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Interleukin-1 and interleukin-6 modify protein phosphorylation in the central nervous system of Hirudo medicinalis
D Bottai1, M Garcia-Gil, M L Zaccardi
1Department of Physiology and Biochemistry G. Moruzzi, University of Pisa, Italy.
Insights
Human Interleukin-1 (IL-1) and IL-6 affect protein phosphorylation in the leech nervous system. These changes mimic those induced by serotonin, suggesting conserved signaling pathways.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Interleukin-1 (IL-1)-like molecules show evolutionary conservation.
- The precise signal transduction pathway for IL-1 remains unclear, though kinase activation is implicated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of human IL-1 on the leech nervous system.
- To explore potential conserved mechanisms of IL-1 signaling across species.
Main Methods:
- Leech segmental ganglia were incubated with [32P]orthophosphoric acid.
- Proteins were separated using electrophoresis.
- Phosphoproteins were detected via autoradiography.
Main Results:
- Human IL-1 and IL-6 induced alterations in protein phosphorylation within the leech central nervous system.
- The observed phosphorylation changes were comparable to those elicited by the neurotransmitter serotonin.
Conclusions:
- Human IL-1 and IL-6 can modulate protein phosphorylation in the leech nervous system.
- These findings suggest conserved cellular responses to IL-1-like molecules and serotonin signaling pathways between vertebrates and invertebrates.
Abstract:
Recent data suggest that IL-1-like molecules have been conserved during evolution. The signal transduction mechanism of IL-1 is not known, but kinase activation has been reported. With the aim of studying if human IL-1 has any effect on the leech nervous system, we have added this cytokine to segmental ganglia labeled with [32P]ortophosphoric acid; proteins have been separated by electrophoresis and phosphoproteins detected by autoradiography. In the present paper we show that human IL-1 and IL-6 are able to induce changes on protein phosphorylation in the leech central nervous system and that these changes are similar to those ones induced by the neurotransmitter serotonin.