title: Identification of two proopiomelanocortin genes in zebrafish (Danio rerio).
abstract: Characterization of a newly cloned proopiomelanocortin (POMC) gene in the teleost zebrafish, Danio rerio, is reported. This gene is formed by three exons and two introns, and its complete cDNA codes for a polypeptide of 222 amino acids. Zebrafish proopiomelanocortin (zfPOMC) contains the consensus sequences for ACTH, gamma-LPH, beta-MSH and beta-endorphin (beta-END). RT-PCR expression studies indicate that zfPOMC is selectively expressed in nervous tissue and in the pituitary gland. An homologous sequence to zfPOMC in the zebrafish genome is also presented. It is possible that this sequence represents part of a duplicate POMC, which might have appeared as a result of an extra genome duplication that have taken place in the cyprinidae family or even in all teleosts. Comparisons between the two zebrafish beta-endorphins and among these peptides and its homologues in other species are also presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Nunez
authors.forename: Rogelio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Sarmiento
authors.forename: Raquel E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000235:genetics; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D005091:Exons; D007438:Introns; D010802:Phylogeny; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000378:metabolism; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D015027:Zebrafish; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D000521:alpha-MSH / Q000235:genetics; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000235:genetics; D008083:beta-Lipotropin / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; D000521:alpha-MSH; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D008083:beta-Lipotropin