title: FMRFamide-like immunoreactivity in the sea-fan Eunicella cavolini (Cnidaria: Octocorallia).
abstract: The presence of FMRFamide-related peptides (FaRPs) was investigated, by immunohistochemical methods with a polyclonal FMRFamide antiserum, in the sea-fan Eunicella cavolini (Van Koch 1887), a representative of the cnidarians (octocorallians). The identification of FaRP-immunoreactive elements as neuronal cells and a nerve net was performed by double immunohistochemical methods with the monoclonal anti-beta-tubulin antibody. A strong and widely distributed FaRPs immunoreactivity was detected: FaRPs-immunoreactive nerve cells were observed among and underlying gastrodermal epithelial cells, epidermal cells lining tentacles, muscular septs and gonophores. A diffuse FaRPs-immunoreactive nerve net was also found between epithelia and mesoglea and in the stalk of the gonophore. These results improve our knowledge of the gorgonian nervous system and demonstrate that most of the immunoreactive cells belong to neural elements.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento delle Scienze Biologiche Sez. Zoologia, Università di Napoli Federico II, Italy. girosi@unina.it
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Girosi
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ramoino
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Diaspro
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gallus
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ciarcia
authors.forename: Grazia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tagliafierro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000378:metabolism; D019835:FMRFamide / Q000276:immunology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D009420:Nervous System / Q000166:cytology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000276:immunology; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D009479:Neuropeptides; D019835:FMRFamide