Linked Life Data

21187100

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/21187100

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1
pubmed:dateCreated
2011-2-17
pubmed:abstractText
Feather coloration in chickens mainly depends on melanin produced by melanocytes located in the feather follicles. The melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) on follicular melanocytes regulates melanin synthesis; however, the source of the melanocortins that interact with the receptors remains unclear. In this study, we examine the potential expression of melanocortins and characterize the mRNAs for the precursor pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) in chicken feather follicles. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) revealed the expression of mRNAs for POMC, prohormone convertase 1 (PC1) and PC2, and western blotting detected adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-related products of POMC processing in feather follicles, suggesting that melanocortins are produced locally in the tissues of chickens. A combination of 5'RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA 5' end), 3'RACE and RT-PCR analyzes identified two classes of POMC mRNA, class a and class b, which encode the same full-length POMC protein but have different non-coding leader exons. Class a mRNAs were expressed specifically in feather follicles, whereas class b mRNAs were expressed in the pituitary, hypothalamus, and various peripheral tissues that we examined. Within the feather follicles, the class a mRNAs were distributed in epidermal layers from middle to distal locations, whereas the class b mRNAs were mainly expressed in pulp at proximal locations. Our findings suggest that feather pigmentation is regulated by locally produced melanocortins, and indicate that the melanocortins encoded by the different classes of POMC mRNAs may play different intra-follicular roles in chickens. This is the first report that demonstrates alternative promoter usage generating different full-length POMC mRNAs in vertebrates.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Mar
pubmed:issn
1095-6840
pubmed:author
pubmed:copyrightInfo
Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:day
1
pubmed:volume
171
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
46-51
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2011
pubmed:articleTitle
Feather follicles express two classes of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA using alternative promoters in chickens.
pubmed:affiliation
Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, 3-1-1 Kitaku Tsushimanaka, Okayama 700-8530, Japan.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't