title: Neuropeptide Y: localization in the brain and pituitary of the developing frog (Rana esculenta).
abstract: The immunohistochemical localization of neuropeptide Y (NPY)-like peptide has been investigated in the peripheral terminal nerve, brain and pituitary of the frog, Rana esculenta, during development. Soon after hatching, a rather simple NPY-immunoreactive (-ir) neuronal system is present, with elements located mainly in the diencephalon. When hind limbs appear and develop, the NPY-neuronal system undergoes considerable elaboration and NPY-ir perikarya appear in several regions of the telencephalon (dorsal, medial, and lateral pallium; medial septum; medioventral telencephalon; anterior preoptic area), diencephalon (ventromedial, central and posterior thalamic nuclei; suprachiasmatic nucleus; infundibulum), mesencephalon (anteroventral mesencephalic tegmentum), and rhombencephalon (central grey; area of the cerebellar and vestibular nuclei). The frequency of NPY-ir neurons increases during larval development, and then decreases in the anterior preoptic area during the metamorphic climax. Dense plexuses of NPY-ir fibers are formed in several brain areas. NPY-ir fibers are found in the peripheral terminal nerve, and ir-neurons through its course along the ventromedial surface of the olfactory bulbs. NPY-ir fiber projections to the median eminence and pars intermedia derive mainly from the ventral infundibular group of NPY-ir neurons, with a contribution from the suprachiasmatic group of NPY neurons. NPY and carboxyl terminal flanking peptide of proneuropeptide Y coexist in the same neurons throughout the brain. The ontogenetic pattern of NPY-ir neuronal system in the brain of Rana esculenta is remarkably different than that reported for Xenopus laevis.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Zoologia, Università di Napoli, via Mezzocannone, 8, I-80134 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: D'Aniello
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vallarino
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pinelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fiorentino
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Rastogi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D008675:Metamorphosis, Biological / Q000502:physiology; D009411:Nerve Endings / Q000378:metabolism; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000378:metabolism*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000378:metabolism; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000378:metabolism; D011893:Rana esculenta
chemical_list: D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D011498:Protein Precursors; C081158:proneuropeptide Y