Neurotensin-like immunoreactivity in the nervous system of hydra.

Neurotensin-like immunoreactivity is found in nerve fibers present in all body regions of hydra. The nerve fibers are especially numerous in the ectoderm at the bases of the tentacles and in the ectoderm at a site just above the foot. Radioimmunoassays of acetic-acid extracts of hydra, using various region-specific antisera towards mammalian neurotensin, show the presence of multiple neurotensin-related peptides. The amounts of these peptides vary between 1 and 350 pmol per gram wet weight. Gel filtration on Sephadex G-25 reveals a fraction of neurotensin-like peptides that crossreact equally well with an antiserum directed against sequence 1-8 and an antiserum directed against sequence 6-13 of neurotensin. This fraction elutes also at the position of neurotensin and might closely resemble the mammalian peptide. A fraction eluting with the void volume crossreacts preferentially with antisera directed against sequences 1-8 and 10-13 of neurotensin. Several components of apparent lower molecular weight than neurotensin crossreact preferentially with an antiserum against sequence 10-13. These last peptides represent the major portion of the neurotensin-like peptides in hydra.