Precursors of mesotocin and vasotocin in birds: Identification of VLDV- and MSEL-neurophysins in chicken, goose, and ostrich

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Abstract
Precursors of neurohypophysial hormones are small proteins processed into nonapeptide hormones and neurophysins during axonal transport to the neurohypophysis. In mammals, oxytocin is associated with VLDV-neurophysin and vasopressin with MSEL-neurophysin. In birds, mesotocin and vasotocin are found instead of mammalian oxytocin and vasopressin. From goose, chicken and ostrich posterior pituitary glands, two types of neurophysins related to mammalian VLDV-and MSEL-neurophysins, respectively, have been identified by their N-terminal sequences. It is assumed that, as in mammals, hormonal peptide and the first 9 residues of the corresponding neurophysin are encoded by a common exon and that mesotocin and vasotocin, evolutionary predecessors of oxytocin and vasopressin, are associated in the precursors with VLDV-neurophysin and MSEL-neurophysin, respectively.