| Abstract |
Neuroanatomical information on neuropeptidergic neurons provides crucial clues to understanding the functions of neuropeptides and the cerebral structure-function relationships. In this study, we constructed comprehensive two- and three-dimensional atlases of 23 neuropeptides in the central nervous system (CNS) of an invertebrate chordate, Ciona robusta, at the single-cell level using a mass spectrometry imaging workflow. The neuropeptidomic atlases revealed that the cerebral ganglion is divided into three functional areas, dorso-rostral, dorso-caudal, and ventral areas. Particularly, the distribution of Ciona tachykinin, cholecystokinin, and neurotensin-like-peptide demonstrated the basal cerebral structure-function relationships in reproductive regulation in Ciona. The atlases also demonstrated the unexpected colocalization of multiple neuropeptides and the differential localization of gene-related peptides yielded from a single precursor, which cannot be unraveled by any transcriptomic analyses. Collectively, the present study provides a foundation for investigating various neuropeptidergic functions of the invertebrate chordate CNS and the evolution of chordate neuropeptidergic systems.
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