title: Melatonin receptors are for the birds: molecular analysis of two receptor subtypes differentially expressed in chick brain.
abstract: Two receptors (CKA and CKB) of the G protein-coupled melatonin receptor family were cloned from chick brain. CKA encodes a protein that is 80% identical at the amino acid level to the human Mel1a melatonin receptor and is thus designated the chick Mel1a melatonin receptor. CKB encodes a protein that is 80% identical to the Xenopus melatonin receptor and defines a new receptor subtype, the Mel1c melatonin receptor, which is distinct from the Mel1a and Mel1b melatonin receptor subtypes. A melatonin receptor family consisting of three subtypes is supported by PCR cloning of distinct melatonin receptor fragments from Xenopus and zebrafish. Expression of CKA and CKB results in similar ligand binding and functional characteristics. The widespread distribution of CKA and CKB mRNA in brain provides a molecular substrate for the profound actions of melatonin in birds.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Developmental Chronobiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02114, USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Reppert
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Weaver
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Cassone
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Godson
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Kolakowski
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002460:Cell Line; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D044094:Receptors, Melatonin; D017385:Sequence Homology; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014162:Transfection; D014981:Xenopus
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D044094:Receptors, Melatonin; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins