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Updated: Aug 22, 2026
Isolation, Fixation, and Immunofluorescence Imaging of Mouse Adrenal Glands
Published on: October 2, 2018
Characterization of adrenomedullin in non-human primates
Enrique Zudaire1, Alfredo Martínez, Laurent L Ozbun
1Cell and Cancer Biology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. zudairee@mail.nih.gov
Abstract:
Adrenomedullin (AM) is a 52 amino acid peptide involved in the pathophysiology of several human diseases. Here we show the gene structure, organ distribution, and regulated expression of AM in monkey. The monkey AM (mAM) gene is located on the short arm of chromosome 9 and it codes for a 185 amino acid preprohormone, which contains two amidated peptides identical to the human AM and proadrenomedullin N-terminal 20 peptide. The promoter region of the mAM gene contains a variety of transcription factor binding motifs. mAM is widely expressed throughout many organs as shown by real-time PCR and immunohistochemical techniques, and we have found similar levels of circulating plasma AM in monkeys and humans. A significant upregulation of the mAM mRNA was observed in monkey cells exposed to low oxygen tension conditions, TGF-beta1, all-trans-retinoic acid, and dexamethasone. Our collective data show a high degree of homology between mAM and hAM, which renders the monkey an attractive animal model for future pharmacological and pre-clinical studies targeting AM.
Insights
Monkey adrenomedullin (AM) gene structure and expression were analyzed. High homology to human AM suggests monkeys are a valuable model for AM-targeted drug development and pre-clinical studies.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Adrenomedullin (AM) is a peptide hormone implicated in various human diseases.
- Understanding the genetic and expression profile of AM in non-human primates is crucial for translational research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the gene structure, organ distribution, and regulated expression of adrenomedullin (AM) in monkeys.
- To evaluate the potential of the monkey as an animal model for studying AM-related pathophysiology and drug development.
Main Methods:
- Gene structure analysis and chromosomal localization.
- Real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry for organ distribution and expression analysis.
- Investigating mRNA upregulation under specific stimuli (hypoxia, TGF-β1, retinoic acid, dexamethasone).
Main Results:
- The monkey AM (mAM) gene is on chromosome 9, encoding a preprohormone with peptides identical to human AM.
- mAM is widely expressed across monkey organs, with similar plasma levels to humans.
- mAM mRNA significantly upregulated in response to hypoxia, TGF-β1, all-trans-retinoic acid, and dexamethasone.
Conclusions:
- The monkey AM gene exhibits high homology to the human counterpart.
- Monkeys serve as a suitable pre-clinical model for pharmacological studies targeting adrenomedullin.
- This research provides a foundation for future AM-focused therapeutic interventions.
