2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Potential functions of melanin-concentrating hormone as a growth hormone secretagogue

Research Project

PDF

Project/Area Number	16K14989
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Research Field	Aquatic life science
Research Institution	Kitasato University
Principal Investigator	Takahashi Akiyoshi 北里大学, 海洋生命科学部, 教授 (10183849)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	水澤寛太北里大学, 海洋生命科学部, 准教授 (70458743) 阿見彌典子北里大学, 海洋生命科学部, 講師 (20588503) 安東宏徳新潟大学, 自然科学系, 教授 (60221743)
Project Period (FY)	2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
Keywords	ニジマス / 脳 / 下垂体 / メラニン凝集ホルモン / 成長ホルモン / 背地色
Outline of Final Research Achievements	We revealed that the white background condition, compared with the black background condition, enhances expression of the growth hormone (GH) gene in the pituitary of rainbow trout depending on feeding conditions and seasons. We also found that the melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) produced in the hypothalamus suppresses GH gene expression. Since gene expression of MCH is enhanced by the white background condition than by the black background, GH gene expression enhancement in the white background might be owing to the action of factors other than MCH. Furthermore, it became clear that the expression of somatolactin gene in the pituitary decreases according to the brightness of the background color.
Free Research Field	水圏生命科学
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	メラニン凝集ホルモン（MCH）は多機能ホルモンであり、まだ発見されていない未知の作用が潜んでいる可能性がある。本研究によってMCHニューロンと成長ホルモン（GH）産生細胞の関係の一端が明らかになり、GH分泌に関わる視床下部‐下垂体軸の機能の理解が進展した。魚類ではMCHの産生量は背地色などの光環境の影響を受ける。従って、本研究の成果は魚類の食欲と成長を支える光環境を検討し、増養殖技術に役立てるための基盤となることが期待される。