Expression of transmitter receptor genes in early development of sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus

Neurotransmitters (including serotonin and acetylcholine) perform a number of prenervous functions in early sea urchin development. To detect the particular receptor components involved in these processes, we carried out a database search and nucleotide sequences homologous to serotonin receptor type 4, and the α6- and α10-subunits of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor were found among EST-clones from early Paracentrotus lividus embryos. Expression of these transcripts during early development was demonstrated using RT-PCR. These results are the first molecular biology evidence of serotonin and acetylcholine receptor expression in sea urchin early embryogenesis.