A peptide-gated ion channel from the freshwater polyp Hydra.

Andjelko Golubovic, Anne Kuhn, Michael Williamson, Hubert Kalbacher, Thomas W Holstein, Cornelis J P Grimmelikhuijzen, Stefan Gründer

67 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Chemical transmitters are either low molecular weight molecules or neuropeptides. As a general rule, neuropeptides activate only slow metabotropic receptors. To date, only one exception to this rule is known, the FMRFamide-activated Na(+) channel (FaNaC) from snails. Until now FaNaC has been regarded as a curiosity, and it was not known whether peptide-gated ionotropic receptors are also present in other animal groups. Nervous systems first evolved in cnidarians, which extensively use neuropeptides. Here we report cloning from the freshwater cnidarian Hydra of a novel ion channel (Hydra sodium channel, HyNaC) that is directly gated by the neuropeptides Hydra-RFamides I and II and is related to FaNaC. The cells expressing HyNaC localize to the base of the tentacles, adjacent to the neurons producing the Hydra-RFamides, suggesting that the peptides are the natural ligands for this channel. Our results suggest that neuropeptides were already used for fast transmission in ancient nervous systems.
Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Biological Chemistry
Volume282
Issue number48
Pages (from-to)35098-103
Number of pages5
ISSN0021-9258
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2007

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