The role of neurohumours in early embryogenesis
In previous papers (Buznikov, Chudakova & Zvezdina, 1964; Buznikov, Chudakova, Berdysheva & Vyazmina, 1968) we reported that fertilized eggs of the sea-urchin Strongylocentrotus dröbachiensis synthesized a number of neurohumours, such as serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT), acetylcholine (ACh), adrenalin (A), noradrenalin (NA) and dopamine. Synthesis of 5-HT was also demonstrated in the fertilized eggs of the loach Misgurnus fossilis and some marine Invertebrata. In experiments with sea-urchin embryos we were able to trace regular changes in the level of 5-HT, ACh, A and NA, related to the first cleavage divisions. This early onset of neurohumour synthesis, as well as regular changes in their level, suggests their direct involvement in the regulation of the first cleavage divisions. The functional activity of neurohumours (M) in adult organisms is realized through their reaction with the active sites of corresponding receptors (R) according to the following equation:The magnitude of the physiological effect under certain conditions is linearly proportional to the number of complexes MR formed (Turpayev, 1962; Ariëns, 1964).