Analysis of signaling pathways induced by NH2-terminal peptides of POMC (N-POMC) in primary cultures of rat adrenal

• Grant number: 12/19512-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2012
• End date: July 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Physiology of Organs and Systems
• Principal Investigator: Claudimara Ferini Pacicco Lotfi
• Grantee: Talita Aparecida de Moraes Vrechi
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

One of the main factors that regulates the adrenal cortex is the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), however there are evidences that others factors such as the peptide-peptide N-terminal pro-opiomelanocortin (N-POMC) may be involved. The signaling pathways of mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs), ERK, JNK and p38 signals comprise a wide variety of stimuli along with other signaling pathways such as PKA, PKC and PI3K/Akt, and promote responses such as proliferation, differentiation, survival and cell death. Although there are advances over the action of peptides taken as mitogenic in adrenal tumor cell lines, this action is still unknown in normal adrenocortical cells, especially in relation to the action of N-POMC peptides. The objective will be analyze the signaling pathways induced by different synthetic N-POMC peptides of 28 amino acids, such as peptide-N-POMC with disulfide bonds between amino acids cysteine (N-POMCCys), peptide-N-POMC with the methionines replaced by cysteine (N-POMCMe) and N-POMC peptides with serines substituted for cysteines (N-POMCSer) by using a biological model well characterized of primary cell cultures Glomerulosas (G) and Fasciculata /Reticularis (F/R) of rat adrenal cortex. The pathways will be analyzed by detecting the phosphorylation/ activation of ERK1/2, JNK, p38 and PI3K/Akt proteins by immunoblotting. We expect in this project uncover the signaling pathways involved in the proliferative effect promoted by N-POMC peptide and its importance, together with ACTH, in the maintenance and renewal of the adrenal cortex.(AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

FRANCA, M. M.; ABREU, N. P.; VRECHI, T. A. M.; LOTFI, C. F.. POD-1/Tcf21 overexpression reduces endogenous SF-1 and StAR expression in rat adrenal cells. Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research, v. 48, n. 12, p. 1087-1094, DEC 2015. (12/19512-9, 10/00771-9, 12/21839-6, 11/01031-1)