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Biol Bull

Title:		"Characterization of Aplysia attractin, the first water-borne peptide pheromone in invertebrates"
Author(s):		Painter SD; Clough B; Garden RW; Sweedler JV; Nagle GT;
Address:		"Marine Biomedical Institute, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77555-1043, USA. sdpainte@utmb.edu"
Journal Title:		Biol Bull
Year:		1998
Volume:		194
Issue:		2
Page Number:		120 - 131
DOI:		10.2307/1543042
ISSN/ISBN:		0006-3185 (Print) 0006-3185 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Although animals in the genus Aplysia are solitary during most of the year, they form breeding aggregations during the reproductive season. The aggregations contain both mating and egg-laying animals and are associated with masses of egg cordons. The egg cordons are a source of pheromones that establish and maintain the aggregation, but none of the pheromonal factors have been chemically characterized. In these studies, specimens of Aplysia were induced to lay eggs, the egg cordons collected and eluted, and the eluates fractionated by C18 reversed-phase HPLC. Four peak fractions were bioassayed in a T-maze. All four increased the number of animals attracted to a nonlaying conspecific and were thus subjected to compositional and microsequence analysis. Each contained the same NH2-terminal peptide sequence. The full-length peptide ('attractin') was isolated from the albumen gland, a large exocrine organ that packages the eggs into a cordon. The complete 58-residue sequence was obtained, and it matched that predicted by an albumen gland cDNA. Mass spectrometry showed that attractin is 21 wt.% carbohydrate as the result of N-linked glycosylation. T-maze bioassays confirmed that the full-length peptide is attractive. Attractin is the first water-borne peptide pheromone characterized in molluscs, and the first in invertebrates"
Keywords:		Amino Acid Sequence Animals Aplysia/*physiology Female Glycoproteins/*chemistry/isolation & purification/*physiology Male Molecular Sequence Data Oviposition Ovum/physiology Pheromones/*chemistry/isolation & purification/*physiology Reproduction/*physiolo;
Notes:		"MedlinePainter, S D Clough, B Garden, R W Sweedler, J V Nagle, G T eng HD28500/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/ NS31609/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/ Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. 1998/05/30 Biol Bull. 1998 Apr; 194(2):120-31. doi: 10.2307/1543042"