C. Hernández-‐Sánchez, P. Vázquez, FloradePablo
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demostrado efectos directos de la dopamina sobre la expresión de genes
cardiacos y hemos avanzado en caracterizar una función de las catecolaminas
sobre la formacióndel patróndel corazón.
Palabr sclave:
tirosinahidroxilasa; catecolaminas; dopamina; cardiogénesis.
1. INTRODUCTION
Hormones and neurotransmitters synthesis localized, under traditional
views, within the endocrine andnervous systems, respectively. In contrast, others
andwe have found expressionof hormonesmuch earlier indevelopment than the
emergence of the endocrine gland especialized in their secretion takes place. For
example, growth hormone, secreted in adult organisms by the pituitary gland, is
detected intheblastocyst andmanyextrapituitary tissuesduringdevelopment (1).
Figure 1. The catecholamine biosynthesis pathway.
Note that TH is the rate-‐limiting enzyme
and that in developing tissues the pathway may not lead to the production of all three
catecholamines.