title: Synthesis of alpha- and beta-calcitonin gene-related peptide by a human pheochromocytoma.
abstract: One histologically verified human pheochromocytoma, out of a total of nine such tumors examined, contained calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-like immunoreactivity (151 pmol/g wet weight) that was localized to a scattered population of tumor cells. The immunoreactivity was resolved by high performance ion-exchange chromatography into two components with the retention times of human alpha-CGRP and beta-CGRP in the approximate ratio 1:2. No pheochromocytoma in this series contained calcitonin-like immunoreactivity. In contrast, two neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas contained calcitonin-like immunoreactivity (190 pmol/g and 125 pmol/g) but no CGRP-like immunoreactivity was detected. These results indicate a degree of tissue selectivity in the processing of the primary transcripts of the calcitonin/CGRP genes in human tumors.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Group for Gastrointestinal Endocrinology, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft University of Göttingen, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Conlon
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: McGregor
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gröndal
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grimelius
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007536:Isomerism; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide