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Evolution of neurotransmitter receptor systems
J C Venter1, U di Porzio, D A Robinson
1Section of Receptor Biochemistry, National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Progress in Neurobiology
|January 1, 1988
Summary
Evolution of the nervous system relied on better use of existing molecules, not new ones. Hormones and neurotransmitters, along with their enzymes and receptors, show remarkable evolutionary conservation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Evolutionary Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Hormones, neurotransmitters, and their associated enzymes and receptors have ancient evolutionary origins, dating back hundreds of millions of years.
- Evidence suggests significant conservation in the protein structure and function of these molecules throughout evolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the evolutionary timeline of neurotransmitters, their enzymes, and receptors.
- To understand whether nervous system evolution involved novel molecular development or refined utilization of existing components.
Main Methods:
- Phylogenetic analysis of enzymes and receptors involved in cholinergic and adrenergic signaling.
- Comparative analysis of molecular presence across different organismal complexities (unicellular vs. multicellular).
Main Results:
- Transmitters and their biosynthetic/degradative enzymes appear to predate their corresponding receptors in evolutionary history.
- While transmitters and enzymes are found in unicellular organisms, specific receptors for adrenergic and cholinergic systems are primarily evident in multicellular organisms.
- Receptors in multicellular organisms are linked to specialized cellular and neuronal communication.
Conclusions:
- Nervous system development hinges on the sophisticated utilization of conserved molecular machinery rather than the creation of entirely new signaling molecules.
- The evolution of receptor systems, particularly for neurotransmitters, is a key feature distinguishing multicellular life and complex neural circuitry.