The rat melanin-concentrating hormone gene encodes an additional putative protein in a different reading frame.
The sequence of a novel melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) transcript, composed of precisely joined exon I and exon III of the MCH gene, has been elucidated by RT-PCR analysis of hypothalamic RNA isolated from different rat strains. The deduced amino acid sequence predicted that it encodes in the exon I the same N-terminal moiety as MCH precursor part but diverges downstream, exon III being translated in a different reading frame than the MCH mRNA. This putative chimeric protein has been named MCH(M)-gene(G)-overprinted (O)-polypeptide(P). A peptide of 14 amino acids could be generated after cleavage at a basic site. Immunocytochemistry studies, using MGOP- and MCH-specific antisera, revealed overlapping expression in the dorsolateral hypothalamus. This suggests that MGOP or derived peptide(s) would participate in modulating the effect of pro-MCH generated peptides in the rat brain.
Toumaniantz
G
G
Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS UPR 411, Valbonne, France.
Bittencourt
J C
JC
Nahon
J L
JL
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D005796:Genes; D007028:Hypothalamic Hormones / Q000235:genetics*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008543:Melanins / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010907:Pituitary Hormones / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D007028:Hypothalamic Hormones; D008543:Melanins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D010907:Pituitary Hormones; C019463:melanin-concentrating hormone