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Immunoreactivity for Met-enkephalin and substance P in cells of the adenohypophysis of larval and adult sea lampreys, Petromyzon marinus.

Procedures for localizing immunoreactive Met-enkephalin and substance P were applied to the adenohypophysis of larval and adult sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus. Immunopositive reaction to anti-Met-enkephalin antiserum was found in certain adenohypophysial cells of both larvae and adults. This reaction was specific, as judged by preabsorption of the antiserum with synthetic Met-enkephalin and subsequent elimination of the immunoreaction. An immunopositive response to one of three anti-substance P antisera, also selective for certain adenohypophysial cells was obtained in both larval and adult glands. This reaction was not completely eliminated by preabsorption with authentic substance P. Although the substance P immunoreaction is not specific for authentic mammalian substance P, its localization is characteristic and distribution of cells exhibiting it is described. Immune-staining of Met-enkephalin was seen in most of the cells of the rostral pars distalis, and it was as strong or stronger in larvae (ammocoetes) of Petromyzon as it was in adults. The substance P response was found in about half of the cells of the caudal pars distalis and in a few cells of the rostral pars distalis. In ammocoetes substance P staining was limited to a few cells of the caudal pars distalis, and no cells in the rostral pars distalis were stained. Thus, Met-enkephalin staining in Petromyzon is a general property of cells in the rostral pars distalis both in larvae and adults and cannot be correlated with such events in the life cycle as metamorphosis or reproduction. On the other hand, cells containing materials reactive with the anti-substance P serum appear at a very low level in the larva and grow in number and intensity of staining in a time pattern that parallels development of reproductive capacity. Furthermore, the disparity in time of synthesis and adenohypophysial and cellular distribution of Met-enkephalin-like and substance P-like materials indicates that these two peptides are not functionally related, as has been suggested for some higher vertebrates.

Animals↗

Occurrence and distribution of substance P-related immunoreactivity in the brain of adult lampreys, Petromyzon marinus and Entosphenus tridentatus.

The occurrence and distribution of substance P (SP)-related immunoreactivity were examined in the adult brains of two species of lampreys, Petromyzon marinus and Entosphenus tridentatus, by using the PAP technique and three different anti-SP sera (anti-SP#1, anti-SP#2, and anti-SP#3). In both species of lampreys, anti-SP#1 and anti-SP#2 yielded positive reactions in the brain, while there was no, or slight immunoreaction there to anti-SP#3. The positive reactions toward anti-SP sera in the lamprey brain were not eliminated, or insufficiently reduced by preabsorption with SP, but they were completely abolished by preabsorption with eledoisin-related peptide. Thus, SP-positive material in the lamprey brain is more closely related, in terms of immunological determinants, to eledoisin than to SP. In Petromyzon, SP-positive perikarya were found in the ventrolateral telencephalon and the ventral hypothalamus, whereas in Entosphenus they were found in the ventral thalamus, tegmentum motoricum mesencephali (two locations), and rostral rhombencephalon, as well as in the above-mentioned two regions. Nevertheless, the distributions of SP-positive fibers in the regions of the brain other than the neurohypophysis were very similar between the two species: SP-positive fibers were found at many locations of the brain, and were especially rich in the periventricular subependymal zone of the ventral telencephalon and in the diencephalon, preoptic area, hypothalamus, and interpeduncular nucleus. In Petromyzon, a heavy accumulation of positive fibers was observed in the rostral part of the anterior neurohypophysis, whereas in Entosphenus no such fibers were observed there. These results clearly suggest the presence of a neuronal system of unknown function containing a SP-related peptide in the brain of lampreys.

Animals↗

Sensory and nonsensory ciliated cells in the ear of the sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus.

The inner ear of the sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, was examined using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Many of the nonsensory surfaces of the ear chamber are lined by numerous, noninnervated, multiciliated epithelial cells. Each multiciliated epithelial cell has 43-66 true cilia projecting from its apical surface into the lumen of the ear. Although the cilia leave the cell individually, all of the cilia from a single cell come together just above the apical cell surface and are held together by a cross-network of fibrillar material. The cell bodies of the multiciliated cells sit upon a basal lamina which overlies a collagen-filled matrix. Petromyzon has typical vertebrate sensory hair cells on the cristae of the two semicircular canals as well as on the main sensory epithelium, the macula communis. Cell bodies of the sensory hair cells are similar to hair cells of other vertebrates. However, unlike other fishes, the sensory hair cells in Petromyzon have striated organelles between the nucleus and the apical cell membrane. The hair cells are innervated by afferent and efferent nerve fibers.

Acoustic Maculae↗

[Encephalization of the marine lamprey, Petromyzon marinus (L.). Quantitative analysis of the principle brain subdivisions].

The measure of both the somatic weight (S) and the brain weight (E) on a sample of 13 adult individuals of Petromyzon marinus (L.) leads for this species to the determination of its brain-body weight coefficient of allometry and to the knowledge of its index of encephalization. The value of the first one is 0.556. Its locates the Sea-Lamprey at the highest level of a scale of decreasing values belonging one after the other to Chondrichthyes (0.551), to Teleost fishes (0.487), to Anurans (0.458), to Reptiles (0.43) and at last to Mammals (0.25). This result revalues our previous hypothesis which gives to this kind of statistic a phylogenetic meaning (RIDET et al. 1977). The index of encephalization has been arbitrarily fixed at the 10 value; it is the lowest of all the other indices previously known and consequently it points the Sea-Lamprey as the less encephalized Vertebrate species. The histological study carried out on the brain allows to the knowledge of the volumes of the main encephalic subdivisions. It leads to various results as: 1. The study the relative volumes (that is to say the volume of each subdivision expressed in percentage of the volume of the whole brain) emphasizes the olfactory bulbs and the Tegmentum + Medulla oblongata which have together the highest values amongst the brain percentages of Petromyzon marinus (and also of Lampetra planeri). This peculiarity has no equivalence in the brain structure of the other studied species of Vertebrates and we consider it as the expression of a primitive brain pattern. 2. The isoponderal indices locate also the Sea-Lamprey at the lowest level for all its encephalic subdivisions, as it was previously the case for the whole brain expressed by the index of encephalization. Such an unanimity seems also to be related to a fundamental brain organization. Comparisons between Petromyzon marinus, Lampetra planeri and Myxine glutinosa corroborate the paraphyletic status of the last one in the Agnathes. The differences pointed also between the two first species are less obvious but justify meanwhile a more detailed study of this group (Petromyzontidae) which shall be given soon.

Animals↗

New types of islet cells in a cyclostome, Petromyzon marinus L.

Four types of acidophilic granular cells, in addition to B-cells, are identified in the islet organ of anadromous specimens of two subspecies of Petromyzon marinus by light and electron microscopy. Three of these acidophils (PI, PII and PIV-cells) occur in both the cranial and hepatic islets while a fourth type (PIII-cell) has only been found in the hepatic islet of some animals. The granules of the PI-cells stain with ponceau de xylidine, give a distinct tryptophan reaction and in ultrastructural examination show large, dense granules. The PII-cells contain unusual crystals and appear to be a non-secretory stage of the PI. The PIII-cells stain deep-red and acid fuchsin. They contain very large, dense granules and some lysosomes. PIV-cells stain selectively with phosphotungstic acid-hematoxylin and ultrastructurally, contain small, more or less dense granules. It appears that PI- and PIV-cells develop directly from B-cells, while the PIII-cells derive from PI-cells. despite their direct or indirect origin from B-cells, the PI-, PIII- and PIV-cells show characteristic features of functionally independent endocrine cells. Petromyzon marinus may be an ideal model for the understanding of phylogenetic and pathological interrelationships between islet and gastrointestinal hormones. It is clear that the interpretation of the islet organ of the cyclostomes, which has been generally considered a source of insulin only, requires a revaluation.

Animals↗

Haemoglobins, LX. Primary structure of the major haemoglobin of the sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus (var. Garonne, Loire).

Lampreys belong to the class of Cyclostomata; practically no evolution of these Vertebrates can be noted since Paleozoïc times; lampreys thus appear as a choice material for studying several problems in the field of biochemical evolution. Several monomeric haemoglobins can be characterized in the erythrocytes of the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus). The major constituent was isolated by chromatography, and submitted to tryptic digestion; soluble tryptic peptides were separated by gel filtration into 5 fractions; the peptides of each fraction were isolated either by Dowex-50 chromatography or by HPLC; the insoluble core was oxidized and submitted to HPLC fractionation. The primary structure of the whole chain and of the purified tryptic peptides was determined using automatic sequencing; alignment of the peptides was achieved by homology with the previously established covalent structure of the globin of Lampetra fluviatilis. The sequence we established confirms the crystallographic data of Hendrickson and Love. Globin/haem contacts are discussed; a tentative explanation of the absence of tetramerization can be proposed after comparison with the aminoacid residues involved in alpha 1 beta 1 and alpha 1 beta 2 contacts. Petromyzon globin differs at three locations (Thr/Ser3, Leu/Met58, Thr/Ser60) from Lampetra fluviatilis globin. The monomeric chain of another Cyclostomata Myxine glutinosa, differs more considerably (88 residues). Our results corroborate recent paleontologic data which favour the separation of lampreys from hagfishes; Cyclostomata cannot be considered as a monophylic group. Finally, there is a closer relation between lamprey globin and alpha chains than between this monomeric globin and beta chains, and furthermore apomyoglobins of higher vertebrates.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Primary structure of the minor haemoglobins from the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus, Cyclostomata).

Erythrocytes of the adult Sea Lamprey Petromyzon marinus contain several haemoglobin species, but only the main constituent has hitherto been sequenced. The present paper describes the determination of the primary structures of the two minor species, whose electrophoretic mobilities are higher and lower than that of the main component. Tryptic peptides from both chains were purified by high-performance liquid chromatography, then sequenced and aligned by homology with the main haemoglobin. The fast and the major components appeared to be very similar, differing in only four positions (pos. 5: Ser----Thr; pos. 33: Thr----Ser; pos. 86: Val----Ala; pos. 99: Gly----Arg). The slow haemoglobin component, however, differed from the main component with respect to 27 amino-acid residues. The position of the three globins of Petromyzon marinus in the phylogenetic tree of haemoglobins is discussed and a relationship with primitive alpha-chains is postulated.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Immunohistochemical distribution of tachykinins in the CNS of the lamprey Petromyzon marinus.

The presence of tachykinins in the CNS of vertebrates has been known for many decades, and numerous studies have described their distribution in mammals. Tachykinins were also reported in the CNS of lampreys using immunohistochemistry, chromatography, and radioimmunoassay methods, but the use of substance P (SP)-specific antibodies to reveal those tachykinins could have led to an underestimation of their number in this genus. Therefore, we carried out a new immunohistochemical study on Petromyzon marinus using a commercial polyclonal antibody that binds not only to mammalian SP, but also to other neurokinins. This antibody labeled all previously described lamprey tachykinin-containing neuronal populations, but more important, labeled new populations in several parts of the brain. These include the dorsal gray of the rostral spinal cord, the dorsal column nuclei, the octavolateral area, the nucleus of the solitary tract, the medial rhombencephalic reticular formation, the lateral tegmentum of the rostral rhombencephalon, the torus semicircularis, the optic tectum, the habenula, the mammillary area, the dorsal thalamic area, the lateral hypothalamus, and the septum area. Preabsorption experiments confirmed the binding of the antibody to neurokinins and allowed us to propose that the CNS of P. marinus contains at least two different tachykinins.

Animals↗

Ontogeny of 5-HT neurons in the brainstem of the lamprey, Petromyzon marinus.

This study examined the spatial and temporal distribution of serotonin-immunoreactive (5-HT-ir) neurons in the brainstem of Petromyzon marinus at three developmental stages, larval, postmetamorphic, and reproductive. Computer-assisted 3-D reconstructions were made of the three main 5-HT-ir neuron groups. The rostralmost brainstem group was located near the posterior commissure, the second group at the isthmus, and the third group in the bulbar area. For each of those groups, the distribution of the 5-HT-ir neurons was very similar in the three developmental stages examined, suggesting that the 5-HT system is relatively mature early in larval animals. The soma of 5-HT-ir neurons increased in size and their dendritic fields increased in complexity with development. Furthermore, the number of 5-HT-ir neurons in each group increased significantly from the larval to the reproductive stage. To determine whether this was due to the genesis of 5-HT neurons, bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) was injected into larval, metamorphosing, and postmetamorphic lampreys. These experiments revealed a few neurons colocalizing BrdU and 5-HT in metamorphosing animals. Taken together, the present results suggest that 5-HT neurons increase in number during maturation and that neurogenesis could, at least partially, contribute to the appearance of new 5-HT cells at different developmental stages.

Animals↗

Morphological and electrophysiological examination of olfactory sensory neurons during the early developmental prolarval stage of the sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus L.

This study examined olfactory sensory neuron morphology and physiological responsiveness in newly hatched sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus L. These prolarvae hatch shortly after neural tube formation, and stay within nests for approximately 18 days, before moving downstream to silty areas where they burrow, feed and pass to the larval stage. To explore the possibility that the olfactory system is functioning during this prolarval stage, morphological and physiological development of olfactory sensory neurons was examined. The nasal cavity contained an olfactory epithelium with ciliated olfactory sensory neurons. Axons formed aggregates in the basal portion of the olfactory epithelium and spanned the narrow distance between the olfactory epithelium and the brain. The presence of asymmetric synapses with agranular vesicles within fibers in the brain, adjacent to the olfactory epithelium suggests that there was synaptic connectivity between olfactory sensory axons and the brain. Neural recordings from the surface of the olfactory epithelium showed responses following the application of L-arginine, taurocholic acid, petromyzonol sulfate (a lamprey migratory pheromone), and water conditioned by conspecifics. These results suggest that lampreys may respond to olfactory sensory input during the prolarval stage.

Animals↗

Evidence for 15alpha- and 7alpha-hydroxylase activity in gonadal tissue of the early-life stages of sea lampreys, Petromyzon marinus.

Gonads of premetamorphosing larval (PML), transforming (TL) and newly metamorphosed (juvenile) sea lampreys (JL) (Petromyzon marinus) were incubated in vitro with tritiated pregnenolone ([(3)H]P(5)), progesterone ([(3)H]P(4)), and androstenedione ([(3)H]A(4)) to identify the major products of steroidogenesis in early developmental stages. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, using two mobile phase gradients, was used to separate the radioactive steroid metabolites. 7alpha-Hydroxylase activity was evident, based on the loss of radioactivity from [(3)H]P(5) labelled at position 7, appearing as tritiated water, and on the appearance of radiolabelled 7alpha-hydroxypregnenolone in the incubation medium. In addition, there was evidence of the synthesis of 15alpha-hydroxylated steroids from the three steroid precursors used. For the progestogen precursors, one of the major 15alpha -hydroxylated metabolites synthesized by both testis and ovarian tissue co-eluted with authentic 15alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, and for [(3)H]A(4), the product was predominantly [(3)H]15alpha-hydroxyandrostenedione. Additional polar steroids were produced, some of which co-eluted with authentic 15alpha-hydroxytestosterone and 15alpha-hydroxyestradiol, whereas others could not be correlated with the authentic 15alpha- or 15beta-hydroxylated steroids available. Ovarian tissues from PML and TL developmental stages synthesized several very non-polar compounds, some of which were present as unconjugated compounds, and others only in the conjugated fraction. These molecules had retention times consistent with pregnanes, and their presence in the incubation medium was therefore indicative of the presence of 5alpha-reductase. These metabolites were not present in the incubation medium from testis, or the JL ovary, suggesting that there is no expression of 5alpha-reductase activity in these tissues. Traces of 17beta-estradiol were found in the incubation medium from ovarian tissue incubated with P(5), but not following incubation with P(4) or A(4). Testosterone was not present in the incubation medium from either ovarian or testis fragments incubated with any of the substrates used.

Androstenedione↗

Effects of proteinase inhibitors on fertilization in sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus).

A search for alternative sterilants in parasitic fish encouraged us to explore the usefulness of proteinase inhibitors for this purpose. Fertilization in sea lamprey species (Petromyzon marinus L.) was inhibited by chymotrypsin and trypsin inhibitors 4'-acetamidophenyl 4-guanidinobenzoate (AGB), chymostatin, tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone (TLCK), and N-tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone (TPCK) when these substances were added into a fertilization medium at the time of fertilization. Preincubation of eggs before fertilization with 100 microM TPCK, but not TLCK, resulted in inhibition of fertilization. Conversely, preincubation of spermatozoa with TLCK, but not TPCK, produced inhibition of fertilization. These data suggest the involvement of the chymotrypsin-like activity of eggs and trypsin-like activity of spermatozoa in fertilization. However, enzymes present in sperm suspensions were able to hydrolyze a chymotrypsin substrate N-glutaryl-L-phenylalanine-p-nitroanilide (GPNA) but not trypsin substrate N-alpha-benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitroanilide (BAPNA). The nature of this activity can be characterized as serine protease and our results indicate the involvement of serine proteinases in the fertilization of sea lamprey.

Animals↗

Dynamic expression of the LIM-homeodomain gene Lhx15 through larval brain development of the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus).

LIM-homeodomain genes encode a family of transcription factors with highly conserved roles in the patterning and regionalisation of the vertebrate brain. The expression of one of those genes, Lhx15, in the embryonic lamprey brain, characterises precise functional subdivisions. In order to analyse the non-embryonic development of the lamprey brain, we chose this gene to perform in situ hybridisations in Petromyzon marinus larvae of different ages. We demonstrate the usefulness of Lhx15 to follow the development and morphogenesis of brain structures and show the dynamical expression of this gene through time. Furthermore, we provide evidence for the evolutionary conservation of the expression of this gene in the spinal cord, notochord and urogenital system.

Animals↗

Shifting patterns of nitrogen excretion and amino acid catabolism capacity during the life cycle of the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus).

The jawless fish, the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), spends part of its life as a burrow-dwelling, suspension-feeding larva (ammocoete) before undergoing a metamorphosis into a free swimming, parasitic juvenile that feeds on the blood of fishes. We predicted that animals in this juvenile, parasitic stage have a great capacity for catabolizing amino acids when large quantities of protein-rich blood are ingested. The sixfold to 20-fold greater ammonia excretion rates (J(Amm)) in postmetamorphic (nonfeeding) and parasitic lampreys compared with ammocoetes suggested that basal rates of amino acid catabolism increased following metamorphosis. This was likely due to a greater basal amino acid catabolizing capacity in which there was a sixfold higher hepatic glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) activity in parasitic lampreys compared with ammocoetes. Immunoblotting also revealed that GDH quantity was 10-fold and threefold greater in parasitic lampreys than in ammocoetes and upstream migrant lampreys, respectively. Higher hepatic alanine and aspartate aminotransferase activities in the parasitic lampreys also suggested an enhanced amino acid catabolizing capacity in this life stage. In contrast to parasitic lampreys, the twofold larger free amino acid pool in the muscle of upstream migrant lampreys confirmed that this period of natural starvation is accompanied by a prominent proteolysis. Carbamoyl phosphate synthetase III was detected at low levels in the liver of parasitic and upstream migrant lampreys, but there was no evidence of extrahepatic (muscle, intestine) urea production via the ornithine urea cycle. However, detection of arginase activity and high concentrations of arginine in the liver at all life stages examined infers that arginine hydrolysis is an important source of urea. We conclude that metamorphosis is accompanied by a metabolic reorganization that increases the capacity of parasitic sea lampreys to catabolize intermittently large amino acid loads arising from the ingestion of protein rich blood from their prey/hosts. The subsequent generation of energy-rich carbon skeletons can then be oxidized or retained for glycogen and fatty acid synthesis, which are essential fuels for the upstream migratory and spawning phases of the sea lamprey's life cycle.

Amino Acids↗

In situ characterization of gonadotropin- releasing hormone-I, -III, and glutamic acid decarboxylase expression in the brain of the sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus.

The distribution of lamprey gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-I and -III has been extensively characterized by immunocytochemistry in the forebrain of the sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus. However, the cellular location of lamprey GnRH-III mRNA expression by in situ hybridization in the lamprey brain has not been determined. We show for the first time the location of expression of lamprey GnRH-III, as well as provide a more comprehensive in situ study of lamprey GnRH-I and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD; GABA-synthesizing enzyme) mRNA expression in the brain of the lamprey in different reproductive life stages. Colorimetric and dual-label fluorescent amplification methods of in situ hybridization were used on brain tissue sections of adult, juvenile, and larval sea lamprey. In each life stage of the lamprey, expression of lamprey GnRH-I was shown in the preoptic area (POA) and the hypothalamus forming the characteristic arc-like cell population extending from the preoptic nucleus (NPO) to the neurohypophysis. Lamprey GnRH-III expression was also seen in the POA of each life stage in close proximity to lamprey GnRH-I mRNA containing neurons. GAD expression was shown in distinct cell clusters in and around the POA, in the olfactory bulb, in the dorsal thalamus beneath the habenular region, and also in the ventral-medial hypothalamus stretching from the periventricular region to the anterior portion of the rhombencephalon. Using dual-label in situ hybridization, we have shown that lamprey GnRH-I and -III mRNA are colocalized in the same cells in the POA in adult lampreys. Dual-label in situ hybridization also showed close proximity of GAD mRNA containing neurons and GnRH containing neurons in the POA. These data suggest that gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) may directly affect GnRH release in the brain of the sea lamprey.

Animals↗

Expression of neuropeptide Y family peptides in the brain and gut during stages of the life cycle of a parasitic lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) and a nonparasitic lamprey (Ichthyomyzon gagei).

The long-term objective of our research is to show that internal factors may be key to triggering metamorphosis and directing the life history types in lampreys (parasitism versus nonparasitism). Since neuropeptide Y family peptides are key players in the endocrine-mediated feeding and reproductive events in mammals, a role for these peptides in the control of feeding behavior and development can be predicted for lampreys. We have investigated the expression pattern of these peptides in the brain and in the gut during different stages of the life cycle of the parasitic lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, and the nonparasitic lamprey, Ichthyomyzon gagei. We provide a description of the cloning and sequencing of P. marinus and I. gagei cDNA for neuropeptide Y (NPY), peptide tyrosine-tyrosine (PYY), and peptide methionine-tyrosine (PMY). Using sequence-specific primers, the mRNA expression patterns for these peptides in brain and gut of larval (ammocoete) and adult (juvenile, prespawning) lampreys were examined by semiquantitative RT-PCR. The observations extend a potential role of neuropeptide Y family peptides in the modulation of feeding behavior and reproductive maturity in lampreys.

Amino Acid Sequence↗