Summary
The occurrence and localization of immunoreactive corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in the brain and pituitary of the elasmobranch fish Scyliorhinus canicula, were studied by means of specific radioimmunoassay and immunohistochemistry using the indirect immunofluorescence method. Brain and pituitary extracts showed a good cross-reactivity with the ovine CRF antiserum, but serial dilutions of tissue samples did not completely parallel the standard curve. Relatively high concentrations of CRF-like material were found within the pituitary, diencephalon, and telencephalon. CRF-like immunoreactive perikarya were observed in the preoptic nucleus and in the nucleus lateralis tuberis. Numerous immunoreactive cells appeared to be of the CSF-contacting type. CRF-like immunopositive fibers were seen to run through the hypothalamus within the ventro-medial floor of the infundibular region. A dense plexus of immunoreactive nerve endings terminated in the median eminence and the neurointermediate lobe of the pituitary. These results indicate that a neurosecretory system containing CRF-like immunoreactivity exists in the brain of elasmobranchs, a group of vertebrates which has diverged early from the evolutionary line leading to mammals. In addition, our data support the notion that a CRF-like molecule is involved in the regulation of corticotropic and melanotropic cell activity in this primitive species of fish.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Al-Noaemi MC, Edwardson JA, Hughes D (1982) Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) stimulates release of peptides from the intermediate lobe of the rat pituitary gland. J Physiol (Lond 332:85
Ball J (1981) Hypothalamic control of the pars distalis in fishes, amphibians and reptiles. Gen Comp Endocrinol 44:135–170
Bargmann W (1953) Über das Zwischenhirn-Hypophysensystem von Fishen. Z Zellforsch 38:275–298
Blähser S (1984) Peptidergic pathways in the avian brain. J Exp Zool 232:397–403
Bons N, Bouille C, Tonon MC, Guillaume V (1988) Topographical distribution of CRF immunoreactivity in the pigeon brain. Peptides 9:697–707
Bugnon C, Fellmann D, Gouget A, Bresson JL, Clavequin MC, Hadjiyiassemis M, Cardot J (1984) Corticoliberin neurons: cytophysiology, phylogeny and ontogeny. J Steroid Biochem 20:183–195
Coons AH, Leduc EH, Conolly JM (1955) Studies on antibody production. IA method for the histochemical demonstration of specific antibody and its application to a study of the hyperimmune rabbit. J Exp Med 102:49–60
Fasolo A, Franzoni MF, Mazzi V (1980) Evolution of the hypothalamo-hypophysial regulation in tetrapods. Boll Zool 475:127–147
Fellmann D, Bugnon C, Gouget A (1982) Immunocytochemical demonstration of corticoliberin-like immunoreactivity (CLI) in neurons of the rat amygdala central nucleus (ACN). Neurosci Lett 34:253–258
Fellmann D, Bugnon C, Bresson JL, Gouget A, Tardot J, Clavequin MC, Hadjiyiassemis M (1984) The CRF neuron: immunohistochemical study. Peptides 5:19–33
Gonzalez GC, Lederis K (1988) Sauvagine-like and corticotropin-releasing factor-like immunoreactivity in the brain of the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana). Cell Tissue Res 253:29–37
Józsa R, Vigh S, Schally AV, Mess B (1984) Localization of corticotropin-releasing factor containing neurons in the brain of the domestic fowl. An immunohistochemical study. Cell Tissue Res 136:245–248
Markwell MAK, Hass SM, Bieber LL, Tolbert NE (1978) A modification of the Lowry procedure to simplify protein determination in membrane and lipoprotein samples. Anal Biochem 87:206–210
Mazzi V (1952) I fenomeni neurosecretori del nucleo magnocellulare preottico dei Selaci e dei Ciclostomi. Riv Biol 44:429–449
Meunier H, Lefèvre G, Dumont D, Labrie F (1982) CRF stimulates alpha-MSH secretion and cyclic AMP accumulation in pars intermedia cells. Life Sci 31:2129–2136
Nieuwenhuys R (1985) Chemoarchitecture of the brain. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York Tokyo, 70–73
Olivereau M, Ollevier F, Vandesande F, Verdonck W (1984) Immunocytochemical identification of CRF-like and SRIF-like peptides in the brain and pituitary of cyprinid fish. Cell Tissue Res 237:379–382
Olivereau M, Moons L, Olivereau J, Vandesande F (1988) Coexistence of corticotropin-releasing factor-like immunoreactivity and vasotocin in perikarya of the preoptic nucleus in the eel. Gen Comp Endocrinol 70:41–48
Ollevier F, Verdonck W (1984) Corticotropin-releasing factor in the pituitary of Salmo gairdneri. Gen Comp Endocrinol 53:433
Panzica GC, Viglietti-Panzica C, Fasolo A, Vandesande F (1986) CRF-like immunoreactive system in the quail brain. J Hirnforsch 27:539–547
Patty M, Schlesinger DH, Horvath J, Mason-Garcia M, Szoke B, Schally AV (1986) Purification and characterization of peptides with corticotropin-releasing factor activity from porcine hypothalami. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 83:2969–2973
Peter RE (1986) Vertebrate neurohormonal system. In: Pang PKT, Schreibman MP (eds) Vertebrate endocrinology: fundamentals and biochemical implications. Academic Press, Orlando San Diego New York Austin Boston London Tokyo, 57–105
Petraglia F, Sawchenko PE, Rivier J, Vale W (1987) Evidence for local stimulation of ACTH secretion by corticotropin-releasing factor in human placenta. Nature 328:717–719
Petrusz P, Merchenthaler I, Maderdrut JL, Vigh S, Schally AV (1983) Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-like immunoreactivity in the vertebrate endocrine pancreas. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 80:1721–1725
Proulx-Ferland L, Labrie F, Dumont D, Côté J (1982) Corticotropin-releasing factor stimulates secretion of melanocyte-stimulating hormone from rat pituitary. Science 217:62–63
Rivier C, Brownstein M, Spiess J, Rivier J, Vale W (1982) In vivo corticotropin-releasing factor induced secretion of adrenocorticotropin, β-endorphin and corticosterone. Endocrinology 110:272–278
Rivier J, Spiess J, Vale W (1983) Characterization of rat hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 80:4851–4855
Sakly M, Schmitt G, Kock B (1982) CRF enhances release of both alpha-MSH and ACTH from anterior and intermediate pituitary. Neuroendocrinol Lett 4:289–293
Saland LC, Gutierrez L, Kraner J, Samora A (1988) Corticotropinreleasing factor (CRF) and neurotransmitters modulate melanotropic peptide release from rat neurointermediate pituitary in vitro. Neuropeptides 12:59–66
Scharrer E (1952) Das Hypophysen-Zwischenhirnsystem von Scyllium stellare. Z Zellforsch 37:196–204
Shibahara S, Morimoto Y, Furutani Y, Notake M, Takahashi H, Shimizu S, Horikawa S, Numa S (1983) Isolation and sequence analysis of the human corticotropin-releasing factor precursor gene. EMBO J 2:775–779
Skofitsch G, Jacobowitz DM (1985) Distribution of corticotropin-releasing factor-like immunoreactivity in the rat brain by immunohistochemistry and radioimmunoassay: comparison and characterization of ovine and rat/human CRF antisera. Peptides 6:319–336
Smeets WJAJ, Nieuwenhuys R, Roberts BL (1983) The central nervous system of cartilaginous fishes. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York Tokyo
Swanson LW, Sawchenko PE, Rivier J, Vale W (1983) Organization of ovine corticotropin-releasing factor immunoreactive cells and fibers in the rat brain: an immunohistochemical study. Neuroendocrinology 36:165–186
Tonon MC, Burlet A, Lauber M, Cuet P, Jégou S, Gouteux L, Ling N, Vaudry H (1985) Immunohistochemical localization and radioimmunoassay of corticotropin-releasing factor in the forebrain and hypophysis of the frog Rana ridibunda. Neuroendocrinology 40:109–119
Tonon MC, Cuet P, Lamacz M, Jégou S, Côté J, Goutex L, Ling N, Pelletier G, Vaudry H (1986) Comparative effects of corticotropin-releasing factor, arginine vasopressin and related neuropeptides on the secretion of ACTH and α-MSH by frog anterior pituitary cells and neurointermediate lobes in vitro. Gen Comp Endocrinol 61:438–445
Vale W, Spiess J, Rivier C, Rivier J (1981) Characterization of a 41-residue ovine hypothalamic peptide that stimulates secretion of corticotropin and β-endorphin. Science 213:1394–1397
Vallarino M, Ottonello I (1987) Neuronal localization of immunoreactive adrenocorticotropin-like substance in the hypothalamus of elasmobranch fishes. Neurosci Lett 80:1–6
Vallarino M, Danger JM, Fasolo A, Pelletier G, Saint-Pierre S, Vaudry H (1988) Distribution and characterization of neuropeptide Y in the brain of an elasmobranch fish. Brain Res 448:67–76
Vallarino M, Andersen AC, Delbende C, Ottonello I, Eberle AN, Vaudry H (1989) Melanin-concentratin hormone (MCH) immunoreactivity in the brain and pituitary of the dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula. Colocalization with alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) in hypothalamic neurons. Peptides 10:375–382
Vallarino M, Ottonello I, D'Esté L, Renda T (1988c) Sauvagine/urotensin I-like immunoreactivity in the brain of the dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula. Neurosci Lett 95:119–124
Vaudry H, Tonon MC, Delarue C, Vaillant R, Kraicer J (1978) Biological and radioimmunological evidence for melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH) of extrapituitary origin in the rat brain. Neuroendocrinology 27:9–24
Vigh-Teichmann I, Vigh B, Röhlich P, Olsson R (1980) Phylogenetic aspects of the sensory neurons of the wall of the diencephalon. In: Rakic L, Mrsulja BB (eds) Circulatory and developmental aspects of brain metabolism. Plenum, New York, pp 415–428
Yulis CR, Lederis K (1987) Co-localization of the immunoreactivities of corticotropin-releasing factor and arginine vasotocin in the brain and pituitary system of the teleost Catostomus commersoni. Cell Tissue Res 247:267–273
Yulis CR, Lederis K, Wong KL, Fisher AW (1986) Localization of urotensin I- and corticotropin-releasing factor-like immunoreactivity in the central nervous system of Catostomus commersoni. Peptides 7:79–86
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Vallarino, M., Fasolo, A., Ottonello, I. et al. Localization of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRF)-like immunoreactivity in the central nervous system of the elasmobranch fish, Scyliorhinus canicula . Cell Tissue Res. 258, 541–546 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00218865
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00218865