Amplification of proopiomelanocortin mRNA in canine skin: preliminary results

Abstract

Skin and pituitary specimens were obtained from a normal chow-chow cross-bred dog. Total messenger RNA (mRNA) was extracted, reversed transcribed and the proopiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction using canine specific primers. The expected 391 bp amplification product was detected in both canine skin and pituitary samples. Sequencing of this product showed 100% homology to the GenBank sequence for canine PMOC cDNA, and confirmed its remarkable homology to sequences of human, pigtailed macaque, mink, pig, mouse, rat and cow POMC. These preliminary results suggest that transcription of POMC mRNA occurs in canine skin. The nature of resident or nonresident cells transcribing the POMC gene in canine skin remains unknown at this time.

Beta-endorphin levels in longtailed and pigtailed macaques vary by abnormal behavior rating and sex

“…Recent data [53] contribute to our understanding of the potential role of endogenous opioids in the development and maintenance of severe abnormal behavior in nonhuman primates but do not address the contribution of different βE fragments and are restricted to rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). High sequence homologies in POMC across a variety of mammalian species and vertebrates in general [19,48] support comparisons between human and nonhuman primates. Of particular relevance to the current research is the strong similarity in βE: The sequence of the last 31 amino acids coded by the POMC gene, corresponding to βE , is identical for M. mulatta and M. nemestrina, and the first 30 of these are identical to Homo sapiens; the only difference is the last amino acid, in the C-terminal region [29,33] [NCBI Entrez Protein Database Accession Numbers P01201, XP_001082999, NP_000930].…”