title: Characterization, tissue distribution and regulation by fasting of the agouti family of peptides in the sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax).
abstract: The melanocortin system is one of the most complex hormonal systems in vertebrates. Atypically, the signaling of melanocortin receptors is regulated by the binding of endogenous antagonists, named agouti-signaling protein (ASIP) and agouti-related protein (AGRP). Teleost specific genome duplication (TSGD) rendered new gene copies in teleost fish and up to four different genes of the agouti family of peptides have been characterized. In this paper, molecular cloning was used to characterize mRNA of the agouti family of peptides in sea bass. Four different genes were identified: AGRP1, ASIP1, AGRP2 and ASIP2. The AGRP1 gene is mainly expressed in the brain whereas ASIP1 is mainly expressed in the ventral skin. Both ASIP2 and AGRP2 are expressed in the brain and the pineal gland but also in some peripheral tissues. Immunocytochemical studies demonstrated that AGRP1 is exclusively expressed within the lateral tuberal nucleus, the homologue of the mammalian arcuate nucleus in fish. Long-term fasting (8-29 days) increased the hypothalamic expression of AGRP1 but depressed AGRP2 expression (15-29 days). In contrast, the hypothalamic expression of ASIP2 was upregulated during short-term fasting suggesting that this peptide could be involved in the short term regulation of food intake in the sea bass.
authors.affiliation: Department of Fish Physiology and Biotechnology, Instituto de Acuicultura de Torre de la Sal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATS-CSIC), Ribera de Cabanes, Castellón, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria Josep
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Agulleiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Fish Physiology and Biotechnology, Instituto de Acuicultura de Torre de la Sal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATS-CSIC), Ribera de Cabanes, Castellón, Spain.
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cortés
authors.affiliation: Department of Fish Physiology and Biotechnology, Instituto de Acuicultura de Torre de la Sal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATS-CSIC), Ribera de Cabanes, Castellón, Spain.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leal
authors.affiliation: Department of Fish Physiology and Biotechnology, Instituto de Acuicultura de Torre de la Sal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATS-CSIC), Ribera de Cabanes, Castellón, Spain.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ríos
authors.affiliation: Department of Fish Physiology and Biotechnology, Instituto de Acuicultura de Torre de la Sal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATS-CSIC), Ribera de Cabanes, Castellón, Spain.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.affiliation: Department of Fish Physiology and Biotechnology, Instituto de Acuicultura de Torre de la Sal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IATS-CSIC), Ribera de Cabanes, Castellón, Spain. Electronic address: jm.cerda.reverter@csic.es.
authors.forename: José Miguel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cerdá-Reverter
mesh_terms: D054369:Agouti-Related Protein / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001492:Bass / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D005215:Fasting / Q000502:physiology; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D054369:Agouti-Related Protein; D010455:Peptides; D012333:RNA, Messenger
keywords: Agouti-related protein; Agouti-signaling protein; Fish; Food intake; Melanocortin; Pigmentation