Expression and Molecular Characterization of mRNA Melanocortin Receptor 2 in Broad-snouted Caiman (Caiman latirostris) Gonads

MARIA VIRGINIA PARACHÚ MARCÓ; AYELEN AMWEG; HUGO ORTEGA; PABLO ARIEL SIROSKI

Santa Fe

Congreso; 25th Working Meeting of the IUCN-SSC Crocodile Specialist Group; 2018

Universidad Nacional del Litoral

Crocodile farming management response would induce stress and immunosuppression that can affect acting reproduction. Melanocortin-2 receptor (MC2R), also known as ACTH receptor, is a member of the G protein-coupled receptor family. Interactions between melanocortins and reproduction have been previously established, associating them with various processes related to stress, metabolism, immunity, and neuroendocrine signaling pathways. This study was designed to localize the expression of MC2R in neonatal and juveniles gonads. In order to identify the mRNA coding C. latirostris MC2R, a set of primers were designed from alignments of sequences of phylogenetically related species obtained from NCBI. To assessment them, a set of 30 animals of different ages were utilized to determine MC2R mRNA expression in the transcriptome of gonads cells. MC2R mRNA expression was detected in C. latirostris gonads at different ages of both sexes by reverse transcription and real time PCR. These findings are the first evidence for ACTH receptor in crocodile specie gonads. Moreover, ACTH is recognized to have a strong effect on reproduction among all of the proopiomelanocortin (POMC) peptides. In this way, the ACTH-specific receptor MC2R detection could be important in the physiological response to stressor in Caiman latirostris reproduction management.