Identification of two proopiomelanocortin genes in zebrafish ( Danio rerio)

• Published in: Brain research. Molecular brain research. Vol. 120; no. 1; pp. 1 - 8
• Main Authors: Gonzalez Nunez, Veronica, Gonzalez-Sarmiento, Rogelio, Rodrı́guez, Raquel E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 12.12.2003; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adrenocorticotropic Hormone - genetics; alpha-MSH - genetics; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Base Sequence; beta-Endorphin - genetics; beta-Lipotropin - genetics; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - metabolism; Cloning, Molecular; Conserved Sequence; Cyprinidae; Danio rerio; Exons; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genes. Genome; Introns; Molecular and cellular biology; Molecular genetics; Opioids; Phylogeny; Pituitary Gland - metabolism; Pro-Opiomelanocortin - biosynthesis; Pro-Opiomelanocortin - classification; Pro-Opiomelanocortin - genetics; Proopiomelanocortin; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis; Sequence Alignment; Teleostei; Zebrafish; Zebrafish Proteins - biosynthesis; Zebrafish Proteins - genetics; β-Endorphin; Cellular and molecular biology; Zebrafish; Proopiomelanocortin; β-Endorphin; Opioids; Nervous system; Prohormone; Opioid peptide; Vertebrata; Brachydanio rerio; Gene; Pisces; Proopiocortin; Pituitary gland; Aminoacid sequence
• ISSN: 0169-328X; 1872-6941
• DOI: 10.1016/j.molbrainres.2003.09.012

Characterization of a newly cloned proopiomelanocortin (POMC) gene in the teleost zebrafish, Danio rerio, is reported. This gene is formed by three exons and two introns, and its complete cDNA codes for a polypeptide of 222 amino acids. Zebrafish proopiomelanocortin (zfPOMC) contains the consensus sequences for ACTH, γ-LPH, β-MSH and β-endorphin (β-END). RT-PCR expression studies indicate that zfPOMC is selectively expressed in nervous tissue and in the pituitary gland. An homologous sequence to zfPOMC in the zebrafish genome is also presented. It is possible that this sequence represents part of a duplicate POMC, which might have appeared as a result of an extra genome duplication that have taken place in the cyprinidae family or even in all teleosts. Comparisons between the two zebrafish β-endorphins and among these peptides and its homologues in other species are also presented.