Endocrine Abstracts

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Thyroid hormone transport into cells critically depends on plasma membrane transport proteins. One of these, monocarboxylate transporter 8 (MCT8), is mutated in patients suffering from a form of X-linked mental retardation, the Allan-Herndon-Dudley syndrome. These patients are characterized by abnormal thyroid hormone and TSH plasma levels indicating a role for MCT8 in the regulation of the thyroid hormone axis. Mice lacking the Mct8 gene replicate the thyroid hormone a...

In recent decades intensive studies on the glycoprotein-hormone receptors (GPHRs) and their respective hormones have provided a number of molecular insights into the relationship between the structure and function of these proteins. This knowledge includes an understanding of hormone binding, of naturally occurring mutations nad mechanisms of signal transduction and G-protein binding processes.Together with the relaxin family peptide receptors (RxFP) the...

The melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) plays a prominent role in hypothalamic weight regulation. Activation of this receptor results by so far not understood mechanisms in a decrease of food-intake and an increase of energy expenditure. Recently a functional role downstream of MC4R signalling for brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor tropomyosin-related kinase B receptor (TrkB) was reported. TrkB signalling influences several neuronal processes like synapse for...

The melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R), a G protein coupled receptor, has a prominent role in hypothalamic weight regulation. The MC4R was recently shown to form receptor dimers. The cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R) is the nearest phylogenetic relative of MC4R but fails to interact with the MC4R in vitro. In this study we aim to investigate receptor domains that are necessary for MC4R interaction. Four different chimeric receptors of MC4R and CB1R were constructed. The generated cons...

Isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) type 1a is caused by defects of the GH-I gene resulting in severe short stature. Treatment with growth hormone may become ineffective due to significant production of growth hormone antibodies. However, this has only been reported in patients treated with pituitary derived growth hormone. We present five cases with IGHD type 1a successfully treated with recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH).Five patients from f...

By a systematic approach we investigated the interaction of a selective number of GPCRs that are expressed in the arcuate nucleus and known to play an essential role in hypothalamic weight regulation. Based on the results of a sandwich ELISA and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) approach we report the interaction of the melanocortin three receptor (MC3R) and the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) which are coexpressed on arcuate NPY/AgRP neurons. Fu...

In two siblings suffering from congenital hypothyroidism we identified a homozygous missence mutation Ala579Val in transmembrane helix 5 of the thyrotropin receptor (TSHR) gene which motivated us to investigate molecular details of this mutation.We were interested, firstly, in the functional effects regarding signal transduction and, secondly, in the particular structural properties of the wild type receptor and the Ala579Val mutant. The aim was to gain ...

Background: Defective thyroid gland development occurs in 80% of congenital hypothyroidism (incidence of 1:3000–1:4000). Only <5% have been shown to be caused by molecular genetic defects in few transcription factor genes (Nkx2.1, Nkx2.5, Foxe1, Pax8, Hhex) which are known to play a role in thyroid gland development. Therefore, other genes with a critical role in early thyroid development are likely to be involved in the pathogenesis of thyroid dysgenesis.<p class...

Food intake is centrally regulated in hypothalamic nuclei. Peripheral hormonal signals activate their corresponding receptors in the arcuate nucleus (arc) and modulate the expression of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) and neuropetide Y (NPY)/agouti-related-protein (AgRP). Cleavage products of POMC stimulate melanocortin-4-receptors (MC4R) in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) to inhibit food intake or stimulate MC3Rs in the arc to activate a feedback loop. Further mor...