Differential Expression of Somatostatin Receptors in Rainbow Trout

North Dakota State University Fargo, Fargo ND

Investigators

Abstract

Somatostatins (SS) are a diverse family of peptide hormones that control animal growth, development, and metabolism. Despite the importance of this hormone family, little is known about the basis of its multi-functional nature. In particular, it is not known how the hormones and their receptors interact to elicit a specific effect in a particular target cell or how the structural heterogeneity of the SS family influences such interactions. With this proposed work, the unique situation in teleost fish such as rainbow trout, which possess multiple SSs, will be exploited to examine fundamental aspects of SS-receptor interactions. The hypothesis that rainbow trout possess multiple SS receptors with differential ligand selectivity that are differentially expressed will be tested in four experimental phases. In phase I, multiple mRNAs encoding distinct SS receptors will be characterized. In phase 2, the binding characteristics of expressed SS receptors will be examined. In phase 3, the distribution and abundance of SS receptor mRNAs will be determined. In phase 4, factors (e.g., nutritional state, insulin) that control the expression of SS receptor mRNAs will be identified. While this work pertains specifically to fish, it will provide important new insight regarding linkage between SS receptor type to a specific biological action and have broad relevance to understanding the multi-functional nature of SS.