Met-enkephalin Arg-Phe-immunoreactive neurons in the central nervous system of the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis

Abstract.

The distribution of an opioid peptide related to YGGFMRF was determined in the CNS and other organs of the pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis, by RIA and immunocytochemistry. RIA revealed the highest levels in the CNS (1 pmol/organ) and penis (400 fmol/organ). There were also significant levels in the haemolymph, most of which was not associated with haemocytes (580 fmol/ml). Both serial section and whole-mount immunocytochemistry of the CNS revealed immunoreactive cells in every ganglion with the majority in the cerebral and pedal ganglia. In the pedal ganglia some of the immunoreactive cells were close to the cells of the A-cluster, which are known to respond to opioids, and could innervate them. In the cerebral ganglia the immunoreactive cells included a group of neurosecretory cells, the caudo dorsal cells (CDCs) and the terminals of these cells in the cerebral commissure were also stained. The CDCs secrete peptides into the haemolymph and so could be the source of the YGGFMRF immunoreactivity. Immunoreactivity (including the CDCs) was observed in locations that correspond to those reported for other fragments of proenkephalin, such as Met- and Leu-enkephalin, suggesting that they may share a common precursor, a Lymnaea proenkephalin. A map of the 358 YGGFMRF-immunoreactive cells in the CNS is presented, many of which have not been previously identified.