Linked Life Data

12849960

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/12849960

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
3
pubmed:dateCreated
2003-7-9
pubmed:abstractText
In higher animals, it is now generally accepted that neurosteroids are steroids that are synthesized in the brain itself, but it remains unclear where, in terms of the phylogeny of chordates, such neurosteroids are first synthesized? We have tried to detect progesterone immunohistochemically in the central nervous system of the amphioxus, Branchiostoma belcheri, an ancient species of chordate. We found immunoreactivity specific for progesterone in the giant neurons known as Rohde cells, at sites that included the perikaryon, in axons and in a thick coarse axon in addition to the gonads. Thus, the present progesterone-like substance appeared to be a phylogenetically ancient and ancestral neurosteroid. Rohde cells are known to be the source of Mauthner cells and to act as interneurons and, therefore, it seems possible that progesterone-like substance might be involved in primitive sigmoid movement, acting as a chemical signal. The presence of progesterone-like substance in amphioxus suggests that animals have evolved by effectively exploiting a rather limited number of active compounds. This report is the first, to our knowledge, to demonstrate that the Rohde cells in the spinal cord of amphioxus have progesterone-like substance, which might be involved in swimming.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jul
pubmed:issn
0016-6480
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
132
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
379-83
pubmed:dateRevised
2003-11-14
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2003
pubmed:articleTitle
Immunoreactivity for progesterone in the giant Rohde cells of the amphioxus, Branchiostoma belcheri.
pubmed:affiliation
Brain Science Institute, Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, 351-0198 Saitama, Japan. takeda@tamacc.chuo-u.ac.jp
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article