Dg. Monroe et al., Agouti-related maturation and tissue distribution of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone in wild-type (A(wJ)/A(wJ)) and mutant (A(y)/a, a/a) mice, PIGM CELL R, 11(5), 1998, pp. 310-313
Because of ectopic overproduction of agouti protein, yellow alleles (A(y) a
nd A(vy)) Of th, murine agouti gene may secondarily modulate the synthesis,
maturation (i.e., acetylation), and/or tissue deployment of alpha-Melanocy
te Stimulating Hormone (MSH). We used HPLC to test the hypothesis that A(y)
/a mice exhibit altered concentrations of desacetyl-, monoacetyl-, and diac
etyl-alpha-MSH in pituitaries, sera, and telogen hair bulbs when compared t
o black (a/a) mice. We also used RW to measure total MSH in those same tiss
ues of A(y)/a, a/a, and white-bellied agouti (A(wJ)/A(wJ)) mice (Strain C57
BL/6J). We found no evidence that A(y)/a mice possessed an imbalance of des
-, mono-, and diacetylated alpha-MSH species. However, radioimmunoassay (RW
) analyses of total MSH suggest that wildtype agouti mice (A(wJ)/A(wJ)) exh
ibited significantly decreased (P < 0.05) tissue levels of total alpha-MSH
in pituitaries, sera, and regenerating hair bulbs when compared to those of
mutant A(y)/a and a/a mice.