MOLECULAR-CLONING OF A CDNA-ENCODING THE PRECURSOR OF ALA-PRO-GLY-TRPAMIDE-RELATED NEUROPEPTIDES FROM THE BIVALVE MOLLUSK MYTILUS-EDULIS

We isolated and characterised a cDNA clone encoding the precursor of n europeptides related to the molluscan neuropeptide Ala-Pro-Gly-Trp ami de from the marine mussel Mytilus edulis. The preproprotein is posttra nslationally processed to generate a 20 amino acid signal peptide toge ther with five sequences of the neuropeptide Arg-Pro-Gly-Trp amide (RP GWamide), one Lys-Pro-Gly-Trp amide (KPGWamide), one Thr-Pro-Gly-Trp a mide (TPGW amide) as well as a putative 31 amino acid long C-terminal peptide. In situ hybridisation showed that the gene encoding this prec ursor is expressed in discrete neurons within the three ganglia of the central nervous system.