Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Pharmacologic Induction of Epidermal Melanin and Protection Against Sunburn in a Humanized Mouse Model
Published on: September 7, 2013
Trends in the evolution of the proopiomelanocortin gene
Robert M Dores1, Stephanie Lecaude
1University of Denver, Department of Biological Sciences, Denver, CO 80208, USA. rdores@du.edu
Abstract:
The POMC gene is perhaps the most extensively studied member of the opioid/orphanin gene family. In Phylum Chordata this gene has been characterized in representatives of every class within the Gnathostomata, as well as in one representative agnathan vertebrate, the marine lamprey. This review provides a systematic overview of trends in the evolution of the melanocortins (ACTH/alpha-MSH, beta-MSH, gamma-MSH, and delta-MSH) and beta-endorphin in gnathostomes, and advances the hypothesis that the appearance of gamma-MSH occurred early in the radiation of the gnathostomes. A summary of the extensive work on POMC genes in the marine lamprey is also provided, as well as a reevaluation of the conserved regions in the sequence of CLIP (corticotropin-like-intermediate lobe peptide) in the POMC sequences of the various groups of gnathostomes.
Related Concept Videos
Gene Duplication and Divergence
The duplicated copies of the gene are called Paralogs. Paralogs with similar sequences and functions form a gene family. Across several species, a large number of gene families are characterized.
Exon Recombination
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon has three reading...
Pleiotropy
Synteny and Evolution
Around 80 million years ago, the human and mice lineages diverged from the common ancestor. During the course of evolution, the ancestral chromosome underwent...
Epistasis Analysis
Cis-regulatory Sequences

