title: Molecular characterization and gene expression of the pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) in the lizard brain.
abstract: The pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is considered a pleiotropic neuropeptide in vertebrate physiology. The nucleotide sequence, the expression and the distribution of PACAP were determined in the brain of the lizard Podarcis sicula. RT-PCR showed that the brain of this reptile synthesizes an mRNA coding for PACAP. By performing in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry techniques, a wide distribution of PACAP and its mRNA in neurons, nervous fibers and other cells was found. Phylogenetic sequence analysis indicates that lizard PACAP is highly conserved, resembling the vertebrate PACAP. Our data demonstrate that PACAP is not only highly preserved during vertebrate evolution but also suggest that PACAP could be implicated in a wide number of functions in the physiology of the reptile brain.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia Evolutiva e Comparata, Università di Napoli Federico II, Via Mezzocannone, 8, 80134 Napoli, Italy. valiante@unina.it
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valiante
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prisco
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Capaldo
authors.forename: Immacolata
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zambrano
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Falco
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Andreuccetti
authors.forename: Vincenza
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Laforgia
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Varano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000201:enzymology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D017124:Conserved Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000502:physiology*; D008116:Lizards / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D012333:RNA, Messenger