title: Developmental changes in the expression of growth hormone-releasing hormone and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide in zebrafish.
abstract: Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) are structurally and functionally related members of the glucagon superfamily, a group of hormones important in development, growth, and metabolism. Our objectives were to determine the developmental expression pattern of the ghrh-pacap1 gene using the zebrafish model. The temporal and spatial expression pattern of the ghrh-pacap1 gene was examined by RT-PCR and in situ hybridization. In zebrafish, the ghrh-pacap1 mRNA transcript was expressed throughout development beginning at the transition between the blastula and gastrula periods. During midgastrulation, alternative splicing resulted in the generation of a novel transcript lacking the cryptic peptide. During the segmentation period, expression was localized to the neural tube, developing eye, and neural crest; strong expression was found in the developing cerebellum. Later in development, expression was localized in the hatching gland and developing pharyngeal arches. The temporal and spatial expression pattern of the ghrh-pacap1 transcript suggests that these hormones may modulate patterning during development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 3N5, Canada.
authors.forename: Sandra L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Krueckl
authors.forename: Erica A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Fradinger
authors.forename: Nancy M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Sherwood
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D036703:Blastula / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development*; D005775:Gastrula / Q000378:metabolism; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D018005:Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D018005:Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C495405:vipr2 protein, zebrafish; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone