Expression of preproenkephalin-like mRNA and its peptide products in mammalian testis and ovary.
The distribution of preproenkephalin mRNA and proenkephalin-derived peptides have been examined in gonadal tissues from rats, hamsters, and cattle. A preproenkephalin mRNA band was detected in the ovaries of all three species and in hamster testis that is identical in size to the 1450-nucleotide mRNA typically found in tissues that express proenkephalin. Rat testis, on the other hand, expresses at least one preproenkephalin-like mRNA that is substantially greater in size (1900 nucleotides). [Met]enkephalin-containing peptides were also detected in each of the gonadal tissues examined. Although the abundance of preproenkephalin-like mRNA in rat testis was comparable to that in rat brain, the testicular content of proenkephalin-derived [Met]enkephalin sequences was less than 4% of the rat brain content. Together these data suggest that preproenkephalin-like mRNA in rat testis is not efficiently translated, proenkephalin-derived peptides undergo rapid turnover in this tissue, or the mRNA in rat testis has a frameshift resulting in an altered coding sequence.
D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002417:Cattle / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006224:Cricetinae; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism*; D010455:Peptides / Q000032:analysis; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism*
D004745:Enkephalins; D010455:Peptides; D011498:Protein Precursors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C033660:preproenkephalin