Role of Nitric Oxide Synthase and Nitric Oxide in Background Adaptation in Xenopus laevis

Adaptation of skin color to the background light intensity in the amphibian Xenopus laevis is achieved by dispersion of pigment granules in the skin melanophores, a process regulated by alpha -melanophore stimulating hormone ( alpha -MSH) from the pituitary pars intermedia. alpha -MSH secretion is r...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1998-05, Vol.839 (1), p.564-565
Main Authors: ALLAERTS, WILFRIED, UBINK, RUUD, BUZZI, MARCO, JENKS, BRUCE G., ROUBOS, ERIC W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Physiological
Animals
Freshwater
Nitric Oxide - physiology
Nitric Oxide Synthase - physiology
Pituitary Gland - enzymology
Xenopus laevis
Xenopus laevis - physiology
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Summary:Adaptation of skin color to the background light intensity in the amphibian Xenopus laevis is achieved by dispersion of pigment granules in the skin melanophores, a process regulated by alpha -melanophore stimulating hormone ( alpha -MSH) from the pituitary pars intermedia. alpha -MSH secretion is regulated by various stimulatory and inhibitory messengers produced by higher brain nuclei, especially the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic and magnocellular nuclei, and the locus coeruleus in the hindbrain. The present study evaluates the role in background adaptation of nitric oxide (NO) and NO synthase (NOS) enzyme activity. Therefore, we studied the effect of NO administration on alpha -MSH secretion during superfusion of pars intermedia cells. Using enzyme and immunohistochemistry and Western blotting we studied the presence of the NOS enzyme in the pituitary and the brain of Xenopus.
ISSN:0077-8923
1749-6632
DOI:10.1111/j.1749-6632.1998.tb10874.x