Melanin concentrating hormone. II. Structure and biosynthesis of melanin-concentrating hormone |
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| Authors: | H Kawauchi |
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| Affiliation: | Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology, School of Fisheries Sciences, Kitasato University, Iwate, Japan. |
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| Abstract: | Melanin-concentrating hormone is a neuropeptide produced in teleost hypothalami and transferred to the neurohypophysis. Salmon MCH was a novel cyclic heptadecapeptide capable of inducing melanin aggregation of integumentary melanophores at picoto nano-molar concentrations in all teleosts tested. The MCH gene is intronless and the exon encodes a 132 amino acid precursor protein, in which the heptadecapeptide of MCH locates at the C-terminal end. Immunohistochemical surveys with anti-salmon MCH antiserum strongly suggest that an MCH-like peptide is present in the hypothalami of higher vertebrates. Biological effects of salmon MCH on other vertebrates are found to be versatile. |
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