title: Identification of two phosphoproteins affected by serotonin in Aplysia sensory neurons.
abstract: Protein phosphorylation appears to play important roles in the mechanisms responsible for presynaptic facilitation in Aplysia. To screen for phosphoproteins that may be involved in facilitation, we previously examined protein phosphorylation in pleural sensory neurons as a function of different durations (2 min, 25 min and 1.5 h) of serotonin treatments. Different durations of serotonin had unique effects on the phosphorylation of different sets of proteins. To determine the functions of these phosphoproteins, we have begun to obtain their amino acid sequences using protein microsequencing techniques. We report here partial sequencing of 2 such proteins. One protein (S6), whose phosphorylation was affected by 2 min treatments with serotonin, appeared to be an intermediate filament protein. Another protein (L55), whose phosphorylation was affected by 1.5-h treatments with serotonin, appeared to be a calmodulin-like Ca(2+)-binding protein. Although the exact cellular functions for S6 and L55 are not known, obtaining partial sequences of these proteins sets the stage for future studies that will examine their regulation and their specific roles in facilitation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemical and Biophysical Sciences, University of Houston, TX 77204-5934, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Homayouni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nunez-Regueiro
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eskin
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001048:Aplysia; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D017952:Ganglia, Invertebrate / Q000502:physiology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012701:Serotonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002147:Calmodulin; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D012701:Serotonin