α‐MSH and neurofilament M‐protein share a continuous epitope but not extended sequences

Abstract
The long recognized neurofibrillary immunoreactivity of the nervous system with α‐MSH antibodies arises from an epitope on neurofilament M‐protein which we have now characterized. It is situated in the amino terminal residues where M‐protein and α‐MSH exhibit similar but not identical sequences. Their divergence past residue 5 precludes a physiological significance of the crossreactivity which seems to have arisen fortuitously. Our results question previous speculations as to the existence of extrapituitary α‐MSH‐like hormones.