Recombinant novel pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide from African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) authenticates its biological function as a growth-promoting factor in low vertebrates.
Nowadays, the studies of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP)-related peptide (PRP) and PACAP in non-mammalian vertebrates, especially in fish, have paid attention mainly to the localization, cloning, and structural evolution of the peptides, but very little is known about its biological functions as growth-promoting factors in low vertebrates. In this work, we have cloned and characterized the PRP/PACAP cDNA from the commercially important North African catfish Clarias gariepinus. The sequence obtained agrees with the higher conservation of PACAP than of PRP peptide sequences. We have reported for the first time the recombinant expression of fish PRP and PACAP in mammalian cells and bacteria and also demonstrated that the growth rate of fish is enhanced by both PRP and PACAP recombinant peptides. The results obtained in vivo in three different fish species, catfish (C. gariepinus), tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), and carp (Cyprinus carpio) support the finding that PACAP rather than PRP plays a primordial role in growth control in teleost fish. This finding could help to elucidate the neuroendocrine axis proposed to explain the hypothalamic regulation of growth in non-mammalian vertebrates.
Lugo
Juana Maria
JM
Animal Biotechnology Division, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, PO Box 6162, Havana 10 600, Cuba.
Rodriguez
Alina
A
Helguera
Yusmila
Y
Morales
Reynold
R
Gonzalez
Osmany
O
Acosta
Jannel
J
Besada
Vladimir
V
Sanchez
Aniel
A
Estrada
Mario Pablo
MP
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002347:Carps / Q000254:growth & development; D002397:Catfishes / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D017210:Tilapia / Q000254:growth & development
C108999:PACAP-related peptide; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D011498:Protein Precursors; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013006:Growth Hormone