NEUROCHEMICAL CONTROL OF GAMETE RELEASE IN STARFISH

¹ The American University, Washington, D. C., Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Univ. Calif., San Diego, La Jolla, California, and Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Mass.

1. A neurochemical substance from the radial nerve of Asterias forbesi and Patiria miniata has been studied in vivo and in vitro and found to initiate both gamete release and maturation. The significance of a 30-minute lag period before gamete release, which was evident in all experiments, was discussed.

2. Gamete release and/or maturation did not depend upon passage through the gonoduct or gonopore.

3. The level of shedding substance in radial nerves of starfish was found to be constant throughout the year, and was found in a total of 10 different species. Cross-experiments indicated that a limited degree of species specificity existed.

4. The possibility that the shedding substance is a neurosecretory product was discussed.

5. The shedding substance was found to be a polypeptide, consisting of 10-15 amino acids, which was purified for future amino acid analysis.

6. An inhibitor to the shedding substance, shedhibin, was also found in the radial nerve. Its presence varied with the reproductive state of the animal.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. C. Cochran and F. Engelmann Echinoid Spawning Induced by a Radial Nerve Factor Science, October 27, 1972; 178(4059): 423 - 424. [Abstract] [PDF]

				H. Shirai, H. Kanatani, and S. Taguchi 1-Methyladenine Biosynthesis in Starfish Ovary: Action of Gonad-Stimulating Hormone in Methylation Science, March 24, 1972; 175(4028): 1366 - 1368. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. Ikegami, S. Tamura, and H. Kanatani Starfish Gonad: Action and Chemical Identification of Spawning Inhibitor Science, November 24, 1967; 158(3804): 1052 - 1053. [Abstract] [PDF]