Environmental Upregulation of the Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Gene in the Living Fossil,Limulus polyphemus

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications Vol. 254; no. 3; pp. 751 - 756
• Main Authors: Vesely, Matthew D., Vesely, David L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 27.01.1999
• Subjects: Animals; Atrial Natriuretic Factor - genetics; atrial natriuretic peptide prohormone; Environment; gene expression; Hemolymph; Horseshoe Crabs; Limulus polyphemus; Marine; natriuretic peptides; Osmolar Concentration; Protein Precursors - genetics; Rats; RNA, Messenger - genetics; salinity; Sodium Chloride; Up-Regulation; natriuretic peptides; salinity; atrial natriuretic peptide prohormone; gene expression
• ISSN: 0006-291X; 1090-2104
• DOI: 10.1006/bbrc.1998.9990

Northern blot analysis revealed that atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) gene expression occurs in heart, hematocytes and gills of the invertebrateLimulus polyphemus,the horseshoe crab. In low salinity and on land ANP prohormone messenger RNA inLimulus'heart was 32-fold less compared to that in a vertebrate heart (i.e., rat,Rattus norvegicus). ANP gene expression doubled (P < 0.05) inLimulus'heart and gills with change from land and low salinity to medium salinity and osmolality. ANP gene expression was 10-fold higher inLimulus'gills in seawater (i.e., high salinity). The products of this ANP gene expression (i.e., ANP, long acting natriuretic peptide, vessel dilator and kaliuretic peptide) were released and increased in the circulation, i.e., hemolymph, ofLimulusproportional to the increase in salinity and osmolality (P = <0.01). These results suggest that modification of ANP gene expression enables animals to adapt to freshwater, seawater, and land.