d-Serine controls epidermal vesicle release via NMDA receptor, allowing tissue migration during the metamorphosis of the chordate Ciona

Sci Adv. 2022 Mar 11;8(10):eabn3264. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abn3264. Epub 2022 Mar 11.

Abstract

d-Serine, a free amino acid synthesized by serine racemase, is a coagonist of N-methyl-d-aspartate-type glutamate receptor (NMDAR). d-Serine in the mammalian central nervous system modulates glutamatergic transmission. Functions of d-serine in mammalian peripheral tissues such as skin have also been described. However, d-serine's functions in nonmammals are unclear. Here, we characterized d-serine-dependent vesicle release from the epidermis during metamorphosis of the tunicate Ciona. d-Serine leads to the formation of a pocket that facilitates the arrival of migrating tissue during tail regression. NMDAR is the receptor of d-serine in the formation of the epidermal pocket. The epidermal pocket is formed by the release of epidermal vesicles' content mediated by d-serine/NMDAR. This mechanism is similar to observations of keratinocyte vesicle exocytosis in mammalian skin. Our findings provide a better understanding of the maintenance of epidermal homeostasis in animals and contribute to further evolutionary perspectives of d-amino acid function among metazoans.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Ciona intestinalis* / metabolism
  • Ciona* / metabolism
  • Epidermis / metabolism
  • Mammals / metabolism
  • Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / metabolism
  • Serine / metabolism

Substances

  • Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate
  • Serine