RESUMO
Oxytocin and vasopressin mediate a range of physiological functions that are important for osmoregulation, reproduction, social behaviour, memory and learning. The origin of this signalling system is thought to date back ~600 million years. Oxytocin/vasopressin-like peptides have been identified in several invertebrate species and they appear to be functionally related across the entire animal kingdom. There is little information available about the biology of this peptide G protein-coupled receptor signalling system in insects. Recently over 200 insect genome/transcriptome datasets were released allowing investigation of the molecular structure and phylogenetic distribution of the insect oxytocin/vasopressin orthologue - inotocin peptides and their receptors. The signalling system is present in early arthropods and representatives of some early-diverging lineages. However, Trichoptera, Lepidoptera, Siphonaptera, Mecoptera and Diptera, lack the presence of inotocin genes, which suggests the peptide-receptor system was probably lost in their common ancestor ~280 million-years-ago. In addition we detected several losses of the inotocin signalling system in Hemiptera (white flies, scale insects and aphids), and the complete absence in spiders (Chelicerata). This unique insight into evolutionarily patterns and sequence diversity of neuroendocrine hormones will provide opportunities to elucidate the physiology of the inotocin signalling system in one of the largest group of animals.
Assuntos
Proteínas de Insetos/metabolismo , Insetos/metabolismo , Neuropeptídeos/metabolismo , Ocitocina/metabolismo , Vasopressinas/metabolismo , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Bases de Dados Genéticas , Hemípteros/genética , Hemípteros/metabolismo , Holometábolos/genética , Holometábolos/metabolismo , Proteínas de Insetos/classificação , Proteínas de Insetos/genética , Insetos/genética , Neuropeptídeos/classificação , Neuropeptídeos/genética , Ocitocina/classificação , Ocitocina/genética , Filogenia , Precursores de Proteínas/genética , Precursores de Proteínas/metabolismo , Receptores Acoplados a Proteínas G/genética , Receptores Acoplados a Proteínas G/metabolismo , Alinhamento de Sequência , Transdução de Sinais , Aranhas/genética , Aranhas/metabolismo , Vasopressinas/classificação , Vasopressinas/genéticaRESUMO
Vasopressin, a neurohypophyseal peptide hormone, is the endogenous agonist at V1a, V1b and V2 receptors. The most important physiological function of vasopressin is the maintenance of water homeostasis through interaction with V2 receptors in the kidney. Vasopressin and related compounds are used in various clinical settings such as acute variceal bleeding associated with portal hypertension, septic shock, diabetes insipidus and coagulation disorders. The effect in the former two indications relates to the V1a receptor, and in the two latter indications the effect relates to the V2 receptor. Vasopressin and related compounds have demonstrated activity in animal models of portal hypertension, sepsis and septic shock, diabetes insipidus and coagulation disorders. The use of the compounds in animal models is reviewed. Generally, the effect of vasopressin and related compounds in animal models reflect the activity in the clinical setting, but in some cases important species differences exist.
