Summary
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1.
A luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH)-like molecule produced by thymocytes is similar to hypothalamic LHRH in both bioactivity and antigenicity.
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2.
We determined whether this thymic LHRH is identical to or only homologous with hypothalamic LHRH by synthesizing and sequencing the cDNA of rat thymus LHRH.
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3.
The thymocyte and hypothalamic LHRH cDNAs are identical, indicating, that the amino acid sequences of LHRH produced in the hypothalamus and the immune system are also identical.
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4.
This is the first report showing conclusively that cell of the immune system transcribe the authentic mRNA for a hypothalamic releasing factor, LHRH.
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Maier, C.C., Marchetti, B., LeBoeuf, R.D. et al. Thymocytes express a mRNA that is identical to hypothalamic luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone mRNA. Cell Mol Neurobiol 12, 447–454 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00711545
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00711545