Melanocortin receptor accessory proteins (MRAPs) are regulators of the melanocortin receptor family. MRAP is an essential accessory factor for the functional expression of the MC2R/ACTH receptor. The importance of MRAP in adrenal gland physiology is demonstrated by the clinical condition familial glucocorticoid deficiency type 2. The role of its paralog melanocortin-2-receptor accessory protein...

Adrenal insufficiency is a rare, but potentially fatal medical condition. In children, the cause is most commonly congenital and in recent years a growing number of causative gene mutations have been identified resulting in a myriad of syndromes that share adrenal insufficiency as one of the main characteristics. The evolution of adrenal insufficiency is dependent on the variant and the particu...

Influenza virus infects not only the respiratory system but also the central nervous system (CNS), leading to influenza-associated encephalopathy and encephalitis. Astrocytes are essential for brain homeostasis and neuronal function. These cells can also be infected by influenza virus. However, genome-wide changes in response to influenza viral infection in astrocytes have not been defined. In ...

BACKGROUND: Melanocortins, including -melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH), MSH, and adrenocorticotropic hormone, are products of the polypeptide proopiomelanocortin. These bind to five different melanocortin receptors (MC1R, MC2R, MC3R, MC4R, MC5R) with affinities. Because MC3R MC4R major types expressed in brain, these two can mediate behavioral effects melanocortins.
 AIM: To clear role...

Heat stress is detrimental during gestation; however, the effects of heat on goat placental characteristics and kid survival remain unclear. The objective this study was to evaluate at final gestation cortisol concentration, placenta characteristics, expression genes related placenta. Forty-six primiparous multiparous Saanen goats were subjected control (CT; under a thermoneutral environment: a...

The objective of the present study was to determine whether the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill impacted the stress response of teleost fish. The hypothesis was that intraperitoneal (IP) treatment with PAHs associated with the DWH oil spill or waterborne exposure to DWH oil high energy water-accommodated fraction (HEWAF) would result...

Changes in ocean water temperature associated with global climate change are bound to enormously affect fish populations, potential major economic consequences the aquaculture and fisheries industries. A link between fluctuations changes stress response is well established. In this study, we aimed assess effects of a short- (4 days) or long-term months) exposure warm physiology European sea bas...

Stressful events can alter organism physiology at several levels triggering allostatic responses. Telomeres are well-conserved repetitive DNA sequences mainly localised chromosome's ends, playing a crucial role in stability. Analyses of telomere dynamics new tools to assess consequences environmental stress non-model organisms like fish. In this study, the relationship between freshwater tolera...

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis maintains basal and stress-related homeostasis in vertebrates. Skin expresses all elements of the HPA axis including corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), proopiomelanocortin (POMC), ACTH, β-endorphin (β-END) with corresponding receptors, the glucocorticoidogenic pathway, and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). To test the hypothesis that cutaneous r...