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Synthesis of a Deuterated Standard for the Quantification of 2-Arachidonoylglycerol in Caenorhabditis elegans

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A putative 'pre-nervous' endocannabinoid system in early echinoderm development.

G A Buznikov¹, L A Nikitina, V V Bezuglov

¹Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, Russia.

Developmental Neuroscience

|November 13, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Sea urchin and starfish embryos possess a functional endocannabinoid system, utilizing Trp and GPCR orthologs, not canonical cannabinoid receptors. Anandamide (AEA) impacts embryonic development, with rescue effects observed from specific compounds.

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The Power of Simplicity: Sea Urchin Embryos as in Vivo Developmental Models for Studying Complex Cell-to-cell Signaling Network Interactions

The Power of Simplicity: Sea Urchin Embryos as in Vivo Developmental Models for Studying Complex Cell-to-cell Signaling Network Interactions

Published on: February 16, 2017

Area of Science:

Marine Biology
Developmental Biology
Neuroendocrinology

Background:

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is crucial in vertebrates, regulating various physiological processes.
Its presence and function in invertebrates, particularly in early development, remain largely unexplored.
Anandamide (arachidonoyl ethanolamide, AEA) is a key endocannabinoid in vertebrates.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the presence and function of an endocannabinoid system in sea urchin and starfish embryos and larvae.
To determine the developmental effects of AEA and related compounds on early echinoderm development.
To identify potential molecular targets for AEA in these invertebrate models.

Main Methods:

Quantification of AEA in developing Lytechinus variegatus embryos using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry.
'Perturb-and-rescue' experiments with AEA, CP55940, antagonists, and agonists in sea urchin and starfish embryos.
Radioligand binding assays and bioinformatic/phylogenetic analyses to identify potential AEA-binding receptors in the Strongylocentrotus purpuratus genome.

Main Results:

AEA levels significantly increased during early L. variegatus embryogenesis.
AEA and CP55940 disrupted blastula-to-gastrula transition, with AEA not affecting cleavage divisions.
Arvanil, AA-5-HT, and AA-DA rescued embryos from AEA/CP55940-induced developmental abnormalities.
Radioligand binding showed minimal specific binding, and no canonical cannabinoid receptor orthologs were found in the sea urchin genome.
Candidate TrpA1, TrpV1-like, dopamine, and adrenergic GPCR orthologs were identified in the sea urchin genome.

Conclusions:

Echinoderm embryos possess a functional system sensitive to AEA, suggesting an invertebrate ECS.
AEA likely acts via Trp channels and/or non-cannabinoid GPCRs, potentially representing ancestral cannabinoid receptor targets.
The identified Trp and GPCR orthologs may serve as the molecular basis for AEA's developmental effects in echinoderms.