Abstract
This study describes the distribution of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) antigen and its mRNA in seven species of cartilaginous fish from six elasmobranch families. Antigen was detected using antibodies to synthetic human PTHrP and the mRNA with a riboprobe to human PTHrP gene sequence. The distribution pattern of PTHrP in the cartilaginous fish studied, reflected that observed in mammals but PTHrP further occurs in some sites unique to cartilaginous fish. Of particular note was the demonstration of PTHrP in the shark skeleton, which although considered not to contain bone, may form by a process similar to that forming the early stages of mammalian endochondral bone. The distribution of PTHrP in the elasmobranch skeleton resembled the distribution of PTHrP in the developing mammalian skeleton. Differences in the staining pattern between antisera to N-terminal PTHrP and mid-molecule PTHrP in the brain and pituitary suggested that the PTHrP molecule might be post-translationally processed in these tissues. The successful use of antibodies and a probe to human PTHrP in tissues from the early vertebrates examined in this study suggests that the PTHrP molecule is conserved from elasmobranchs to humans.