Holden-Dye Lindy, Walker Robert J
School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, UK.
Protein Pept Lett. 2013 Jun;20(6):636-46. doi: 10.2174/0929866511320060004.
C. elegans has 302 neurons (in the adult hermaphrodite) and this simple nervous system harbours over 250 neuropeptides. Neuropeptides are a class of signalling molecule implicated in key physiological roles and thus confer a surprising level of complexity to signalling in this nematode. Indeed, it is probable that most, if not all, sensory, motor and interneurons, in C. elegans synthesise and release at least one neuropeptide but that many neurons synthesise an array of neuropeptides. In this review neuropeptides and their receptors with specific roles in feeding, metabolism, reproduction and locomotion are discussed. It is noted that the majority of C. elegans neuropeptides do not yet have defined roles and their cognate receptors have not yet been identified. Future studies will serve to provide further fundamental insight into how neuropeptide signalling can underpin animal behaviour.
秀丽隐杆线虫（成虫雌雄同体）有302个神经元，这个简单的神经系统含有250多种神经肽。神经肽是一类参与关键生理作用的信号分子，因此赋予了这种线虫信号传导惊人的复杂程度。事实上，秀丽隐杆线虫中很可能大多数（如果不是全部）感觉神经元、运动神经元和中间神经元都能合成并释放至少一种神经肽，但许多神经元能合成一系列神经肽。在这篇综述中，讨论了在进食、新陈代谢、繁殖和运动中具有特定作用的神经肽及其受体。需要注意的是，大多数秀丽隐杆线虫神经肽的作用尚未明确，其同源受体也尚未确定。未来的研究将有助于进一步深入了解神经肽信号传导如何支撑动物行为。
