title: Molecular characterization of ghrelin and gastrin-releasing peptide in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua): cloning, localization, developmental profile and role in food intake regulation.
abstract: Full-length complementary deoxyribonucleic acid as well as genomic sequences encoding for two gastrointestinal appetite-related peptides, ghrelin and for gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) were cloned from Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) stomach using reverse transcription and rapid amplification of complementary deoxyribonucleic acid ends. Semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction shows that both ghrelin and GRP are widely distributed in several peripheral tissues and throughout cod brain, although expression levels are very low. During development, ghrelin was detected at the cleavage stage, with low expression levels persisting until the first-feeding stage, while GRP was detected at the blastula stage, showing increased expression from the pre-hatching stage on. Juvenile cod fed medium rations displayed periprandial changes in gut ghrelin, but not GRP, expression, with higher expression levels at meal time compared to 2h before feeding time. Ghrelin gut mRNA expression was not affected by rations, whereas GRP gut mRNA expression was higher in fish fed high rations as compared to fish fed low rations. Neither ghrelin nor GRP gut mRNA expressions were affected by 30 days starvation or 5 days re-feeding.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.
authors.forename: Meiyu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Volkoff
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001069:Appetite Regulation; D001483:Base Sequence; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D048389:Gadus morhua / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D019886:Gastrin-Releasing Peptide / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D007814:Larva / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013217:Starvation / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D029941:Fish Proteins; D054439:Ghrelin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019886:Gastrin-Releasing Peptide