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Further characterization of the PW peptide family that inhibits neuron differentiation in Hydra

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Abstract

From an evolutionary point of view, Hydra has one of the most primitive nervous systems among metazoans. Two different groups of peptides that affect neuron differentiation were identified in a systematic screening of peptide signaling molecules in Hydra. Within the first group of peptides, a neuropeptide, Hym-355, was previously shown to positively regulate neuron differentiation. The second group of peptides encompasses the PW family of peptides that negatively regulate neuron differentiation. In this study, we identified the gene encoding PW peptide preprohormone. Moreover, we made the antibody that specifically recognizes LPW. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemical analyses showed that the PW peptides and the gene encoding them were expressed in ectodermal epithelial cells throughout the body except for the basal disk. The PW peptides are produced by epithelial cells and are therefore termed “epitheliopeptides.” Together with Hym-355, the PW family peptides mediate communication between neurons and epithelial cells and thereby maintain a specific density of neurons in Hydra.

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Acknowledgements

We greatly appreciated the excellent technical assistance of the late Mr. Norio Sugimoto. This work was supported in part by grants from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sport and Culture of Japan (to T.F., O.K., Y.K., and T.S.), the Sumitomo Foundation and Japan Space Forum (Ground Research Announcement for Space Utilization) (to T.F.), and Deutche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) (to T.C.G.B. and C.N.D). This work was also supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for young Scientists (T.T.). T.F. was a Mercator Professor at University of Heidelberg from 2007~2008 funded by DFG and would express his appreciation for the kind hospitality of Prof. Thomas Holstein.

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Author notes

  1. Eisuke Hayakawa

    Present address: Department of Biology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Suntory Institute for Bioorganic Research, Osaka, 618-8503, Japan

    Toshio Takahashi

  2. Fukuoka Women’s University, Fukuoka, 813-8529, Japan

    Osamu Koizumi, Sumiko Minobe & Rinako Suetsugu

  3. Department of Developmental Genetics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540, Japan

    Eisuke Hayakawa

  4. Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 810-8560, Japan

    Yoshitaka Kobayakawa

  5. Zoological Institute, University of Kiel, Olshausenstr 40, 24098, Kiel, Germany

    Thomas C. G. Bosch

  6. Department of Biology II, Ludwig Maximillians University, Grosshaderner 2, 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany

    Charles N. David

  7. Department of Molecular Evolution and Genomics, Zoological Institute, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Toshitaka Fujisawa

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  1. Toshio Takahashi
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Correspondence to Toshitaka Fujisawa.

Additional information

Communicated by: M.Q. Martindale

Toshio Takahashi, Osamu Koizumi equally contributed to this study.

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Fig. S1

Nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence of the gene encoding the PW family peptides. The predicted signal sequence (Von Heijne 1983) is thickly underlined. Known PW peptides (Takahashi Et Al. 1997) are thinly underlined, and putative PW peptides are underlined with a dotted line. Hym-1397 (TPALHW) is underlined with a double line. The asterisk indicates a stop codon. A possible polyadenylation signal is highlighted in red (GIF 247 KB).

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Takahashi, T., Koizumi, O., Hayakawa, E. et al. Further characterization of the PW peptide family that inhibits neuron differentiation in Hydra . Dev Genes Evol 219, 119–129 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00427-009-0272-1

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