title: Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) in the brain of the African lungfish, Protopterus annectens: immunohistochemical localization and biochemical characterization.
abstract: The distribution of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) containing neurons and the molecular forms of alpha-MSH-related peptides exhibit substantial differences in the brains of fish and amphibians. Lungfishes, which share similarities with both fishes and tetrapods, represent a valuable group in which to investigate the neuroanatomical and neurochemical facets of evolution. In the present study, we have localized and characterized alpha-MSH-immunoreactive peptides in the central nervous system of the African lungfish Protopterus annectens. Perikarya exhibiting alpha-MSH-like immunoreactivity were observed in two distinct regions of the hypothalamus: the rostral part of the preoptic nucleus and the caudal part of the hypothalamus. In the caudal hypothalamus most alpha-MSH-immunopositive perikarya were located in both the subependymal and deepest layers of the ventral periventricular region. Scattered alpha-MSH-immunopositive cells were occasionally detected in the dorsal side of the caudal hypothalamus. The alpha-MSH-immunoreactive material localized in the brain was characterized by combining high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis and radioimmunological detection. The displacement curves obtained with synthetic alpha-MSH and serial dilutions of brain and pituitary extracts were parallel. HPLC analysis of lungfish hypothalamic extracts showed that the major immunoreactive peak coeluted with synthetic desacetyl alpha-MSH and its sulfoxide derivative. An additional peak coeluted with synthetic sulfoxide alpha-MSH. In contrast, in the pituitary, the predominant form of alpha-MSH-like material coeluted with the N,O-diacetyl alpha-MSH standard. These results provide the first evidence for the presence of alpha-MSH-related peptides in the brain of a lungfish. The distribution of alpha-MSH neuronal systems in the lungfish is very similar to that reported in amphibians, supporting the existence of phylogenetic convergences between these two vertebrate groups.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Anatomia Comparata, Università Degli Studi di Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vallarino
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tranchand Bunel
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vaudry
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008297:Male; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D000521:alpha-MSH / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D009479:Neuropeptides; D000521:alpha-MSH