Are learning and attention related to the sequence of amino acids in ACTH/MSH peptides?
Learning and attention were examined in rats after injections of one of several molecules related to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH). The initial phase of the learning process was linearly related to the length of the peptide with the smallest fragment (MSH/ACTH 4-10) improving learning the most and the largest molecule (ACTH 1-24) exerting no effect. Later stages of the learning problem, which were sensitive to the attentional state of the organism, resulted in U-shaped relations with the length of the same peptides. Enhancement of attention was significant only for the MSH compounds. These data indicate that some behaviors may be influenced as a function of the redundant information contained in the molecule while other behaviors may be discretely related to the specific conformation of the molecule.
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects*; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology; D011487:Protein Conformation; D051381:Rats
D010446:Peptide Fragments; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones