Melanin concentrating hormone. II. Structure and biosynthesis of melanin-concentrating hormone.
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.
Kawauchi
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Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology, School of Fisheries Sciences, Kitasato University, Iwate, Japan.
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D007028:Hypothalamic Hormones; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D008543:Melanins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000378:metabolism; D010907:Pituitary Hormones
D007028:Hypothalamic Hormones; D008543:Melanins; D010907:Pituitary Hormones; C019463:melanin-concentrating hormone