title: Cloning, characterization, and expression of a G-protein-coupled receptor from Lymnaea stagnalis and identification of a leucokinin-like peptide, PSFHSWSamide, as its endogenous ligand.
abstract: Neuropeptides are known to be important signaling molecules in several neural systems of the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis. Although the functions of these peptides have been studied in many neurons, the nature of the postsynaptic signal transduction is mainly unknown. The cloning and characterization of neuropeptide receptors in Lymnaea thus would be very valuable in further elucidating peptidergic pathways. Indirect evidence suggests that these neuropeptides operate via G-protein-coupled mechanisms indicating the presence of G-protein-coupled receptors as the initial postsynaptic targets. Here we describe the cloning of a neuropeptide receptor from Lymnaea and the isolation of an endogenous ligand. This peptide, PSFHSWSamide, belongs to the leucokinin family of peptides, and, thus, this Lymnaea receptor is the first example of a leucokinin-like neuropeptide receptor, representing a new subfamily of G-protein-coupled neuropeptide receptors.
authors.affiliation: Sussex Centre for Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Tensen
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Van der Schors
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van Heerikhuizen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vreugdenhil
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Geraerts
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Burke
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008195:Lymnaea / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D009842:Oligopeptides; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide; C104388:prolyl-seryl-phenylalanyl-histidyl-seryl-tryptophyl-serine; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins