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Ex Vivo Imaging of Postnatal Cerebellar Granule Cell Migration Using Confocal Macroscopy
Published on: May 12, 2015
Molecular characterization and gene expression of the pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) in
Salvatore Valiante1, Marina Prisco, Anna Capaldo
1Dipartimento di Biologia Evolutiva e Comparata, Università di Napoli Federico II, Via Mezzocannone, 8, 80134 Napoli, Italy. valiante@unina.it
Abstract:
The pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is considered a pleiotropic neuropeptide in vertebrate physiology. The nucleotide sequence, the expression and the distribution of PACAP were determined in the brain of the lizard Podarcis sicula. RT-PCR showed that the brain of this reptile synthesizes an mRNA coding for PACAP. By performing in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry techniques, a wide distribution of PACAP and its mRNA in neurons, nervous fibers and other cells was found. Phylogenetic sequence analysis indicates that lizard PACAP is highly conserved, resembling the vertebrate PACAP. Our data demonstrate that PACAP is not only highly preserved during vertebrate evolution but also suggest that PACAP could be implicated in a wide number of functions in the physiology of the reptile brain.

