CHARACTERIZATION AND EVOLUTIONARY ASPECTS OF A TRANSCRIPT ENCODING A NEUROPEPTIDE PRECURSOR OF LYMNAEA NEURONS, VD1 AND RPD2

We isolated and characterized a cDNA clone encoding the major prohormone of VD1 and RPD2, two electrotonically coupled identified neurons in the central nervous system of the freshwater snail, Lymnaea stagnalis. The VD1/RPD2 prohormone may be cleaved to generate a set of 4 different neuropeptides, called epsilon, delta, alpha-1 and beta-peptides, as well as a single aspartate. Since VD1 and RPD2 probably are involved in O2 perception and modulation of cardio-respiratory functions, it is thought that the neuropeptides synthesized and released by these neurons coordinate the adaptive physiological and behavioural processes that occur in response to changes in O2 availability. Comparison of the Lymnaea VD1/RPD2 precursor with two related precursors, prohormones R15-1 and R15-2, identified from neuron R15 in the marine mollusc Aplysia californica revealed a similar pattern of organization of the preprohormones. The overall homology is rather low, however, detailed comparisons show a highly differential pattern of conservation of peptide regions on the precursors.