Authors : Hu Junjie, Zhang Yong, Wang Junying, Zhao Xingxu and Zhang Hairong
Abstract: It is well known that melatonin is a coordinating signal for mammalian reproduction. In order to confirm the presence of melatonin receptors in hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis and pineal of female Bactrian camel, the researchers used a Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) procedure to examine receptor MT1 expression. The length of MT1 gene was 452 bp. RT-PCR assaying revealed the presence of the mt1 (Mel1a) melatonin receptor subtype in reproduction axis and pineal which were obtained from the slaughterhouse in the Ningxia Autonomous Region, China. Sequence has been confirmed a high identity (above 85%) with melatonin receptor MT1 of other mammal known in GenBank. Comparing with other tissue’s sequences, one base substitution changed the 108th TTC codon (encoding Phenylalanine) to TAC (Tyrosine) on hypothalamus. Although, there are base substitutions in pineal’s gene, encoded amino acid are coincident with pituitary and ovary. The current results, the expression of MT1 receptor mRNA in brain and ovary, suggest that melatonin regulate reproduction function through not only neuroendocrine but also directly acting on the ovary in Bactrian camel.
Hu Junjie, Zhang Yong, Wang Junying, Zhao Xingxu and Zhang Hairong, 2012. Cloning, Sequencing and Analysis of Melatonin Receptor Subtype MT1 in Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis and Pineal of Female Bactrian Camel. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 11: 470-474.