Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P01189 (beta-endorphin)
 21,003 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Desacetylated alpha-, beta-, and gamma-MSH purified from the neurointermediate lobe of the pituitary gland of the dogfish Squalus acanthias were all equipotent in turning partially hypophysectomized dogfish, Scyliorhinus canicula, dark. However, each possessed less than 2% of the melanotrophic activity of either acetylated mammalian alpha-MSH or synthetic acetylated Squ. acanthias alpha-MSH. These results suggest that acetylation is much more important than amidation in determining melanotrophic potency in vivo in the dogfish. Intravenous administration into grey-adapted dogfish of an antibody capable of binding the alpha-MSH-like peptides present in the blood was very effective at inducing pallor. In contrast, a gamma-MSH antibody had no effect on the melanophores of Scy. canicula. Overall the results suggest that it is alpha-melanotrophins that regulate physiological colour change in the dogfish Scy. canicula.
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PMID:The involvement of melanotrophins in physiological colour change in the dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula. 651 Jun 95

The hormonal and nervous control of colour change in the eel has been investigated. The only bioactive forms of MSH found in eel pituitary extracts or secreted by eel pituitary cultures were forms of alpha-MSH; no beta-MSH was detected. After transfer of eels from a black to a white background, the melanin concentration in skin melanophores was accompanied by a rapid decline in plasma alpha-MSH titres. Hypophysectomy resulted in melanin concentration, and pituitary extracts injected into hypophysectomized eels caused melanin dispersion. This effect was eliminated if the pituitary extracts were first incubated with a specific alpha-MSH antiserum or if the antiserum was injected into the hypophysectomized eel. However, injection of alpha-MSH antiserum into intact, black-adapted eels failed to result in melanin concentration although the same antiserum was effective in causing pallor in black-adapted toads. Partially purified preparations of teleost melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH), free from catecholamines, induced melanin concentration when injected into black-adapted eels and this effect was significantly potentiated by injections of alpha-MSH antiserum. The denervation of melanophores on the pectoral fin had only a slight effect on the responses of the melanophores to humoral agents. It is concluded that the control of physiological colour change in the eel is largely hormonal, and involves the antagonistic effects of alpha-MSH and a melanin-concentrating agent which is probably MCH.
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PMID:Evidence for the participation of a melanin-concentrating hormone in physiological colour change in the eel. 674 2