title: Goldfish ghrelin: molecular characterization of the complementary deoxyribonucleic acid, partial gene structure and evidence for its stimulatory role in food intake.
abstract: Complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (cDNA) encoding goldfish preproghrelin was identified using rapid amplification of the cDNA ends (RACE) and reverse transcription (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The 490 bp cDNA encodes a 103 amino acid preproghrelin which has a 26 amino acid signal region, 19 amino acid mature peptide and a 55 amino acid C-terminal peptide region. The mature peptide region of goldfish ghrelin has two putative cleavage sites and amidation signals (GRR); one after 12 amino acids and the other after 19 amino acids. The serine (S) in the second amino acid position in the "active core" of ghrelin is substituted with threonine (T). The goldfish ghrelin gene has four exons and three short introns and resembles the human ghrelin gene. Ghrelin messenger RNA (mRNA) expression was detected in the brain, pituitary, intestine, liver, spleen and gill by RT-PCR followed by Southern blot analysis, and in the intestine by Northern blot. Intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of n-octanoylated goldfish ghrelin (1-19) stimulates food intake in goldfish.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: Surajlal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Unniappan
authors.forename: Xinwei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cervini
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rivier
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaiya
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kangawa
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Peter
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics*; D004435:Eating / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005796:Genes / Q000235:genetics*; D006054:Goldfish / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D029941:Fish Proteins; D011498:Protein Precursors