title: Characterization of an avian histidine decarboxylase and localization of histaminergic neurons in the chicken brain.
abstract: In mammals, it is established that histamine is a neurotransmitter and/or neuromodulator in the central nervous system. It is produced by the enzyme histidine decarboxylase (HDC) in the tuberomammillary nucleus of the posterior hypothalamus. However, HDC as well as histaminergic neurons have not yet been characterized in the avian brain. We have cloned the cDNA for HDC from the chicken hypothalamus and demonstrated that the chicken HDC sequence is highly homologous to the mammalian counterpart, and that the expressed protein shows high enzymatic activity. The expression of HDC mRNA at various sites in the brain was investigated using quantitative RT-PCR. The results showed that the HDC mRNA was highly expressed in the hypothalamic infundibulum. In situ hybridization analyses revealed that the cells containing HDC mRNA were localized in the medial mammillary nucleus of the hypothalamic infundibulum. Intracerebroventricular injection of histamine in chicks resulted in inhibition of feeding behavior. This is the first report of the characterization of histaminergic neurons in the avian brain, and our findings indicate that neuronal histamine exerts anorexigenic effects in chicks.
authors.affiliation: Section of Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8521, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bessho
authors.affiliation: Section of Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8521, Japan.
authors.forename: Eiko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Iwakoshi-Ukena
authors.affiliation: Department of Agrobiological Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8566, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tachibana
authors.affiliation: Section of Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8521, Japan.
authors.forename: Sho
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maejima
authors.affiliation: Section of Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8521, Japan.
authors.forename: Shusuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taniuchi
authors.affiliation: Section of Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8521, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.affiliation: Section of Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8521, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenshiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shikano
authors.affiliation: Section of Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8521, Japan.
authors.forename: Kunihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.affiliation: Section of Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8521, Japan.
authors.forename: Megumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Furumitsu
authors.affiliation: Section of Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8521, Japan. Electronic address: ukena@hiroshima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kazuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ukena
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology; D016466:CHO Cells; D002645:Chickens; D003412:Cricetulus; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D006632:Histamine / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006640:Histidine Decarboxylase / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008326:Mammillary Bodies / Q000201:enzymology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D006632:Histamine; D006640:Histidine Decarboxylase
keywords: Brain; Chicken; Food intake; Histamine; Histidine decarboxylase; Hypothalamus