title: Tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase immunoreactivities in the cnidarian Renilla koellikeri.
abstract: Western Blot and immunohistochemical studies were conducted in the sea pansy Renilla koellikeri, a representative of the earliest multicellular animals with a nervous system, using various antibodies raised against enzymes of the catecholamine biosynthetic pathway. Western blots of sea pansy extracts revealed a protein band that co-migrated with dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) from mouse adrenal glands. Similar experiments with antisera against tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) revealed several immunoreactive protein bands, all of larger molecular weight than mammalian tyrosine hydroxylase. DBH-like and, to a lesser extent, TH-like and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase-like immunoreactivities were detected in ectodermal sensory neurons and associated subectodermal neurites, in neurons of the mesogleal nerve-net and associated amoebocytes, and in some endodermal neurons. While it is still not clear whether the detected TH-immunoreactive proteins represent some form of TH, the presence in sea pansies of a DBH-like protein is in agreement with previously detected norepinephrine-like immunoreactivity in the same species. The widespread distribution of these immunoreactivities in various sea pansy neurons suggests important roles for catecholamines in nerve net activity.
authors.affiliation: Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada. michel.anctil@umontreal.ca
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anctil
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hurtubise
authors.forename: Marc-Antoine
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gillis
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000201:enzymology; D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D000918:Antibody Specificity / Q000276:immunology; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D048429:Cell Size / Q000502:physiology; D003429:Cross Reactions / Q000276:immunology; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D004475:Ectoderm / Q000166:cytology; D004707:Endoderm / Q000166:cytology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D009420:Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D016501:Neurites / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D013045:Species Specificity; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase