title: The isolation of a cDNA encoding a neuropeptide prohormone from the light yellow cells of Lymnaea stagnalis.
abstract: 1. The central nervous system (CNS) of the freshwater snail Lymnaea stagnalis contains several clusters of neuroendocrine cells, which synthesize neuropeptides that act as neurotransmitters, neurohormones, and/or neuromodulators, controlling a broad range of physiological processes. Using a protein chemical approach, we have previously characterized a peptide [named LYCP-A (Hoek et al., 1992], which is produced by the neuroendocrine light yellow cells (LYC), which are present as two clusters of endogenously bursting neurons in the visceral and right parietal ganglion, respectively. 2. A differential screening technique was used to isolate the cDNA that encodes the prohormone of LYCP-A. The prohormone appeared to contain three or four putative neuropeptides, one of which is LYCP-A. The organization of the identified prohormone resembles that of the histidine-rich basic peptide precursor previously identified in the R3-14 neurons of the marine snail Aplysia californica (Campanelli and Scheller, 1987). 3. In situ hybridization analysis indicates that the gene encoding the LYC prohormone is expressed in a subset of the LYC. The LYC release their peptides into the hemolymph from a neurohemal area, which is located around the CNS. In addition, the peptides are released from axonal branches in the aorta of the heart, suggesting a role in the regulation of cardiovascular functions.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School Neurosciences Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Smit
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Hoek
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Geraerts
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001048:Aplysia / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005796:Genes; D008195:Lymnaea / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000737:chemistry*; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; C084575:LYCP-A protein, Lymnaea stagnalis; D009479:Neuropeptides; D011498:Protein Precursors; C061787:histidine rich basic peptide precursor (Aplysia)