espcrbulletin - European Society for Pigment Cell Research

3.. MSH,, MCH,, otther hormones,, diifffferenttiiattiion
(Dr. R. Morandini)
Takahashi studied the postranslational processing of proopiomelanocorting family molecules; in
another paper the same authors described three proopiomelanocortin subtype genes and their
expression in the barfin flounder pituitary. Another interesting paper also from the same authors,
presented the « Evolution of Melanocortin systems in fish ».
It is well known that α-MSH is produced through a processing of POMC. Eves at al. made an
interesting review on the role of the alpha-Melanocyte stimulating hormone in the inflammation in
human melanoma. This review considers the evolving biology of alpha-MSH and discusses its role in
man that extend far beyond pigmentation of skin melanocytes, suggesting that the detoxifying role of
alpha-MSH in inducing melanogenesis is only one aspect of the stress-coping role of this hormone.
Many studies about the effect of alpha-MSH have been published lately such as:
- Alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone reduces putative stress-induced sickness behaviors in
isolated guinea pig pups by Schiml-Webb;
- Signaling pathways implicated in alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone-induced lipolysis in
3T3-L1 adipocytes by Cho KJ;
- Effect of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone on interleukin 8 and monocyte chemotactic
protein 1 expression in a human retinal pigment epithelial cell line by Cui HS;
It is interesting to point that α-MSH suppresses antigen-induced lymphocyte proliferation in humans
independently of melanocortin 1 receptor gene status.
(NDP)-alpha-MSH (α-MSH agonist) have been used to prolong allograft survival in experimental
heart transplantation (paper by Colombo). The preliminary results seem to be very promising: the
analog preserves heart function through a broad effect on multiple pathways and suggest that the
peptide could improve the outcome of organ transplantation in combination with immunosuppressive
treatments. These effects can be also explained partially because the analog is more stable than the
native hormone.
Regulation and signal transduction
- Bonetto S, Carlavan I, Baty D.
Isolation and characterization of antagonist and agonist peptides to the human melanocortin
1 receptor. Peptides. 26(11):2302-2313, 2005.
- Fung S, Hruby VJ.
Design of cyclic and other templates for potent and selective peptide alpha-MSH analogues.
Curr Opin Chem Biol. 9(4):352-8, 2005. Review.
- Hill RP, Macneil S, Haycock JW.
Melanocyte stimulating hormone peptides inhibit TNF-alpha signaling in human dermal
fibroblast cells. Peptides. 2005 Nov 3.
- Kelly JM, Moir AJ, Carlson K, Yang Y, Macneil S, Haycock JW.
Immobilized alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone 10-13 (GKPV) inhibits tumor necrosis
factor-alpha stimulated NF-kappaB activity. Peptides. 2005 Nov 3.
- Cho KJ, Shim JH, Cho MC, Choe YK, Hong JT, Moon DC, Kim JW, Yoon DY.
Signaling pathways implicated in alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone-induced lipolysis in
3T3-L1 adipocytes. J Cell Biochem. 96(4):869-78, 2005.
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