Vivek Gupta
Being one of the most extensive and varied groups of signaling molecules found in mammals, neuropeptides control a wide range of physiological functions and behavior. The discovery of genes producing neuropeptide precursor proteins in species from an expanding range of taxa, including bilaterian and non-bilaterian animals, has been made possible by genome and transcriptome sequencing. Deuterostome invertebrates like the phylum Echinodermata, which has a phylogenetic position that has made it easier to reconstruct the evolution of neuropeptide signaling systems in Bilateria, are of special interest. However the majority of what we know about neuropeptide signaling in echinoderms comes from bioinformatics and experimental study of eleutherozoans, particularly Asteria (starfish and brittle stars) and Echinozoa (sea urchins and sea cucumbers). There is little information on neuropeptide signaling.