The EGL-21 carboxypeptidase E facilitates acetylcholine release at Caenorhabditis elegans neuromuscular junctions

J Neurosci. 2003 Mar 15;23(6):2122-30. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.23-06-02122.2003.

Abstract

Proneuropeptides are packaged into dense-core vesicles in which they are processed into active peptides by copackaged enzymes. Proprotein convertases (PCs) cleave precursors after dibasic residues, and carboxypeptidases remove basic residues from the C terminals. We show here that the Caenorhabditis elegans egl-21 gene encodes a protein that is very similar to carboxypeptidase E (CPE) and is broadly expressed in the nervous system. Mutants lacking either egl-21 CPE or egl-3, which encodes the C. elegans ortholog of PC type 2 (PC2), were defective for processing endogenously expressed FMRFamide (Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-NH2)-related peptides (FaRPs). Mutants lacking the unc-104 kinesin motor protein were defective for anterograde movement of dense-core vesicle components, including egl-3 PC2, egl-21 CPE, and FaRPs. We provide evidence that egl-3 PC2 and egl-21 CPE mutants have diminished acetylcholine release at neuromuscular junctions (NMJs). Taken together, these results suggest that egl-21 CPE and egl-3 PC2 process endogenous neuropeptides that facilitate acetylcholine release at C. elegans NMJs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcholine / metabolism*
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Biological Transport / physiology
  • Caenorhabditis elegans
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism*
  • Carboxypeptidase H
  • Carboxypeptidases / genetics
  • Carboxypeptidases / metabolism*
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • FMRFamide / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Motor Activity / physiology
  • Mutation
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism
  • Nervous System / metabolism
  • Neuromuscular Junction / metabolism*
  • Neuropeptides / metabolism
  • Organ Specificity
  • Proprotein Convertase 2
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational
  • Secretory Vesicles / metabolism
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Subtilisins / metabolism

Substances

  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Neuropeptides
  • UNC-104 protein, C elegans
  • FMRFamide
  • Carboxypeptidases
  • Carboxypeptidase H
  • Subtilisins
  • EGL-3 proprotein convertase, C elegans
  • Proprotein Convertase 2
  • Acetylcholine