title: Structural studies of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone and a novel beta-melanocyte-stimulating hormone from the neurointermediate lobe of the pituitary of the dogfish Squalus acanthias.
abstract: A melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) has been isolated from extracts of the neurointermediate lobe of the pituitary of the dogfish Squalus acanthias by gel-filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. It had approximately 1% of the potency of mammalian alpha-MSH on bioassays in vitro on frog skin and dogfish skin. Sequence analysis revealed it to be a hexadecapeptide with the following primary structure: Asp-Gly-Asp-Asp-Tyr-Lys-Phe-Gly-His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Ser-Val-Pro-Leu. It appears to be related to the beta-MSH species of mammalian species but has only the sequence -His-Phe-Arg-Trp- in common with the heptapeptide core -Met-Glu-His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Gly- which is characteristic not only of the MSH peptides but also of the adrenocorticotrophins and lipotrophins studied so far. An alpha-MSH was also isolated, 50% of which was amidated at the C-terminus group. Sequence data from this study taken in conjunction with those from a previous study (Lowry & Chadwick, 1970b) revealed it to be a tridecapeptide which is identical with the N-terminal sequence of dogfish adrenocorticotrophin.
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000032:analysis; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura; D002848:Chromatography, DEAE-Cellulose; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D004284:Dogfish; D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008547:Melanophores / Q000378:metabolism; D010904:Pituitary Gland, Posterior / Q000032:analysis*; D012754:Sharks; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones