title: Subtype-specific pharmacological properties of the melanocortin receptors in chicken.
abstract: The melanocortin (MC) receptors belong to the family of G-protein-coupled receptors and have five subtypes (MC1-5) in mammals and chicken. We have expressed the chicken MC1-5 (cMC1-5) receptors and seven allelic variants of the cMC1 receptor and performed pharmacological characterization of these receptors. Three variants of the cMC1 receptor, all sharing a Glu to Lys mutation in position 92, are associated with dark feather coloration, and these were pharmacologically described as constitutively active. The pharmacological characterization of the cMC1-5 receptors provides insight of how this receptor family has evolved and useful information for the use of chicken in physiological experiments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Biomedical Center, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maria K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: Helgi B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Schiöth
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001667:Binding, Competitive / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D044101:Receptors, Melanocortin / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000521:alpha-MSH / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D044101:Receptors, Melanocortin; D000521:alpha-MSH; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone