dc.description.abstract | Galanin is a C-terminally-amidated neurohormone known to regulate various aspects of behavior and appetite of vertebrates. To better understanding the phylogenetic diversity and evolution of galanin genes in reptilie, we here conducted an analysis of galanin cDNA from Chinese mud turtle pituitary. Using 3’- and 5’- RACE techniques, we have isolated and sequenced a novel cDNA derived from pituitary total RNA. Sequence analysis revealed a 672-bp cDNA containing a 99-bp 5’-untranslated region, a 324-bp preprogalanin coding region, and a 249-bp 3’-untranslated region. The deduced protein is a 108-amino acid preprogalanin molecule with [Ser23]-galanin-29 at the C-terminus of the coding region, making its homology to other vertebrates in the range of 72%~96%. Semiquantitative PCR revealed that preprogalanin was expressed in the brain, hypothalamus, pituitary, stomach, liver, pancreas, testis, ovary, uterus, small intestine and large intestine, but undetected in the heart, spleen, muscle and adipose tissue. Females seemed to express more preprogalanin than males. In vitro pituitary tissue culture study indicated that E2 (10-6M~10-8M) or GnRH (10-7M~10-9M) treatment significantly increased the levels of preprogalaninin a dose- dependent manner. However, Lep (10-6M~10-8M) or NPY (10-7M~10-9M) treatment decreased the levels of preprogalanin also in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that preprogalanin is conserved in vertebrates and that a physiological role of galanin interacting with E2, GnRH, Lep and/or NPY may exist in the pituitary of mud turtle. | en_US |