education, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland 4558 Australia
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28
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Koene JM. Sex determination and gender expression: Reproductive investment in snails. Mol Reprod Dev 2017; 84:132-143. [PMID: 27245260 PMCID: PMC6220956 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.22662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/22/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Sex determination is generally seen as an issue of importance for separate-sexed organisms; however, when considering other sexual systems, such as hermaphroditism, sex allocation is a less-binary form of sex determination. As illustrated here, with examples from molluscs, this different vantage point can offer important evolutionary insights. After all, males and females produce only one type of gamete, whereas hermaphrodites produce both. In addition, sperm and accessory gland products are donated bidirectionally. For reciprocal mating, this is obvious since sperm are exchanged within one mating interaction; but even unilaterally mating species end up mating in both sexual roles, albeit not simultaneously. With this in mind, I highlight two factors that play an important role in how reproductive investment is divided in snails: First, the individual's motivation to preferentially donate rather than receive sperm (or vice versa) leads to flexible behavioral performance, and thereby investment, of either sex. Second, due to the presence of both sexual roles within the same individual, partners are potentially able to influence investment in both sexual functions of their partner to their own benefit. The latter has already led to novel insights into how accessory gland products may evolve. Moreover, the current evidence points towards different ways in which allocation to reproduction can be changed in simultaneous hermaphrodites. These often differ from the separate-sexed situation, highlighting that comparison across different sexual systems may help identify commonalities and differences in physiological, and molecular mechanisms as well as evolutionary patterns. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 84: 132-143, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joris M. Koene
- Faculty of Earth and Life SciencesDepartment of Ecological ScienceVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Terrestrial ZoologyNaturalis Biodiversity CentreLeidenThe Netherlands
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Characterisation of Reproduction-Associated Genes and Peptides in the Pest Land Snail, Theba pisana. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0162355. [PMID: 27706146 PMCID: PMC5051934 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Increased understanding of the molecular components involved in reproduction may assist in understanding the evolutionary adaptations used by animals, including hermaphrodites, to produce offspring and retain a continuation of their lineage. In this study, we focus on the Mediterranean snail, Theba pisana, a hermaphroditic land snail that has become a highly invasive pest species within agricultural areas throughout the world. Our analysis of T. pisana CNS tissue has revealed gene transcripts encoding molluscan reproduction-associated proteins including APGWamide, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and an egg-laying hormone (ELH). ELH isoform 1 (ELH1) is known to be a potent reproductive peptide hormone involved in ovulation and egg-laying in some aquatic molluscs. Two other non-CNS ELH isoforms were also present in T. pisana (Tpi-ELH2 and Tpi-ELH3) within the snail dart sac and mucous glands. Bioactivity of a synthetic ELH1 on sexually mature T. pisana was confirmed through bioassay, with snails showing ELH1-induced egg-laying behaviours, including soil burrowing and oviposition. In summary, this study presents a detailed molecular analysis of reproductive neuropeptide genes in a land snail and provides a foundation for understanding ELH function.
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30
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Single-cell analysis of peptide expression and electrophysiology of right parietal neurons involved in male copulation behavior of a simultaneous hermaphrodite. INVERTEBRATE NEUROSCIENCE 2015; 15:7. [PMID: 26639152 PMCID: PMC4670828 DOI: 10.1007/s10158-015-0184-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Male copulation is a complex behavior that requires coordinated communication between the nervous system and the peripheral reproductive organs involved in mating. In hermaphroditic animals, such as the freshwater snail Lymnaea stagnalis, this complexity increases since the animal can behave both as male and female. The performance of the sexual role as a male is coordinated via a neuronal communication regulated by many peptidergic neurons, clustered in the cerebral and pedal ganglia and dispersed in the pleural and parietal ganglia. By combining single-cell matrix-assisted laser mass spectrometry with retrograde staining and electrophysiology, we analyzed neuropeptide expression of single neurons of the right parietal ganglion and their axonal projections into the penial nerve. Based on the neuropeptide profile of these neurons, we were able to reconstruct a chemical map of the right parietal ganglion revealing a striking correlation with the earlier electrophysiological and neuroanatomical studies. Neurons can be divided into two main groups: (i) neurons that express heptapeptides and (ii) neurons that do not. The neuronal projection of the different neurons into the penial nerve reveals a pattern where (spontaneous) activity is related to branching pattern. This heterogeneity in both neurochemical anatomy and branching pattern of the parietal neurons reflects the complexity of the peptidergic neurotransmission involved in the regulation of male mating behavior in this simultaneous hermaphrodite.
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Nakadera Y, Swart EM, Maas JPA, Montagne-Wajer K, Ter Maat A, Koene JM. Effects of age, size, and mating history on sex role decision of a simultaneous hermaphrodite. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 26:232-241. [PMID: 25713474 PMCID: PMC4309981 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/aru184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2014] [Revised: 09/12/2014] [Accepted: 09/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Quite a few animals are male and female at the same time, so they can choose to mate either as male or female on copulation. The decision to perform either sex role was known to be highly flexible depending on various, but often confounding, factors. For the pond snail, we report that young and small snails tend to mate as males first, though old and large snails do not seem to be better females. Contrasting with separate-sexed animals, simultaneous hermaphrodites display unique reproductive strategies as they are male and female at the same time. Simultaneous hermaphrodites that copulate unilaterally, for instance, make a decision to mate as a male or female. Previous studies have demonstrated that sex role preference in hermaphrodites is flexible and is controlled by several, often confounding, factors. We examined the relationship between sex role decisions and 3 life-history traits (age, size, and mating history) in the great pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis. Based on our field observations, which indicate that adult individuals show overlapping generations and large variation in body size during the breeding season, we performed a sex role choice experiment in the laboratory. We found that young and small snails mate as males first. Both age and size significantly affected sex role decision, with age having a stronger effect. Furthermore, we tested whether L. stagnalis becomes reluctant to inseminate a mate after being inseminated because it is known that after insemination, male investment substantially reduces. Contrary to expectations, our results indicate that the receipt of seminal fluid does not seem to reduce male motivation. In sum, sex role decisions in L. stagnalis are largely determined by age and size but not by having received seminal fluid. This mating pattern, however, does not fully support the size-advantage model because large or old individuals did not perform better as females in our experiment. These results imply a conflicting mating interest, rather than harmonious agreement, between age- and size-different hermaphrodites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumi Nakadera
- Section Animal Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam , De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Elferra M Swart
- Section Animal Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam , De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen P A Maas
- Section Animal Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam , De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands , ; Applied Biology, HAS University of Applied Sciences , Onderwijsboulevard 221, 5223DE 's-Hertogenbosch , The Netherlands , and
| | - Kora Montagne-Wajer
- Section Animal Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam , De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Andries Ter Maat
- Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology , Eberhard-Gwinner-Strasse, 82319 Seewiesen , Germany
| | - Joris M Koene
- Section Animal Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam , De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands
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Stewart MJ, Favrel P, Rotgans BA, Wang T, Zhao M, Sohail M, O'Connor WA, Elizur A, Henry J, Cummins SF. Neuropeptides encoded by the genomes of the Akoya pearl oyster Pinctata fucata and Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas: a bioinformatic and peptidomic survey. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:840. [PMID: 25277059 PMCID: PMC4200219 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2014] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oysters impart significant socio-ecological benefits from primary production of food supply, to estuarine ecosystems via reduction of water column nutrients, plankton and seston biomass. Little though is known at the molecular level of what genes are responsible for how oysters reproduce, filter nutrients, survive stressful physiological events and form reef communities. Neuropeptides represent a diverse class of chemical messengers, instrumental in orchestrating these complex physiological events in other species. RESULTS By a combination of in silico data mining and peptide analysis of ganglia, 74 putative neuropeptide genes were identified from genome and transcriptome databases of the Akoya pearl oyster, Pinctata fucata and the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, encoding precursors for over 300 predicted bioactive peptide products, including three newly identified neuropeptide precursors PFGx8amide, RxIamide and Wx3Yamide. Our findings also include a gene for the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and two egg-laying hormones (ELH) which were identified from both oysters. Multiple sequence alignments and phylogenetic analysis supports similar global organization of these mature peptides. Computer-based peptide modeling of the molecular tertiary structures of ELH highlights the structural homologies within ELH family, which may facilitate ELH activity leading to the release of gametes. CONCLUSION Our analysis demonstrates that oysters possess conserved molluscan neuropeptide domains and overall precursor organization whilst highlighting many previously unrecognized bivalve idiosyncrasies. This genomic analysis provides a solid foundation from which further studies aimed at the functional characterization of these molluscan neuropeptides can be conducted to further stimulate advances in understanding the ecology and cultivation of oysters.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Scott F Cummins
- School of Science and Education, Genecology Research Center, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland 4558, Australia.
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Vallejo D, Habib MR, Delgado N, Vaasjo LO, Croll RP, Miller MW. Localization of tyrosine hydroxylase-like immunoreactivity in the nervous systems of Biomphalaria glabrata and Biomphalaria alexandrina, intermediate hosts for schistosomiasis. J Comp Neurol 2014; 522:2532-52. [PMID: 24477836 PMCID: PMC4043854 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2013] [Revised: 01/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Planorbid snails of the genus Biomphalaria are major intermediate hosts for the digenetic trematode parasite Schistosoma mansoni. Evidence suggests that levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) are reduced during the course of S. mansoni multiplication and transformation within the snail. This investigation used immunohistochemical methods to localize tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of catecholamines, in the nervous system of Biomphalaria. The two species examined, Biomphalaria glabrata and Biomphalaria alexandrina, are the major intermediate hosts for S. mansoni in sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 90% of global cases of human intestinal schistosomiasis occur. TH-like immunoreactive (THli) neurons were distributed throughout the central nervous system (CNS) and labeled fibers were present in all commissures, connectives, and nerves. Some asymmetries were observed, including a large distinctive neuron (LPeD1) in the pedal ganglion described previously in several pulmonates. The majority of TH-like immunoreactive neurons were detected in the peripheral nervous system (PNS), especially in lip and foot regions of the anterior integument. Independent observations supporting the dopaminergic phenotype of THli neurons included 1) block of LPeD1 synaptic signaling by the D2/3 antagonist sulpiride, and 2) the similar localization of aqueous aldehyde (FaGlu)-induced fluorescence. The distribution of THli neurons indicates that, as in other gastropods, dopamine functions as a sensory neurotransmitter and in the regulation of feeding and reproductive behaviors in Biomphalaria. It is hypothesized that infection could stimulate transmitter release from dopaminergic sensory neurons and that dopaminergic signaling could contribute to modifications of both host and parasite behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah Vallejo
- Institute of Neurobiology and Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, 201 Blvd del Valle, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901
| | - Mohammed R. Habib
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 1X5, Canada
- Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt
| | - Nadia Delgado
- Institute of Neurobiology and Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, 201 Blvd del Valle, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901
| | - Lee O. Vaasjo
- Institute of Neurobiology and Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, 201 Blvd del Valle, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901
| | - Roger P. Croll
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 1X5, Canada
| | - Mark W. Miller
- Institute of Neurobiology and Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, 201 Blvd del Valle, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901
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Zatylny-Gaudin C, Favrel P. Diversity of the RFamide Peptide Family in Mollusks. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2014; 5:178. [PMID: 25386166 PMCID: PMC4208409 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2014.00178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Accepted: 10/06/2014] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the initial characterization of the cardioexcitatory peptide FMRFamide in the bivalve mollusk Macrocallista nimbosa, a great number of FMRFamide-like peptides (FLPs) have been identified in mollusks. FLPs were initially isolated and molecularly characterized in model mollusks using biochemical methods. The development of recombinant technologies and, more recently, of genomics has boosted knowledge on their diversity in various mollusk classes. Today, mollusk FLPs represent approximately 75 distinct RFamide peptides that appear to result from the expression of only five genes: the FMRFamide-related peptide gene, the LFRFamide gene, the luqin gene, the neuropeptide F gene, and the cholecystokinin/sulfakinin gene. FLPs display a complex spatiotemporal pattern of expression in the central and peripheral nervous system. Working as neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, or neurohormones, FLPs are involved in the control of a great variety of biological and physiological processes including cardiovascular regulation, osmoregulation, reproduction, digestion, and feeding behavior. From an evolutionary viewpoint, the major challenge will then logically concern the elucidation of the FLP repertoire of orphan mollusk classes and the way they are functionally related. In this respect, deciphering FLP signaling pathways by characterizing the specific receptors these peptides bind remains another exciting objective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celine Zatylny-Gaudin
- Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, Normandie Université, Biology of Aquatic Organisms and Ecosystems (BOREA), Caen, France
- Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, BOREA, Paris, France
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie, BOREA, Paris, France
- UMR 7208 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, BOREA, Paris, France
- IRD 207, L’Institut de recherche pour le développement, BOREA, Paris, France
| | - Pascal Favrel
- Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, Normandie Université, Biology of Aquatic Organisms and Ecosystems (BOREA), Caen, France
- Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, BOREA, Paris, France
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie, BOREA, Paris, France
- UMR 7208 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, BOREA, Paris, France
- IRD 207, L’Institut de recherche pour le développement, BOREA, Paris, France
- *Correspondence: Pascal Favrel, Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, Esplanade de la Paix, CS 14032, Caen Cedex 5 14032, France e-mail:
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Delgado N, Vallejo D, Miller MW. Localization of serotonin in the nervous system of Biomphalaria glabrata, an intermediate host for schistosomiasis. J Comp Neurol 2013; 520:3236-55. [PMID: 22434538 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The digenetic trematode Schistosoma mansoni that causes the form of schistosomiasis found in the Western Hemisphere requires the freshwater snail Biomphalaria glabrata as its primary intermediate host. It has been proposed that the transition from the free-living S. mansoni miracidium to parasitic mother sporocyst depends on uptake of biogenic amines, e.g. serotonin, from the snail host. However, little is known about potential sources of serotonin in B. glabrata tissues. This investigation examined the localization of serotonin-like immunoreactivity (5HTli) in the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral tissues of B. glabrata. Emphasis was placed on the cephalic and anterior pedal regions that are commonly the sites of S. mansoni miracidium penetration. The anterior foot and body wall were densely innervated by 5HTli fibers but no peripheral immunoreactive neuronal somata were detected. Within the CNS, clusters of 5HTli neurons were observed in the cerebral, pedal, left parietal, and visceral ganglia, suggesting that the peripheral serotonergic fibers originate from the CNS. Double-labeling experiments (biocytin backfill × serotonin immunoreactivity) of the tentacular nerve and the three major pedal nerves (Pd n. 10, Pd n. 11, and Pd n. 12) disclosed central neurons that project to the cephalopedal periphery. Overall, the central distribution of 5HTli neurons suggests that, as in other gastropods, serotonin regulates the locomotion, reproductive, and feeding systems of Biomphalaria. The projections to the foot and body wall indicate that serotonin may also participate in defensive, nociceptive, or inflammation responses. These observations identify potential sources of host-derived serotonin in this parasite-host system. Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Delgado
- Institute of Neurobiology, and Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901
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