1. Subtype-specific pharmacological properties of the melanocortin receptors in chicken.
- Author
-
Ling MK and Schiöth HB
- Subjects
- Adrenocorticotropic Hormone metabolism, Adrenocorticotropic Hormone pharmacology, Animals, Binding, Competitive drug effects, Binding, Competitive physiology, Chickens genetics, Humans, Receptors, Melanocortin genetics, alpha-MSH metabolism, alpha-MSH pharmacology, Chickens metabolism, Receptors, Melanocortin classification, Receptors, Melanocortin metabolism
- Abstract
The melanocortin (MC) receptors belong to the family of G-protein-coupled receptors and have five subtypes (MC1-5) in mammals and chicken. We have expressed the chicken MC1-5 (cMC1-5) receptors and seven allelic variants of the cMC1 receptor and performed pharmacological characterization of these receptors. Three variants of the cMC1 receptor, all sharing a Glu to Lys mutation in position 92, are associated with dark feather coloration, and these were pharmacologically described as constitutively active. The pharmacological characterization of the cMC1-5 receptors provides insight of how this receptor family has evolved and useful information for the use of chicken in physiological experiments.
- Published
- 2005
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