HOME HELP CONTACT US SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (3) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Leder, E H Articles by Silverstein, J T Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Leder, E H Articles by Silverstein, J T

National Center for Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Kearneysville, West Virginia 25430, USA

(Requests for offprints should be addressed to E H Leder; Email: eleder{at}nccwa.ars.usda.gov)

Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) is a precursor for several important peptide hormones involved in a variety of functions ranging from stress response to energy homeostasis. In mammals and fish, the POMC-derived peptide -melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH) is known to be involved in appetite suppression through its interaction with melanocortin-4 receptors. The details of energy homeostasis in fishes are beginning to be elucidated and many of the genes involved in mammalian neuroendocrine signaling pathways are being discovered in fish. In salmonid fishes such as the rainbow trout, genome duplication adds another degree of complexity when trying to compare gene function and homology with other vertebrates. This is true of the POMC gene. Two copies of the POMC gene were previously identified, A and B, presumably resulting from the salmonid duplication. However, while investigating POMC involvement in the feeding response of rainbow trout, a second copy of POMC-A was discovered which is more likely the result of the salmonid duplication and suggests that POMC-B is a duplicate resulting from the earlier teleost duplication prior to tetrapod divergence. The duplicated POMC-A had five deleted amino acids, five inserted amino acids, and 39 amino acid differences from the published POMC-A. In addition to the duplicate POMC-A, a splice variant of the published POMC-A sequence was also identified. Quantitative real-time PCR assays were developed for the different POMC transcripts, and expression was examined in a variety of tissues. Expression of POMC transcripts was highest in the pituitary for all POMC genes, but varied among other tissues for POMC-A1, POMC-A2, POMC-A2s, and POMC-B. POMC-A1 was the only transcript to respond significantly to food deprivation.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Skiba-Cassy, M. Lansard, S. Panserat, and F. Medale Rainbow trout genetically selected for greater muscle fat content display increased activation of liver TOR signaling and lipogenic gene expression Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, November 1, 2009; 297(5): R1421 - R1429. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.-C. Gabillard, K. Yao, M. Vandeputte, J. Gutierrez, and P.-Y. Le Bail Differential expression of two GH receptor mRNAs following temperature change in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). J. Endocrinol., July 1, 2006; 190(1): 29 - 37. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]