Schinkmann K, Li C
Department of Biology, Boston University, Massachusetts 02215.
J Comp Neurol. 1992 Feb 8;316(2):251-60. doi: 10.1002/cne.903160209.
The neuropeptide FMRFamide (Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-NH2) is a member of a large family of related peptides that have been found throughout the animal kingdom. By using an antiserum specific for the Arg-Phe-NH2 moiety, we have found that about 10% of the neurons in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans are immunoreactive. Most of these neurons, which include sensory, motor, and interneurons, were identified on the basis of their number, position, and projection pattern and by analysis of characterized mutants. Neurons that were immunoreactive in hermaphrodite animals were generally also found in males, but each sex had, in addition, sex-specific immunoreactive cells. Staining of hermaphrodite animals from different larval stages suggests that the onset of FMRFamide-like expression is differentially regulated among the cells. We have found a possible neuromodulatory role for the related peptide FLRFamide (Phe-Leu-Arg-Phe-NH2). In an egg-laying assay, FLRFamide by itself was not active but could potentiate a serotonin effect. The FMRFamide-like immunoreactivity was also used as a marker to examine the differentiation of cells that normally undergo programmed cell death. Cells that are destined to die in the Pn.a lineages appear to differentiate and adopt the fate of lineally equivalent cells before cell death.
神经肽FMRF酰胺（苯丙氨酸-甲硫氨酸-精氨酸-苯丙氨酸-酰胺）是在整个动物界都已发现的一大类相关肽中的一员。通过使用针对精氨酸-苯丙氨酸-酰胺部分的特异性抗血清，我们发现线虫秀丽隐杆线虫中约10%的神经元具有免疫反应性。这些神经元中的大多数，包括感觉神经元、运动神经元和中间神经元，是根据它们的数量、位置和投射模式以及通过对特征性突变体的分析来确定的。在雌雄同体动物中具有免疫反应性的神经元通常在雄性动物中也能找到，但此外，每种性别都有性别特异性的免疫反应性细胞。对来自不同幼虫阶段的雌雄同体动物进行染色表明，FMRF酰胺样表达的起始在不同细胞中受到不同的调节。我们发现相关肽FLRF酰胺（苯丙氨酸-亮氨酸-精氨酸-苯丙氨酸-酰胺）可能具有神经调节作用。在产卵试验中，FLRF酰胺本身没有活性，但可以增强5-羟色胺的作用。FMRF酰胺样免疫反应性也被用作一种标记物，以检查正常经历程序性细胞死亡的细胞的分化情况。注定在Pn.a谱系中死亡的细胞在细胞死亡之前似乎会分化并采用直系等价细胞的命运。
