Structural identification, neuronal synthesis, and role in male copulation of myomodulin-A of Lymnaea: a study involving direct peptide profiling of nervous tissue by mass spectrometry

Li, K.W.; Golen, Floral A. Van; Minnen, Jan van; Veelen, Peter A. van; Greef, J. van der; Geraerts, W.P.M.

doi:10.1016/0169-328x(94)90172-4

Cited by 32 publications

(20 citation statements)

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“…Removal of the C-terminal FGFN or the last phenylalanine of orcokinin causes a loss of biological activity, suggesting that this motif is functionally significant (50). This motif is also found in orcokinins from Carcinus maenas (shore crab) and Procambarus clarkii (red swamp crayfish) (38 (8,39). Myomodulin peptides from these species share N-terminal homology with C. elegans FRPamide family members, but lack the FRPamide of the C. elegans putative peptides.…”

Section: Search Patterns Were Permutations Of [Kr]-[kr]-x(320)-[kr]-mentioning

confidence: 95%

Identification of neuropeptide-like protein gene families in Caenorhabditis elegans and other species

Nathoo

Moeller

Westlund

et al. 2001

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

299

303

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Neuropeptides play critical roles in synaptic signaling in all nervous systems. Unlike classical neurotransmitters, peptidergic neurotransmitters are encoded as preproproteins that are posttranslationally processed to yield bioactive neuropeptides. To identify novel peptidergic neurotransmitters, the Caenorhabditis elegans genome was searched for predicted proteins with the structural hallmarks of neuropeptide preproproteins. Thirty-two C. elegans neuropeptide-like protein (nlp) genes were identified. The nlp genes define at least 11 families of putative neuropeptides with unique motifs; similar expressed sequence tags were identified in other invertebrate species for all 11 families. Six of these families are defined by putative bioactive motifs (FAFA, GGxYamide, MRxamide, LQFamide, LxDxamide, and GGARAF); the remaining five families are related to allatostatin, myomodulin, buccalin͞drosul-fakinin, orcokinin, and APGWamide neuropeptides (MGL͞Famide, FRPamide, MSFamide, GFxGF, and YGGWamide families, respectively). Most C. elegans nlp gene expression is in neurons. The C. elegans nlp genes and similar genes encoding putative neuropeptides in other species are likely to play diverse roles in nervous system function. C hemical signaling via neurotransmitters is critical for synaptic transmission of information between neurons. Neuropeptides are the most varied and numerous type of neurotransmitters. Invertebrate neuropeptides are thought primarily to modulate synaptic function of classical small-molecule neurotransmitters by means of seven transmembrane domain receptors. However, the recent identification of a FMRFamide-gated sodium channel from Helix lucorum suggests that they may also act as fast transmitters (1). In mammals, neuropeptides and their receptors are implicated in behaviors including feeding and sleep (2-5). Despite their clear roles in synaptic signaling and behavior, neuropeptide functions are still not understood.Biochemical isolation of neuropeptides has been relatively successful in several invertebrate systems, including Lymnaea stagnalis, Drosophila melanogaster, and Aplysia californica (6-8), and has led to the identification of several invertebrate neuropeptide families. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, 23 FMRFamide-related proteins (FaRP) neuropeptide genes, designated flp-1 to flp-23 (FMRFamide-like proteins), have been identified (9). Only flp-1 has been characterized at the functional level. Animals lacking flp-1 have abnormal behavior, including uncoordinated movement and hyperactivity (10). The only other C. elegans non-flp neuropeptide genes that have been identified are the 37 insulin-like genes (11, 12).Dense-core synaptic vesicles are prevalent in presynaptic terminals of C. elegans neurons that are neither FaRP immunoreactive nor catecholaminergic (13), suggesting that nonFaRP neuropeptides are present. Additionally, about 130 genes encoding putative neuropeptide receptors were identified in the C. elegans genome (14). This large number of receptors is much higher than the...

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Section: Search Patterns Were Permutations Of [Kr]-[kr]-x(320)-[kr]-mentioning

confidence: 95%

Identification of neuropeptide-like protein gene families in Caenorhabditis elegans and other species

Nathoo

Moeller

Westlund

et al. 2001

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

299

303

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“…In the pulmonate snail Lymnaea, the presence of myomodulin A was confirmed by HPLC purification and sequencing of CNS extracts (Santama et al, 1994a) and by mass spectrometry of the penis nerve (Li et al, 1994). Application of myomodulin A to the penis enhanced the amplitude of electrically induced contractions and increased the relaxation rate of the penis muscle (van Golen et al, 1996).…”

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confidence: 96%

Myomodulin Gene ofLymnaea: Structure, Expression, and Analysis of Neuropeptides

et al. 1996

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The myomodulin family of neuropeptides is an important group of neural cotransmitters in molluscs and is known to be present in the neural network that controls feeding behavior in the snailLymnaea. Here we show that a single gene encodes five structurally similar forms of myomodulin: GLQMLRLamide, QIPMLRLamide, SMSMLRLamide, SLSMLRLamide, and PMSMLRLamide, the latter being present in nine copies. Analysis of the organization of the gene indicates that it is transcribed as a single spliced transcript from an upstream promoter region that contains multiple cAMP-responsive elements, as well as putative elements with homology to tissue-specific promoter-binding sites. The presence in nervous tissue of two of the peptides, GLQMLRLamide and PMSMLRLamide, is confirmed by mass spectrometry.In situhybridization analysis indicates that the gene is expressed in specific cells in all ganglia of the CNS ofLymnaea, which will allow physiological analysis of the function of myomodulins at the level of single identified neurons.

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“…This activity needs to be accurately attuned to intromission of the penis during copulation. Since several peptides besides -FFamide are involved in the modulation of vas deferens activity [5], the final effects on the vas deferens are thought to be governed by a specific spatiotemporal release pattern of these peptides. The released peptides probably have complex interactive effects on the vas deferens.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…myomodulins that enhance the relaxation rate of electricinduced contractions of the penis retractor muscle [5], conopressin that increases the contraction frequency of the vas deferens, and the tetrapeptide APGW-NH, that relaxes both the penis retractor muscle and the vas deferens [6]. Since the -FFamide peptide acts on the vas deferens, it must be involved in the control of the ejaculation of semen.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Identification of a Novel Amide Peptide, GLTPNMNSLFF‐NH₂, Involved in the Control of Vas Deferens Motility in Lymnaea stagnalis

Filali

Golen

et al. 1995

European Journal of Biochemistry

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Peptide messengers are crucial for the execution of male copulatory processes in the snail Lymnaea stagnalis. In this study, we report the purification of a novel peptide from the penis complex of L. stagnalis. This peptide enhances the contraction frequency and contraction amplitude of the vas deferens. Amino acid sequencing and mass spectrometry indicate that the primary structure is GLTPNMNSLFF-NH,. We propose that this amide peptide modulates the transfer rate of semen in the vas deferens.Keywords. Myomodulatory peptide ; purification ; primary structure ; male behaviour Neuropeptides play a crucial role in the regulation of sexual activities of animals, and many unique characteristics of reproductive behaviours can be explained by the modulatory effects of the peptides in the central nervous system and in peripheral structures. In vertebrates, the role of neuropeptides and neuronal networks in the generation of behaviour is often difficult to study, because of the complexity of the brain and problems with the identification of neurons. By contrast, some invertebrates possess accessible brains that control simple behavioural systems that are advantageous for experiments on the role of peptides in behaviour [I, 21. Lymnaea stagnalis is a hermaphrodite snail, in which the neuronal circuits underlying both male behaviour (mating behaviour) and female behaviour (egg laying) are functionally present in each individual [l]. These behaviours are the subject of intense studies at various levels of organization (molecular, cellular, circuit, and behavioural levels). While egg laying is a stereotyped behaviour, male mating is a flexible (nonrhythmic) behaviour consisting of various stages of variable duration that are a prelude to actual copulation [3,4]. The neuronal network in the central nervous system that underlies copulation as a male consists of various clusters of peptidergic neurons that project into the penis nerve. This nerve innervates the male copulation structures, i.e. the penis complex (preputium with penis and retractor and protractor muscles) and the vas deferens, which runs from the prostate gland to the penis. During copulation, the preputium and penis are everted; during intromission, semen is subsequently ejaculated by peristaltic movements of the vas deferens. Finally, the preputium and penis are retracted by the retractor muscles.We are interested in the structure and actions of peptides involved in the control of male reproductive behaviour in Lymnaea. Previous studies suggest that many peptides may be involved [5], however, only a few of them have been characterized [5, 61. In this study, we report the purification, structural and functional characterization of a novel -FFamide peptide (GLTPNMNSLFF-NH,). This peptide does not share amino acid sequence identity with any other identified peptide. The peptide, which was isolated from the penis complex, has an excitatory MATERIALS AND METHODSAnimals. Mature L. stagnalis (22-30 mm) were used. They were cultured under standard laboratory condition...

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Structural identification, neuronal synthesis, and role in male copulation of myomodulin-A of Lymnaea: a study involving direct peptide profiling of nervous tissue by mass spectrometry

Cited by 32 publications

References 7 publications

Identification of neuropeptide-like protein gene families in Caenorhabditis elegans and other species

Identification of neuropeptide-like protein gene families in Caenorhabditis elegans and other species

Myomodulin Gene ofLymnaea: Structure, Expression, and Analysis of Neuropeptides

Identification of a Novel Amide Peptide, GLTPNMNSLFF‐NH₂, Involved in the Control of Vas Deferens Motility in Lymnaea stagnalis

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Structural identification, neuronal synthesis, and role in male copulation of myomodulin-A of Lymnaea: a study involving direct peptide profiling of nervous tissue by mass spectrometry

Cited by 32 publications

References 7 publications

Identification of neuropeptide-like protein gene families in Caenorhabditis elegans and other species

Identification of neuropeptide-like protein gene families in Caenorhabditis elegans and other species

Myomodulin Gene ofLymnaea: Structure, Expression, and Analysis of Neuropeptides

Identification of a Novel Amide Peptide, GLTPNMNSLFF‐NH2, Involved in the Control of Vas Deferens Motility in Lymnaea stagnalis

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Identification of a Novel Amide Peptide, GLTPNMNSLFF‐NH₂, Involved in the Control of Vas Deferens Motility in Lymnaea stagnalis