title: Differential regulation of the coexpressed calcitonin/alpha-CGRP and beta-CGRP neuroendocrine genes.
abstract: The rat calcitonin/alpha-CGRP and beta-CGRP genes are members of a neuroendocrine gene family that are coexpressed in a distinct cell-specific pattern. The alpha- and beta-CGRP gene sequences predict highly related peptides that differ by only a single amino acid. Using rat medullary thyroid carcinoma cells as an in vitro system for testing hormone responsiveness, we have shown that the calcitonin/alpha-CGRP and beta-CGRP genes are differentially regulated. The synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone, caused a 2- to 5-fold increase in calcitonin and alpha-CGRP mRNAs due to an increase in the nuclear transcription rate. In contrast, the levels of beta-CGRP mRNA did not significantly change following dexamethasone treatment. Differential regulation within neuroendocrine gene families might be a common mechanism for generating functionally similar peptides in response to a variety of hormonal signals.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093.
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Roos
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Rosenfeld
mesh_terms: D002116:Calcitonin / Q000235:genetics*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D002460:Cell Line; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D005796:Genes; D005809:Genes, Regulator; D006801:Humans; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000235:genetics*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; D003907:Dexamethasone; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide