Identification and Characterization of a Myomodulin-Like Peptide in the Leech

Abstract Wang, Y., D. A. Price and C. L. Sahley. Identification and characterization of a myomodulin-like peptide in the leech. Peptides 19(3) 487–493, 1998.—A novel myomodulin-like peptide, GMGALRLamide, has been purified and sequenced from extracts of 1000 medicinal leech nerve cords. Synthetic leech myomodulin-like peptide blocked the specific staining pattern of leech ganglia by the antiserum against Aplysia myomodulin A PMGMLRLamide. Moreover, the synthetic leech myomodulin-like peptide GMGALRLamide showed identical neuronal modulation effect on the giant leech Retzius cell compare to that by the synthetic Aplysia myomodulin A PMGMLRLamide.