MELANOCYTE STIMULATING HORMONE RECEPTOR AND USES

摘要

The present invention relates to a mammalian melanocyte stimulating hormone receptor. The invention is directed toward the isolation, characterization and pharmacological use of mammalian melanocyte stimulating hormone receptor, the gene corresponding to this receptor, a recombinant eukaryotic expression construct capable of expressing a mammalian melanocyte stimulating hormone receptor in cultures of transformed eukaryotic cells and such cultures of transformed eukaryotic cells that synthesize mammalian melanocyte stimulating hormone receptor. The invention also provides methods for screening MSHR agonists and antagonists in vitro using preparations of receptor from such cultures of eukaryotic cells transformed with a recombinant eukaryotic expression construct comprising the MSHR receptor gene. The invention specifically provides human and mouse MSHR genes.