title: The melatonin receptor in the human brain: cloning experiments and distribution studies.
abstract: The adult human cerebellum expresses melatonin receptors with high density in the external zone of the molecular layer. Cloning of the receptor cDNA isolated by RT-PCR from human cerebellar specimens and sequencing analysis of the full-length coding region revealed that the receptor protein is encoded by a transcript identical to that recently cloned from the human hypothalamus (Mel1a). In situ hybridization using an antisense cRNA-probe demonstrated that the melatonin receptor mRNA is localized in the cerebellar granule cells. Mapping of the messenger by RT-PCR with Mel1a specific primers in different areas of the human brain disclosed a quite widespread distribution of the transcript, although expressed at very low levels. Semi-quantitative comparison between the different brain regions allowed to establish the following relative mRNA abundance: cerebellum > or = occipital cortex > or = parietal cortex > temporal cortex > thalamus > frontal cortex > or = hippocampus. No mRNA was detected in white blood cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mazzucchelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pannacci
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nonno
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lucini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fraschini
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Stankov
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001345:Autoradiography; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D044094:Receptors, Melatonin
chemical_list: D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D044094:Receptors, Melatonin