Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UNIPROT:P01178 (oxytocin)
 15,767 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been combined with hybrid somatic cell technology to extend the bovine physical map. Eight bovine loci--glycoprotein hormone alpha (CGA), coagulation factor X (F10), chromogranin A (CHGA), low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), human prochymosin pseudogene (CYM), oxytocin (OXT), arginine-vasopressin (ARVP), and cytochrome oxidase c subunit IV pseudogene (COXP)--were assigned to bovine syntenic groups with this approach. CGA was assigned to bovine syntenic group U2, F10 to U27, CHGA to U4 [bovine Chromosome (Chr) 21], LDLR to U22, CYM to U6, OXT and ARVP to U11, and COXP to U3 (bovine Chr 5). Seven of these genes, CGA, F10, CHGA, LDLR, OXT, ARVP, and CYM, further delineate regions of chromosomal conservation on human Chrs 6, 13, 14, 19, 20, 20, and 1, respectively. CHGA, OXT, and ARVP are unmapped in the mouse. Comparative mapping predicts the mouse CHGA will map to Chr 12, and mouse OXT and ARVP will map to mouse Chr 2. Furthermore, human CYM is predicted to be sublocalized to 1p32-q21. The primers developed for these eight loci will be useful for the development of hybrid somatic cell panels in the future as well as establishing a collection of bovine expressed sequence tags.
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PMID:Assignment of eight loci to bovine syntenic groups by use of PCR: extension of a comparative gene map. 161 14

Chromogranin A (CGA) is a calcium-binding glycoprotein thought to be the precursor of several peptides with defined biological activity. Chromogranin A has been localized in most endocrine cells and many neurons in the CNS. Here we studied its expression in neurons of the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system, which secrete the neurohormones oxytocin and vasopressin. Light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry and immunoblot analysis with antibodies specific for CGA revealed high levels of chromogranin A immunoreactivity throughout the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system. In the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei, it was characterized by intracytoplasmic labelling of magnocellular somata and processes and of certain astrocytes. Extensive labelling of fibres and dilatations characterized the internal layer of the median eminence and the neurohypophysis, transit and terminal site of the neurosecretory axons, respectively. Tanycyte-like cells in the median eminence also displayed reaction. Simultaneous immunofluorescence showed that oxytocinergic and vaso-pressinergic neurons contain chromogranin A. Electron microscopy revealed that chromogranin A immunoreactivity (visualized by pre-embedding immunoperoxidase or silver-enhanced colloidal gold techniques) was associated with neuro-secretory granules in hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system neurons. In astrocytes and pituicytes, it was seen over the cytoplasm and glial filaments. In tissue from colchicine-treated or immobilization-stressed rats, it was clear that chromogranin A immunoreactivity in the hypothalamus was confined to the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system. In rats in which neurohypophysial secretion was strongly stimulated by dehydration, immunocytochemistry showed that hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system immunoreactivity significantly increased in the magnocellular nuclei but decreased in the neurohypophysis. On the other hand, chromogranin A distribution was not markedly affected by stress or lactation. These observations demonstrate that chromogranin A is present in neurons and, to a lesser degree, glial cells of the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system and that its expression is closely related to that of the neurohypophysial peptides.
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PMID:Immunocytochemical localization of chromogranin A in the normal and stimulated hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system of the rat. 886 41

Prohormone convertase 1 (PC1; also known as PC3) is believed to be responsible for the processing of many neuropeptide precursors. To look at the role PC1 plays in neuropeptide processing in brain and pituitary, we used radioimmunoassays (RIA) as well as quantitative peptidomic methods and examined changes in the levels of multiple neuropeptide products in PC1 knockout (KO) mice. The processing of proenkephalin was impaired in PC1 KO mouse brains with a decrease in the level of Met-Enkephalin immunoreactivity (ir-Met-Enk) and an accumulation of higher molecular weight processing intermediates containing ir-Met-Enk. Processing of the neuropeptide precursor VGF was also affected in PC1 KO mouse brains with a decrease in the level of an endogenous 3 kDa C-terminal peptide. In contrast, the processing of proSAAS into PEN was not altered in PC1 KO mouse brains. Quantitative mass spectrometry was used to analyze a number of peptides derived from proopiomelanocortin (POMC), provasopressin, prooxytocin, chromogranin A, chromogranin B, and secretogranin II. Among them, the levels of oxytocin and peptides derived from chromogranin A and B dramatically decreased in the PC1 KO mouse pituitaries, while the levels of peptides derived from proopiomelanocortin and provasopressin did not show substantial changes. In conclusion, these results support the notion that PC1 plays a key role in the processing of multiple neuroendocrine peptide precursors and also reveal the presence of a redundant system in the processing of a number of physiologically important bioactive peptides.
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PMID:Neuropeptide processing profile in mice lacking prohormone convertase-1. 1577 21

Chronic stress can impair brain functions and play a well-known role in the development of stress-related disorders such as anxiety. Melatonin (Mel) is a neurohormone which regulate several physiological processes including mood and behavior. This experimental study was designed to evaluate the effect of Mel on chronic immobilization stress (CIS) for 6 weeks in rats and to elucidate its possible underlying mechanisms. Twenty-eight adult male Wistar albino rats were divided into four equal groups: the control group, the Mel-treated group which was injected daily with Mel (10 mg/kg/day; IP) for 6 weeks, the stressed group which was subjected to CIS protocol daily for 6 weeks, and the Mel-treated stressed group which was injected with Mel and concurrently exposed to CIS protocol for 6 weeks. The Mel-treated stressed group showed reduction of both relative adrenal weight and the serum corticosterone levels, suppression of the anxiety-like behavior, increased levels of serotonin, noradrenaline and oxytocin in the frontal cortex, and improved histopathological structure and decreased chromogranin A (CgA) protein expression in the frontal cortex when compared with the chronically stressed group. We concluded that Mel is anxiolytic and this effect was mediated in part by its ability to increase the central release of oxytocin and monoamines and to downregulate CgA protein expression in the frontal cortex.
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PMID:Neuroprotective effects of melatonin administration against chronic immobilization stress in rats. 2853 88