Biomaterial Database

Neuropeptide gene families in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. 1999

C Li, and L S Nelson, and K Kim, and A Nathoo, and A C Hart

Department of Biology, Boston University, Massachusetts 02215, USA. li@bu.edu

Neuropeptides have diverse roles in the function and development of the nervous system. With the completion of the sequencing of the C. elegans genome, rapid identification of nematode neuropeptide genes is possible. To date, 41 C. elegans neuropeptide genes have been identified. Of these genes, 20 genes, named flp (FMRFamide-like peptide) genes, encode FMRFamide-related proteins (FaRPs). Deletion of one of the flp genes, flp-1, results in several behavioral defects, suggesting that at least one flp gene is not functionally redundant with other flp genes. Twenty-one genes, named neuropeptide-like protein (nlp) genes, encode peptides distinct from the FaRP family. The predicted nlp-1 and nlp-2 neuropeptides have modest similarity to buccalin and myomodulin, respectively. Cellular expression patterns and genetic analysis of flp and nlp genes suggest that neuropeptides in nematodes also have widespread and varied roles in nervous system function.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008969	Molecular Sequence Data	Descriptions of specific amino acid, carbohydrate, or nucleotide sequences which have appeared in the published literature and/or are deposited in and maintained by databanks such as GENBANK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF), or other sequence repositories.	Sequence Data, Molecular,Molecular Sequencing Data,Data, Molecular Sequence,Data, Molecular Sequencing,Sequencing Data, Molecular
D009479	Neuropeptides	Peptides released by NEURONS as intercellular messengers. Many neuropeptides are also hormones released by non-neuronal cells.	Neuropeptide
D005810	Multigene Family	A set of genes descended by duplication and variation from some ancestral gene. Such genes may be clustered together on the same chromosome or dispersed on different chromosomes. Examples of multigene families include those that encode the hemoglobins, immunoglobulins, histocompatibility antigens, actins, tubulins, keratins, collagens, heat shock proteins, salivary glue proteins, chorion proteins, cuticle proteins, yolk proteins, and phaseolins, as well as histones, ribosomal RNA, and transfer RNA genes. The latter three are examples of reiterated genes, where hundreds of identical genes are present in a tandem array. (King & Stanfield, A Dictionary of Genetics, 4th ed)	Gene Clusters,Genes, Reiterated,Cluster, Gene,Clusters, Gene,Families, Multigene,Family, Multigene,Gene Cluster,Gene, Reiterated,Multigene Families,Reiterated Gene,Reiterated Genes
D000595	Amino Acid Sequence	The order of amino acids as they occur in a polypeptide chain. This is referred to as the primary structure of proteins. It is of fundamental importance in determining PROTEIN CONFORMATION.	Protein Structure, Primary,Amino Acid Sequences,Sequence, Amino Acid,Sequences, Amino Acid,Primary Protein Structure,Primary Protein Structures,Protein Structures, Primary,Structure, Primary Protein,Structures, Primary Protein
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D016415	Sequence Alignment	The arrangement of two or more amino acid or base sequences from an organism or organisms in such a way as to align areas of the sequences sharing common properties. The degree of relatedness or homology between the sequences is predicted computationally or statistically based on weights assigned to the elements aligned between the sequences. This in turn can serve as a potential indicator of the genetic relatedness between the organisms.	Sequence Homology Determination,Determination, Sequence Homology,Alignment, Sequence,Alignments, Sequence,Determinations, Sequence Homology,Sequence Alignments,Sequence Homology Determinations
D017173	Caenorhabditis elegans	A species of nematode that is widely used in biological, biochemical, and genetic studies.	Caenorhabditis elegan,elegan, Caenorhabditis
D017238	Genes, Helminth	The functional hereditary units of HELMINTHS.	Helminth Genes,Gene, Helminth,Helminth Gene
D017386	Sequence Homology, Amino Acid	The degree of similarity between sequences of amino acids. This information is useful for the analyzing genetic relatedness of proteins and species.	Homologous Sequences, Amino Acid,Amino Acid Sequence Homology,Homologs, Amino Acid Sequence,Homologs, Protein Sequence,Homology, Protein Sequence,Protein Sequence Homologs,Protein Sequence Homology,Sequence Homology, Protein,Homolog, Protein Sequence,Homologies, Protein Sequence,Protein Sequence Homolog,Protein Sequence Homologies,Sequence Homolog, Protein,Sequence Homologies, Protein,Sequence Homologs, Protein
D019835	FMRFamide	A molluscan neuroactive peptide which induces a fast excitatory depolarizing response due to direct activation of amiloride-sensitive SODIUM CHANNELS. (From Nature 1995; 378(6558): 730-3)	FMRF,FMRF-NH2,FMRF-amide,FMRFamide, (D-Arg)-Isomer,FMRFamide, (D-Met)-Isomer,FMRFamide, (D-Phe)-Isomer,FMRFamide, (D-phenylalanine)-Isomer,Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-NH2,Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-amide,FMRF NH2,FMRF amide,Phe Met Arg Phe amide