Myomodulin: a bioactive neuropeptide present in an identified cholinergic buccal motor neuron of Aplysia

When Aplysia are initially exposed to food stimuli, their biting responses show progressive increases in speed and strength. The accessory radula closer (ARC) buccal muscles have been used to study this phenomenon, and it has been shown that changes in ARC muscle contraction are partially due to activity of a serotonergic neuron that modulates this muscle, by both a direct action and an action on two ARC motor neurons (B15 and B16). The motor neurons use acetylcholine as their excitatory transmitter, but they also contain bioactive peptides that can potentiate muscle contractions when they are exogenously applied. Motor neuron B15 contains the structurally related small cardioactive peptides A and B, whereas motor neuron B16 contains a different peptide--termed myomodulin. In the present study we determined the full amino acid sequence of myomodulin. Myomodulin is present in the ARC muscle, and exogenous application of the peptide potentiates ARC muscle contractions in a manner similar to the potentiation by small cardioactive peptides A and B. The structure of myomodulin, however, bears little resemblance to the small cardioactive peptides. Thus it appears that ARC muscle contractions may be regulated by at least three distinct classes of neuromodulators: serotonin, the small cardioactive peptides, and myomodulin.