Biosynthesis of pro-opiomelanocortin is increased in the rat intermediate pituitary following denervation.
In order to study the effect of pituitary intermediate lobe denervation on pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) biosynthesis and processing, radioactive amino acids were incorporated in vitro into whole neurointermediate lobe (NIL) explants obtained from hypothalamic lesioned rats and control animals. The lesion in the basal hypothalamus removed the neural input to the intermediate pituitary and cut the neurohypophyseal neurons. One week after the lesion, approximately a 3-fold increase in the rate of synthesis of POMC peptides was found in the NIL. The content of POMC peptides was decreased. The results imply that denervation increases the rate of POMC synthesis and release, without altering the pattern of proteolytic processing.
Rudolf Magnus Institute for Pharmacology, Medical Faculty, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
M A
MA
Seger
J Z
JZ
Kiss
H H
HH
van Tol
J P
JP
Burbach
D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003714:Denervation; D008297:Male; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism*; D010904:Pituitary Gland, Posterior / Q000378:metabolism; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D000596:Amino Acids; D010455:Peptides; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin