TY - JOUR
T1 - Neuronal peptides induce oocyte maturation and gamete spawning of sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicus
AU - Kato, Shinichi
AU - Tsurumaru, Saori
AU - Taga, Makoto
AU - Yamane, Tomoki
AU - Shibata, Yasushi
AU - Ohno, Kaoru
AU - Fujiwara, Atushi
AU - Yamano, Keisuke
AU - Yoshikuni, Michiyasu
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Mr. Chisyu Hirakawa (Oita Prefectural Fisheries Research Institute, Shallow Water Laboratory) for his kind provision of ecological information on the sea cucumber at Oita Pref. and Mr. Fumihiro Yamane (Mie Prefectural Fisheries Research Institute) for his kind help in conducting in vivo spawning experiments with large numbers of sea cucumbers. We also thank to Prof. Graham Young and Dr. Bindhu Paul for meaningful discussion and critical reading of the manuscript. Structure analysis of the peptides was supported by the NIBB Center for Analytical Instruments. This work was supported by grants from the Program for Promotion of Basic Research Activities for Innovative Biosciences (PROBRAIN) to M. Y. and the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (20570057) to M. Y.
PY - 2009/2/1
Y1 - 2009/2/1
N2 - Extracts prepared from tissues containing buccal ring nerve or longitudinal radial nerve of sea cucumber induce oocyte maturation and ovulation from ovarian tissues. We purified two small peptides, a pentapeptide and a heptapeptide, from the buccal tissues of Japanese common sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicas. Both peptides induced oocyte maturation and gamete spawning. The pentapeptide was identified as NGIWYamide. This peptide induced in vitro germinal vesicle breakdown and ovulation of fully-grown oocytes at less than 1 pM and in vivo spawning at 10 nM. A synthetic derivative of the pentapeptide, NGLWYamide, was 10-100 times more potent compared to the natural NGIWYamide. The heptapeptide was less potent, inducing ovulation at 1 μM. NGIWYamide and NGLWYamide induced a characteristic spawning behavior when injected into sexually matured individuals. Mature eggs artificially spawned were fertilized, and developed normally and metamorphosed into young sea cucumbers. The details of the production and the mechanism of action of NGIWYamide are still unclear, but the high biopotency of the peptide will aid understanding of the neuronal and hormonal control of reproduction of sea cucumber.
AB - Extracts prepared from tissues containing buccal ring nerve or longitudinal radial nerve of sea cucumber induce oocyte maturation and ovulation from ovarian tissues. We purified two small peptides, a pentapeptide and a heptapeptide, from the buccal tissues of Japanese common sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicas. Both peptides induced oocyte maturation and gamete spawning. The pentapeptide was identified as NGIWYamide. This peptide induced in vitro germinal vesicle breakdown and ovulation of fully-grown oocytes at less than 1 pM and in vivo spawning at 10 nM. A synthetic derivative of the pentapeptide, NGLWYamide, was 10-100 times more potent compared to the natural NGIWYamide. The heptapeptide was less potent, inducing ovulation at 1 μM. NGIWYamide and NGLWYamide induced a characteristic spawning behavior when injected into sexually matured individuals. Mature eggs artificially spawned were fertilized, and developed normally and metamorphosed into young sea cucumbers. The details of the production and the mechanism of action of NGIWYamide are still unclear, but the high biopotency of the peptide will aid understanding of the neuronal and hormonal control of reproduction of sea cucumber.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.ydbio.2008.11.003
DO - 10.1016/j.ydbio.2008.11.003
M3 - Article
C2 - 19059232
AN - SCOPUS:58549104707
VL - 326
SP - 169
EP - 176
JO - Developmental Biology
JF - Developmental Biology
SN - 0012-1606
IS - 1
ER -