Unraveling Tyrosine Hydroxylase in the Brain of a Crustacean: An Integrative Investigation Using Different Approaches.
8 affiliations
- 1Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil.
- 2Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biofísica), Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 21949-902, Brazil.
- 3Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil.
- 4Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Axe Neurosciences, 2705, Boulevard Laurier, Québec, QC, G1V 4G2, Canada.
- 5Center for Integration of Science and Industry, Bentley University, Waltham, MA, 02452, USA.
- 6Faculdade de Fisioterapia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 22290-140, Brazil.
- 7Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil. [email protected].
- 8Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biofísica), Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 21949-902, Brazil. [email protected].
Abstract
Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme in dopamine (DA) synthesis, is conserved across most animal phyla. DA regulates motor activity, sensory processing motivation, neural homeostasis, and protection against oxidative stress. TH and DA have been described in vertebrates and in some invertebrates, including arthropods. This study investigated the anatomical location of TH and DA and characterized the biochemical and molecular structure of TH in the brain of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus. This species is a useful environmental model for neurodegeneration studies, due to its occurrence in metal-contaminated mangrove ecosystems, and as prey of other species, including humans. Using immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting, and structural modeling, we mapped TH presence and distribution in the crustacean brain and analyzed its molecular and evolutionary characteristics. Our results revealed a TH fragment structurally similar to fragments found in 21 other species and in a complex dopaminergic network in U. cordatus, characterized by diverse neuronal morphologies, widespread projections, and sensitivity to dopaminergic neurotoxins. These findings may support further studies on catecholaminergic neurobiology.
Related
- Integrative in vitro, in vivo, and in silico investigation with mineral profiling of Combretum indicum: A multi-target therapeutic candidate exhibiting antioxidant, thrombolytic, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, analgesic, cytotoxic, and anthelmintic activities
- Deep history of an ancient subterranean crustacean: origins of the Bathynellacea (Syncarida)
- Enhancing the activity of the bifunctional membrane Δ12-hydroxylase/desaturase CpFAH12: Key insights from redox partner interactions and electron transfer pathways
- Heterologous plastoquinone production using a newly identified O₂‐dependent cyanobacterial hydroxylase
- Tyrosine hydroxylase deletion in Ntsr1 neurons confers resistance to diet-induced weight gain: an energy-balance analysis
BibTeX
@article{gomes2026unraveling,
title = {{Unraveling Tyrosine Hydroxylase in the Brain of a Crustacean: An Integrative Investigation Using Different Approaches.}},
author = {Carlos Augusto Borges de Andrade Gomes and Thyago R Cardim-Pires and Rafaela Rocha Dos Santos and Maria Clara da Costa Simas and Andressa de Abreu Mello and Louise Caroline Vitorino and Paula Grazielle Chaves da Silva and Debora Foguel and Clynton Lourenço Correa and Rosane Silva and Silvana Allodi},
journal = {Molecular neurobiology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1007/s12035-026-06269-x},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42900443},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Unraveling Tyrosine Hydroxylase in the Brain of a Crustacean: An Integrative Investigation Using Different Approaches.
AU - Carlos Augusto Borges de Andrade Gomes
AU - Thyago R Cardim-Pires
AU - Rafaela Rocha Dos Santos
AU - Maria Clara da Costa Simas
AU - Andressa de Abreu Mello
AU - Louise Caroline Vitorino
AU - Paula Grazielle Chaves da Silva
AU - Debora Foguel
AU - Clynton Lourenço Correa
AU - Rosane Silva
AU - Silvana Allodi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
JO - Molecular neurobiology
DO - 10.1007/s12035-026-06269-x
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42900443
AB - Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme in dopamine (DA) synthesis, is conserved across most animal phyla. DA regulates motor activity, sensory processing motivation, neural homeostasis, and protection against oxidative stress. TH and DA have been described in vertebrates and in some invertebrates, including arthropods. This study investigated the anatomical location of TH and DA and characterized the biochemical and molecular structure of TH in the brain of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus. This species is a useful environmental model for neurodegeneration studies, due to its occurrence in metal-contaminated mangrove ecosystems, and as prey of other species, including humans. Using immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting, and structural modeling, we mapped TH presence and distribution in the crustacean brain and analyzed its molecular and evolutionary characteristics. Our results revealed a TH fragment structurally similar to fragments found in 21 other species and in a complex dopaminergic network in U. cordatus, characterized by diverse neuronal morphologies, widespread projections, and sensitivity to dopaminergic neurotoxins. These findings may support further studies on catecholaminergic neurobiology.
SN - 0893-7648
SN - 1559-1182
ER -