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First published online December 15, 2004
Journal of Experimental Biology 208, 3-14 (2005)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2005
doi: 10.1242/jeb.01275

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Review

Prostaglandins in non-insectan invertebrates: recent insights and unsolved problems

Andrew F. Rowley^1,*, Claire L. Vogan^1,, Graham W. Taylor² and Anthony S. Clare³

¹ School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales Swansea, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
² Proteomics Section, Imperial College, Faculty of Medicine, London W12 0NN, UK
³ School of Marine Science and Technology, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle NE1 7RU, UK

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: a.f.rowley{at}swansea.ac.uk)

Accepted 6 September 2004

Prostaglandins (PG) are oxygenated derivatives of C20 polyunsaturated fatty acids including arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids. In mammals, these compounds have been shown to play key roles in haemostasis, sleep-wake regulation, smooth muscle tone, and vaso-, temperature and immune regulation. In invertebrates, PGs have been reported to perform similar roles and are involved in the control of oogenesis and spermatogenesis, ion transport and defence. Although there is often a detailed understanding of the actions of these compounds in invertebrates such as insects, knowledge of their mechanism of biosynthesis is often lacking. This account provides a critical review of our current knowledge on the structure and modes of biosynthesis of PGs in invertebrates, with particular reference to aquatic invertebrates. It emphasises some of the most recent findings, which suggest that some PGs have been misidentified.

Prostaglandins in invertebrates can be categorised into two main types; the classical forms, such as PGE₂ and PGD₂ that are found in mammals, and novel forms including clavulones, bromo- and iodo-vulones and various PGA₂ and PGE₂ esters. A significant number of reports of PG identification in invertebrates have relied upon methods such as enzyme immunoassay that do not have the necessary specificity to ensure the validity of the identification. For example, in the barnacle Balanus amphitrite, although there are PG-like compounds that bind to antibodies raised against PGE₂, mass spectrometric analysis failed to confirm the presence of this and other classical PGs. Therefore, care should be taken in drawing conclusions about what PGs are formed in invertebrates without employing appropriate analytical methods. Finally, the recent publication of the Ciona genome should facilitate studies on the nature and mode of biosynthesis of PGs in this advanced deuterostomate invertebrate.

Key words: barnacle, coral, cyclooxygenase, eicosanoid, leukotriene, prostaglandin, prostaglandin D synthase, tunicate, Ciona intestinalis, Balanus amphitrite.

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