Occurrence of a new melanocyte stimulating hormone in the salmon pituitary gland

Abstract

A new melanocyte stimulating hormone has been identified in the pituitary of the teleost, Oncorhynchus keta (chum salmon). The newly isolated MSH like peptide is a heptadeca peptide, which differs in size from salmon α-MSH (13 residues) and β-MSH I and II (17 residues each). The structural determination, however, revealed that it is similar to but distinct form α-MSH, with following amino acid sequence, Ac-Ser-Tyr-Ser-Met-Glu-His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Gly-Lys-Pro-Ile-Gly-His-OH. This peptide, named α-MSH II is the third line of evidence in the salmon that the teleost pituitary gland secretes two different forms of processed hormones, for which the precursor molecules are coded on two separate genes.