title: Comparative distribution and in vitro activities of the urotensin II-related peptides URP1 and URP2 in zebrafish: evidence for their colocalization in spinal cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons.
abstract: Urotensin II (UII) is an evolutionarily conserved neuropeptide initially isolated from teleost fish on the basis of its smooth muscle-contracting activity. Subsequent studies have demonstrated the occurrence of several UII-related peptides (URPs), such that the UII family is now known to include four paralogue genes called UII, URP, URP1 and URP2. These genes probably arose through the two rounds of whole genome duplication that occurred during early vertebrate evolution. URP has been identified both in tetrapods and teleosts. In contrast, URP1 and URP2 have only been observed in ray-finned and cartilaginous fishes, suggesting that both genes were lost in the tetrapod lineage. In the present study, the distribution of urp1 mRNA compared to urp2 mRNA is reported in the central nervous system of zebrafish. In the spinal cord, urp1 and urp2 mRNAs were mainly colocalized in the same cells. These cells were also shown to be GABAergic and express the gene encoding the polycystic kidney disease 2-like 1 (pkd2l1) channel, indicating that they likely correspond to cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons. In the hindbrain, urp1-expressing cells were found in the intermediate reticular formation and the glossopharyngeal-vagal motor nerve nuclei. We also showed that synthetic URP1 and URP2 were able to induce intracellular calcium mobilization in human UII receptor (hUT)-transfected CHO cells with similar potencies (pEC50=7.99 and 7.52, respectively) albeit at slightly lower potencies than human UII and mammalian URP (pEC50=9.44 and 8.61, respectively). The functional redundancy of URP1 and URP2 as well as the colocalization of their mRNAs in the spinal cord suggest the robustness of this peptidic system and its physiological importance in zebrafish.
authors.affiliation: Evolution des Régulations Endocriniennes, UMR 7221 CNRS, and Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Feng B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.affiliation: Inserm, U982, University of Rouen, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France; Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication, Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedicine (IRIB), University of Rouen, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France; Normandy University, University of Rouen, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dubessy
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Neurobiologie et Développement, CNRS UPR 3294, Institut Alfred Fessard, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
authors.forename: Sonya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Galant
authors.affiliation: Evolution des Régulations Endocriniennes, UMR 7221 CNRS, and Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France; Laboratory of Evolution of Neuronal Interactions, Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia.
authors.forename: Natalia B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Kenigfest
authors.affiliation: Evolution des Régulations Endocriniennes, UMR 7221 CNRS, and Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France; Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Inserm U 1127, CNRS, UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Lydia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Djenoune
authors.affiliation: Inserm, U982, University of Rouen, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France; Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication, Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedicine (IRIB), University of Rouen, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France; Normandy University, University of Rouen, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France.
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leprince
authors.affiliation: Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Inserm U 1127, CNRS, UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wyart
authors.affiliation: Inserm, U982, University of Rouen, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France; Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication, Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedicine (IRIB), University of Rouen, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France; Normandy University, University of Rouen, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lihrmann
authors.affiliation: Evolution des Régulations Endocriniennes, UMR 7221 CNRS, and Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tostivint
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000378:metabolism*; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012249:Rhombencephalon / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014579:Urotensins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C479080:UTS2B protein, human; D014579:Urotensins; C029677:urotensin II