Elphick M R
School of Biological Sciences, Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London, UK.
Brain Res. 1998 Jan 5;780(1):170-3.
Analysis of a G-protein coupled receptor fragment isolated from the leech CNS reveals that it is a chimeric cannabinoid/melanocortin receptor. Two regions of the leech sequence display high levels of amino acid identity with mammalian cannabinoid receptors while a third region is 98% identical to part of the bovine adrenocorticotropic hormone receptor. The leech receptor may therefore resemble the putative ancestor of mammalian cannabinoid and melanocortin receptors.
