Kobayashi Award 2021: Neuropeptides, receptors, and follicle development in the ascidian, Ciona intestinalis Type A: new clues to the evolution of chordate neuropeptidergic systems from biological niches.

Ciona intestinalis Type A (Ciona robusta) is a cosmopolitan species belonging to the phylum Urochordata, invertebrate chordates that are phylogenetically the most closely related to the vertebrates. Therefore, this species is of interest for investigation of the evolution and comparative physiology of endocrine, neuroendocrine, and nervous systems in chordates. Our group has identified more than 30 Ciona neuropeptides (80% of all identified ascidian neuropeptides) praimarily using peptidomic approaches combined with reference to genome sequences. These neuropeptides are classified into two groups: homologs or prototypes of vertebrate neuropeptides and novel (Ciona-specific) neuropeptides. We have also identified the cognate receptors for these peptides. In particular, we elucidated multiple receptors for Ciona-specific neuropeptides by a combination of a novel machine learning system and experimental validation of the specific interaction of the predicted neuropeptide-receptor pairs, and verified unprecedented phylogenies of receptors for neuropeptides. Moreover, several neuropeptides were found to play major roles in the regulation of ovarian follicle development. Ciona tachykinin facilitates the growth of vitellogenic follicles via up-regulation of the enzymatic activities of proteases. Ciona vasopressin stimulates oocyte maturation and ovulation via up-regulation of maturation-promoting factor- and matrix metalloproteinase-directed collagen degradation, respectively. Ciona cholecystokinin also triggers ovulation via up-regulation of receptor tyrosine kinase signaling and the subsequent activation of matrix metalloproteinase. These studies revealed that the neuropeptidergic system plays major roles in ovarian follicle growth, maturation, and ovulation in Ciona, thus paving the way for investigation of the biological roles for neuropeptides in the endocrine, neuroendocrine, nervous systems of Ciona, and studies of the evolutionary processes of various neuropeptidergic systems in chordates.

• Publication year

  2023

• Venue

  General and Comparative Endocrinology

• Publication date

  2023-03-01

• Fields of study

  Biology, Medicine

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114262PMID 36925021
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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