The L-form is where the basic building blocks of living organisms are found. There are some exceptional examples of the structural mirror image of the L-form present in animals. D-serine has important roles in mammals, but its role in non-mammals is not clear. The function of D-serine in a marine invertebrate may provide insight into the evolution of D-amino acid function in organisms.
In a study published this month in Science Advances, a team led by the University of Tsukuba found that D-serine serves as a chemical signal that allows tissue migration in marine sea squirts when they lose their tails. Their findings offer a better understanding of the chemical signals that occur during transformation.
In mammals, D-serine binding to an ion channel in the brain regulates the transmission of messages. D-serine plays a role in skin. The role of non-mammals is less understood, something the researchers at the University of Tsukuba aim to address.
The lead author of the study says that D-serine has been detected in organisms such as insects.
The serine racemase was implicated in the tail regression of tadpoles of the marine sea squirt Ciona. They found that D-serine is responsible for forming a pocket in the Ciona epidermis that allows the tail to return to the main body. The pocket was formed by D-serine binding to NMDAR in the skin.
The results were striking, and they found that the process of epidermal vesicle release in Ciona is similar to the process in mammals.
When D-serine was not present during Ciona tail regression, the research team created a deletion that did not involve the L-serine component. Regular Ciona organisms were able to complete the process despite the lack of thisProtein.
Our findings provide insight into how epidermal homeostasis is maintained in animals, contributing toward further evolutionary perspectives of D-amino acid function among metazoans.
The article "D-serine controls epidermal vesicle release via NMDA receptor allowing tissue migration during the metamorphosis of the Ciona" was published in Science Advances.
More information: Gabriel Krasovec, d-Serine controls epidermal vesicle release via NMDA receptor, allowing tissue migration during the metamorphosis of the chordate Ciona, Science Advances (2022). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn3264. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abn3264 Journal information: Science Advances Citation: Mirror image biomolecule helps marine sea squirts lose their tails (2022, March 11) retrieved 11 March 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-03-mirror-image-biomolecule-marine-sea.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
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