Identification of G protein-coupled receptors for Drosophila PRXamide peptides, CCAP, corazonin, and AKH supports a theory of ligand-receptor coevolution.

ABSTRACT: G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are ancient, ubiquitous sensors vital to environmental and physiological signaling throughout organismal life. With the publication of the Drosophila genome, numerous "orphan" GPCRs have become available for functional analysis. Here we characterize two groups of GPCRs predicted as receptors for peptides with a C-terminal amino acid sequence motif consisting of -PRXamide (PRXa). Assuming ligand-receptor coevolution, two alternative hypotheses were constructed and tested. The insect PRXa peptides are evolutionarily related to the vertebrate peptide neuromedin U (NMU), or are related to arginine vasopressin (AVP), both of which have PRXa motifs. Seven Drosophila GPCRs related to receptors for NMU and AVP were cloned and expressed in Xenopus oocytes for fun

SUBMITTER: Park Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC123272 | biostudies-literature | 2002 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature