ARS | Publication request: Association of Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript (CART) Messenger RNA Level, Food Intake, and Growth in Channel Catfish

Submitted to: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: June 25, 2008
Publication Date: October 1, 2008
Citation: Kobayashi, Y., Peterson, B.C., Waldbieser, G.C. 2008. Association of Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript (CART) Messenger RNA Level, Food Intake, and Growth in Channel Catfish. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology.

Technical Abstract: Cocaine-and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript (CART) is a potent hypothalamic anorectic peptide in mammals and fish. We hypothesized that increased food intake is associated with changes in expression of CART mRNA within the brain of channel catfish. Objectives were to clone the CART gene, examine tissue CART mRNA distribution, and changes in the amount of CART mRNA in relation to changes in food intake in channel catfish. Our results showed that channel catfish CART was highly similar to those of other fish species, particularly in the biologically active portion of the peptide. Expression of CART mRNA was detected in the brain and testis but not in other somatic tissues. Thirty days of fasting decreased (P<0.05) the amount of CART mRNA within the brain of channel catfish, while refeeding for 15 days restored its amount to a level similar to the fed control. In a separate 7 week feeding study, CART mRNA was less in fish that consumed more food and gained more weight (P<0.05). These results suggest that CART is involved in regulation of food intake in channel catfish, similarly as it has been reported in other fish and mammals.