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Science 2 September 1983:
Vol. 221. no. 4614, pp. 957 - 960
DOI: 10.1126/science.6308766
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Articles

Science, Vol 221, Issue 4614, 957-960
Copyright © 1983 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Identification of pro-opiomelanocortin-derived peptides in the human adrenal medulla

CJ Evans, E Erdelyi, E Weber, and JD Barchas

Extracts from adult human adrenals contained high concentrations of immunoreactive beta-endorphin and alpha-melanotropin. Lower quantities of immunoreactive adrenocorticotropic hormone could also be detected. Distribution studies showed the presence of pro-opiomelanocortin fragments in the adrenal medulla. No alpha-melanotropin, beta-endorphin, or adrenocorticotropic hormone could be found in adrenal extracts from several other mammalian species. Analysis of the beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity using region specific radioimmunoassays interfacing with gel filtration and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography showed the majority of the beta-endorphin-like material to exist as nonacetylated beta-endorphin-(1-31) with a small percentage of lipotropin-sized molecules. The alpha-melanotropin-like immunoreactivity cochromatographed on gel filtration and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with desacetyl alpha-melanotropin. The data suggest that pro-opiomelanocortin is expressed in the adrenal medulla of humans but is not detectable in the adrenal glands of many other mammalian species.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Urocortin 1, Urocortin 3/Stresscopin, and Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptors in Human Adrenal and Its Disorders.
T. Fukuda, K. Takahashi, T. Suzuki, M. Saruta, M. Watanabe, T. Nakata, and H. Sasano (2005)
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 90, 4671-4678
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Evaluation of ovarian POMC mRNA through quantitative RT-PCR analysis in Rana esculenta.
M. Nabissi, L. Soverchia, I. Lihrmann, H. Vaudry, G. Mosconi, and A. M. Polzonetti-Magni (2001)
Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 280, C1038-C1044
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


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