The neuropeptide APGWamide induces imposex in the mud snail, Ilyanassa obsoleta

  • Peptides. 2000 Sep;21(9):1323-30. doi: 10.1016/s0196-9781(00)00274-6.
E Oberdörster  1 ,  P McClellan-Green
Affiliations
  • 1. Department of Environmental Toxicology, Clemson University, Box 709, Pendleton, SC 29670, USA. [email protected]
PMID: 11072118 DOI: 10.1016/s0196-9781(00)00274-6
Abstract

We investigated whether neuropeptides which control sexual differentiation in mollusks can induce imposex-a condition where female snails grow male accessory sex organs after exposure to tributyltin (TBT). Mud snails, Ilyanassa obsoleta, were dosed with one of four neuropeptides: APGWamide, conopressin, LSSFVRIamide, or FMRFamide for seven or fourteen days. TBT and testosterone (T) were used as positive controls and induced imposex as expected. APGWamide significantly induced imposex, with a threshold dose near 10(-)(16) moles. The Other neuropeptides had no effect on imposex induction. We propose that TBT could act as a neurotoxin to induce imposex via abnormal release of APGWamide.

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