Newly identified water-borne protein pheromones interact with attractin to stimulate mate attraction in Aplysia

Scott F Cummins; A E Nichols; C H Schein; G T Nagle

doi:10.1016/j.peptides.2005.08.026

Back

Newly identified water-borne protein pheromones interact with attractin to stimulate mate attraction in Aplysia

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Newly identified water-borne protein pheromones interact with attractin to stimulate mate attraction in Aplysia

Scott F Cummins, A E Nichols, C H Schein and G T Nagle

Peptides, Vol.27(3), pp.597-606

2006

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.peptides.2005.08.026

Files and links (1)

url

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.peptides.2005.08.026View

Published Version

Abstract

Fisheries Sciences

Aplysia

attractin

enticin

temptin

seductin

fertilin

fibrillin

pheromone

The water-borne protein attractin is a potent sex pheromone involved in forming and maintaining mating and egg-laying aggregations in the marine mollusk Aplysia. Binary blends of attractin and either enticin, temptin, or seductin, three other Aplysia protein pheromones, stimulate mate attraction. The four pheromones are thought to act in concert during egg-laying. The new data presented here show that: (1) the water-borne odor of non-laying Aplysia brasiliana further increases the attractiveness of attractin and of eggs in T-maze bioassays. This suggests that individual Aplysia release additional factors that enhance the effects of attractin, enticin, temptin, and seductin during egg-laying; (2) the N-terminal region of enticin aligns well with the conserved epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domain of mammalian reproductive proteins known as fertilins, which may mediate intercellular adhesion interactions between eggs and sperm; (3) temptin, according to fold recognition servers, may also have an EGF-like fold. Enticin and temptin also have conserved metal binding sequences that may play a role in their signaling behavior. These results suggest that aspects of mammalian egg-sperm interactions (fertilins) may have evolved from pheromonal signaling mechanisms. We also review the structure, expression, localization, release, and behavioral actions of attractin, enticin, temptin, and seductin.

Details

Title: Newly identified water-borne protein pheromones interact with attractin to stimulate mate attraction in Aplysia
Authors: Scott F Cummins (Author) - University of Texas, United States
A E Nichols (Author) - University of Texas, United States
C H Schein (Author) - University of Texas, United States
G T Nagle (Author) - University of Texas, United States
Publication details: Peptides, Vol.27(3), pp.597-606
Publisher: Elsevier Inc.
Date published: 2006
DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2005.08.026
ISSN: 0196-9781
Organisation Unit: School of Science and Engineering - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Centre for Bioinnovation
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99450028702621
Output Type: Journal article

Metrics

1 File views/ downloads

452 Record Views

33 Times Cited - Web of Science

See more details

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Web Of Science research areas: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Endocrinology & Metabolism; Pharmacology & Pharmacy