Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Immunocytochemical localization and ontogenic development of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) in the brain of a pleuronectiform fish, barfin flounder

  • Regular Article
  • Published:
Cell and Tissue Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

α-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) is a pituitary hormone derived by post-translational processing from proopiomelanocortin and is involved in background adaptation in teleost fish. It has also been reported to suppress food intake in mammals. Here, we examined the immunocytochemical localization of α-MSH in the brain and pituitary of a pleuronectiform fish, the barfin flounder (Verasper moseri), as a first step in unraveling the possible function of α-MSH in the brain. The ontogenic development of the α-MSH system was also studied. In the pituitary, α-MSH-immunoreactive (ir) cells were preferentially detected in the pars intermedia. In the brain, α-MSH-ir neuronal somata were located in the nucleus tuberis lateralis of the basal hypothalamus, and α-MSH-ir fibers were located mainly in the telencephalon, hypothalamus, and midbrain. α-MSH-ir neuronal somata did not project their axons to the pituitary. The α-MSH-ir neurons differed from those immunoreactive to melanin-concentrating hormone. α-MSH cells in the pituitary and α-MSH-ir neuronal somata in the brain were first detected 1 day and 5 days after hatching, respectively. The distribution of α-MSH-ir cells, neuronal somata, and fibers showed a pattern similar to that in adult fish 30 days after hatching. These results indicate that the functions of α-MSH in the brain and pituitary are different and that α-MSH plays physiological roles in the early development of the barfin flounder.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

Dc:

Central part of area dorsalis telencephali

Dd:

Dorsal part of area dorsalis telencephali

Dm3:

Medial part of area dorsalis telencephali subdivision 3

Dp:

Posterior part of area dorsalis telencephali

HCo:

Horizontal commissure

NAPv:

Nucleus anterior periventricularis

NDLI:

Nucleus diffusus lobi inferioris

NGp:

Nucleus glomerulosus pars posterior

NH:

Habenula

NLTi:

Nucleus lateralis tuberis pars inferior

NLTp:

Nucleus lateralis tuberis pars posterior

nMLF:

Nucleus of the medial longitudinal fasciculus

NPG:

Nucleus preglomerulosus

NPGc:

Nucleus preglomerulosus pars commissuralis

NPGl:

Nucleus preglomerulosus lateralis

NPOm:

Nucleus preopticus pars magnocellularis

NPP:

Nucleus preopticus periventricularis

NRLl:

Nucleus recessus lateralis pars lateralis

OC:

Optic chiasm

OT:

Optic tectum

Pc:

Nucleus pretectalis centralis

PIT:

Pituitary

SPV:

Stratum periventriculare

SV:

Saccus vasculosus

Vc:

Commissural part of area ventralis telencephali

Vp:

Postcommissural part of area ventralis telencephali

References

  • Amano M, Takahashi A, Oka Y, Yamanome T, Kawauchi H, Yamamori K (2003) Immunocytochemical localization and ontogenic development of melanin-concentrating hormone in the brain of a pleuronectiform fish, the barfin flounder. Cell Tissue Res 311:71–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aritaki M, Suzuki S, Watanabe K (2000) Morphological development and growth of laboratory-reared barfin flounder Verasper moseri. Nippon Suisan Gakkaishi 66:446–453

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker BI (1991) Melanin-concentrating hormone: a general vertebrate neuropeptide. Int Rev Cytol 126:1–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Boujard T, Leatherland JF (1992) Demand-feeding behaviour and diet pattern of feeding activity in Oncorhynchus mykiss held under different photoperiod regimes. J Fish Biol 40:535–544

    Google Scholar 

  • Cedrá-Reverter JM, Schiöth HB, Peter RE (2003) The central melanocortin system regulates food intake in goldfish. Regul Pept 115:101–113

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dores RM, Lancha A, Rand-Weaver M, Jankelow L, Adamczyk DL (1991) Detection of a novel sequence change in the major form of alpha-MSH isolated from the intermediate pituitary of the reptile, Anolis carolinensis. Peptides 12:1261–1266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eberle AN (1988) The melanotropins. Chemistry, physiology and mechanism of action. Karger, Basel

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaneko T, Kakizawa S, Yada T (1993) Pituitary of “cobalt” variant of the rainbow trout separated from the hypothalamus lacks most pars intermedial and neurohypophysial tissue. Gen Comp Endocrinol 92:31–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kawauchi H, Kawazoe I, Tsubokawa M, Kishida M, Baker BI (1983) Characterization of melanin-concentrating hormone in chum salmon pituitaries. Nature 305:321–323

    Google Scholar 

  • Lowry PJ, Bennett HP, McMartin C (1974) The isolation and amino acid sequence of an adrenocorticotrophin from the pars distalis and a corticotrophin-like intermediate-lobe peptide from the neurointermediate lobe of the pituitary of the dogfish Squalus acanthias. Biochem J 141:427–437

    Google Scholar 

  • Nahon JL (1994) The melanin-concentrating hormone: from the peptide to the gene. Crit Rev Neurobiol 8:221–262

    Google Scholar 

  • Naito N, Kawazoe I, Nakai Y, Kawauchi H, Hirano T (1986) Coexistence of immunoreactivity for melanin-concentrating hormone and α-melanocyte stimulating hormone in the hypothalamus of the rat. Neurosci Lett 70:81–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naito N, De Jesus EG, Nakai Y, Hirano T (1993) Ontogeny of pituitary cell-types and the hypothalamo-hypophysial relationship during early development of chum salmon, Oncorhynchus keta. Cell Tissue Res 272:429–437

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oordt PGWJ van, Peute J (1983) The cellular origin of pituitary gonadotropins in teleosts. In: Hoar WS, Randall DJ, Donaldson EM (eds) Fish physiology, vol IX, part A. Academic Press, New York, pp 137–186

    Google Scholar 

  • Pandolfi M, Cánepa MM, Ravaglia MA, Maggese MC, Paz DA, Vissio PG (2003) Melanin-concentrating hormone system in the brain and skin of the cichlid fish Cichlasoma dimerus: anatomical localization, ontogeny and distribution in comparison to α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone-expressing cells. Cell Tissue Res 311:61–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rance TA, Baker BI (1979) The teleost melanin-concentrating hormone—a pituitary hormone of hypothalamic origin. Gen Comp Endocrinol 37:64–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodrigues K, Sumpter JP (1983) The distribution of some proopiomelanocortin-related peptides in the pituitary gland of the rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri. Gen Comp Endocrinol 51:454–459

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodríguez-Gómez FJ, Rendón MC, Sarasquete C, Muñoz-Queto JA (1999) Distribution of gonadotropin releasing hormone immunoreactive systems in the brain of the Senegalese sole, Solea senegalensis. Histochem J 31:695–703

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saga T, Yamaki K, Doi Y, Yoshizuka M (1999) Chronological study of the appearance of adenohypophysial cells in the ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis). Anat Embryol 200:469–475

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz MW, Woods SC, Porte D Jr, Seeley RJ, Baskin DG (2000) Central nervous system control of food intake. Nature 404:661–671

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Skofitsch G, Jacobowitz DM, Zamir N (1985) Immunohistochemical localization of a melanin concentrating hormone-like peptide in the rat brain. Brain Res Bull 15:635–649

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stouthart AJ, Lucassen EC, Strien FJ van, Balm PH, Lock RA, Wendelaar Bonga SE (1998) Stress responsiveness of the pituitary-interrenal axis during early life stages of common carp (Cyprinus carpio). J Endocrinol 157:127–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi A, Takasaka T, Yasuda A, Amemiya Y, Sakai M, Kawauchi H (2000) Identification of carp proopiomelanocortin-related peptides and their effects on phagocytes. Fish Shellfish Immunol 10:273–284

    Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi A, Amemiya Y, Yasuda A, Meguro H, Kawauchi H (2002) Mass spectrometric detection of proopiomelanocortin (POMC)-related peptides following molecular cloning of POMC cDNA in bigeye tuna, Thunnus obesus. Fish Sci 68:1071–1078

    Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi A, Tsuchiya K, Yamanome T, Amano M, Yasuda A, Yamamori K, Kawauchi H (2004) Possible involvement of melanin-concentrating hormone in food intake in a teleost, barfin flounder. Peptides 25:1613–1622

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yada T, Azuma T, Takahashi A, Suzuki Y, Hirose S (2000) Effects of desacetyl-α-MSH on lipid mobilization in the rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Zool Sci 17:1123–1127

    Google Scholar 

  • Yada T, Moriyama S, Suzuki Y, Azuma T, Takahashi A, Hirose S, Naito N (2002) Relationship between obesity and metabolic hormones in the “cobalt” variant of rainbow trout. Gen Comp Endocrinol 128:36–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Ms. Kuniko Takai and Ms. Risa Ishizuka, School of Fisheries Sciences, Kitasato University, for their technical assistance.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Fisheries Sciences, Kitasato University, Ofunato, Iwate, 022-0101, Japan

    Masafumi Amano, Akiyoshi Takahashi, Noriko Amiya, Hiroshi Kawauchi & Kunio Yamamori

  2. Iwate Fisheries Technology Center, Kamaishi, Iwate, 026-0001, Japan

    Takeshi Yamanome

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan

    Yoshitaka Oka

Authors
  1. Masafumi Amano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Akiyoshi Takahashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Takeshi Yamanome
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yoshitaka Oka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Noriko Amiya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Hiroshi Kawauchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Kunio Yamamori
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Masafumi Amano.

Additional information

This study was supported in part by grants from the Regional Science Promotion Program Evolutional Research of the Japan Science and Technology Corporation, and the “Yumekendo-Iwate” Research and Promotion Project of the Iwate Prefectural Government Science and Technology Division to A.T.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Amano, M., Takahashi, A., Yamanome, T. et al. Immunocytochemical localization and ontogenic development of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) in the brain of a pleuronectiform fish, barfin flounder. Cell Tissue Res 320, 127–134 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-004-1058-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-004-1058-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation