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The neuropeptide APGWamide induces imposex in the mud snail, Ilyanassa obsoleta
E Oberdörster1, P McClellan-Green
1Department of Environmental Toxicology, Clemson University, Box 709, Pendleton, SC 29670, USA. eoberdo@clemson.edu
Abstract:
We investigated whether neuropeptides which control sexual differentiation in mollusks can induce imposex-a condition where female snails grow male accessory sex organs after exposure to tributyltin (TBT). Mud snails, Ilyanassa obsoleta, were dosed with one of four neuropeptides: APGWamide, conopressin, LSSFVRIamide, or FMRFamide for seven or fourteen days. TBT and testosterone (T) were used as positive controls and induced imposex as expected. APGWamide significantly induced imposex, with a threshold dose near 10(-)(16) moles. The other neuropeptides had no effect on imposex induction. We propose that TBT could act as a neurotoxin to induce imposex via abnormal release of APGWamide.