Melanocortin receptors: their functions and regulation by physiological agonists and antagonists

The melanocortins are a family of bioactive peptides derived from proopiomelanocortin, and share significant structural similarity. Those peptides are best known for their stimulatory effects on pigmentation and steroidogenesis. Melanocortins are synthesized in various sites in the central nervous system and in peripheral tissues, and participate in regulating multiple physiological functions. Research during the past decade has provided evidence that melanocortins elicit their diverse biological effects by binding to a distinct family of G protein-coupled receptors with seven transmembrane domains. To date, five melanocortin receptor genes have been cloned and characterized. Those receptors differ in their tissue distribution and in their ability to recognize the various melanocortins and the physiological antagonists, agouti signaling protein and agouti-related protein. These advances have opened new horizons for exploring the significance of melanocortins, their antagonists, and their receptors in a variety of important physiological functions. Received 5 October 2000; accepted 10 November 2000     

猪黑皮质素受体3和4基因克隆及分析

以长白猪(Landrace)大脑cDNA为模板,克隆长白猪黑皮质素受体3和4基因(MC3R和MC4R).序列分析显示:长白猪MC3R基因cDNA编码具319个氨基酸的前体蛋白,与人、大鼠、小鼠和斑马鱼的氨基酸序列一致性分别为86.4%、83.3%、82%和69.7%;MC4R基因cDNA全长1175bp,编码具332个氨基酸的前体蛋白,与人、大鼠、小鼠的氨基酸序列一致性高达94%以上,与斑马鱼MC4R氨基酸序列享有70.7%的同源性.序列分析显示,猪MC3R和MC4R基因都具有典型的七次跨膜结构域,和短的胞内环和胞外环,且在第五个跨膜域中保守的甲硫氨酸(M)分别替换为异亮氨酸(I)和缬氨酸(V).另外,在猪MC3R和MC4R中还鉴定到保守的半胱氨酸残基,第一个胞内环中保守的PMY基序和N末端的3个N-链接糖基化位点.组织表达图谱分析表明,MC3R主要在大脑和脾中高表达,而MC4R主要在六种检测的组织中都有表达,在肾中表达较弱.     

中枢NMU抑制食欲作用受黑皮质激素受体途径部分介导

研究中枢神经介素U（NMU）受体2（NMU2R）与黑皮质激素（MC）受体途径（MCR3/4）在调节摄食行为和能量平衡方面的相互作用关系.对禁食或不禁食大鼠脑室注射NMU2R内源性配体NMU和MCR3/4信号途径高亲和力拮抗剂SHU9119,通过测定不同时间点大鼠摄食量和体重变化,探讨中枢NMU2R和黑皮质素受体途径在调节动物摄食行为上的作用及其相互关系.脑室注射NMU对大鼠食欲有显著抑制作用;在同时注射NMU和SHU9119的情况下,NMU2R对大鼠的这种食欲抑制作用会部分受到MCR3/4信号途径变化的影响;同样,对SHU9119前处理大鼠脑内注射NMU,NMU2R抑制食欲的作用也会明显降低,其在摄食方面的作用被部分抑制.结果提示,NMU能够有效的调节摄食行为,而且这种在摄食行为上的调控作用可能部分受MC受体途径介导.