PUBLICATION

Discovery of growth hormone-releasing hormones and receptors in nonmammalian vertebrates

Authors
Lee, L.T., Siu, F.K., Tam, J.K., Lau, I.T., Wong, A.O., Lin, M.C., Vaudry, H., and Chow, B.K.
ID
ZDB-PUB-070212-35
Date
2007
Source
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America   104(7): 213-2138 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Receptors, Neuropeptide/analysis
  • Receptors, Neuropeptide/genetics*
  • Receptors, Neuropeptide/metabolism
  • Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide
  • Vertebrates
  • Phylogeny
  • Zebrafish
  • Receptors, Pituitary Hormone-Regulating Hormone/analysis
  • Receptors, Pituitary Hormone-Regulating Hormone/genetics*
  • Receptors, Pituitary Hormone-Regulating Hormone/metabolism
  • Goldfish
  • Tissue Distribution
  • Anura
  • Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone/analysis
  • Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone/genetics*
  • Cyclic AMP/biosynthesis
  • Animals
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Evolution, Molecular
(all 19)
PubMed
17283332 Full text @ Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
Abstract
In mammals, growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) is the most important neuroendocrine factor that stimulates the release of growth hormone (GH) from the anterior pituitary. In nonmammalian vertebrates, however, the previously named GHRH-like peptides were unable to demonstrate robust GH-releasing activities. In this article, we provide evidence that these GHRH-like peptides are homologues of mammalian PACAP-related peptides (PRP). Instead, GHRH peptides encoded in cDNAs isolated from goldfish, zebrafish, and African clawed frog were identified. Moreover, receptors specific for these GHRHs were characterized from goldfish and zebrafish. These GHRHs and GHRH receptors (GHRH-Rs) are phylogenetically and structurally more similar to their mammalian counterparts than the previously named GHRH-like peptides and GHRH-like receptors. Information regarding their chromosomal locations and organization of neighboring genes confirmed that they share the same origins as the mammalian genes. Functionally, the goldfish GHRH dose-dependently activates cAMP production in receptor-transfected CHO cells as well as GH release from goldfish pituitary cells. Tissue distribution studies showed that the goldfish GHRH is expressed almost exclusively in the brain, whereas the goldfish GHRH-R is actively expressed in brain and pituitary. Taken together, these results provide evidence for a previously uncharacterized GHRH-GHRH-R axis in nonmammalian vertebrates. Based on these data, a comprehensive evolutionary scheme for GHRH, PRP-PACAP, and PHI-VIP genes in relation to three rounds of genome duplication early on in vertebrate evolution is proposed. These GHRHs, also found in flounder, Fugu, medaka, stickleback, Tetraodon, and rainbow trout, provide research directions regarding the neuroendocrine control of growth in vertebrates.
Genes / Markers
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Expression
No data available
Phenotype
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Mutations / Transgenics
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Human Disease / Model
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Sequence Targeting Reagents
No data available
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
No data available
Mapping
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Citation
Lee, L.T., Siu, F.K., Tam, J.K., Lau, I.T., Wong, A.O., Lin, M.C., Vaudry, H., and Chow, B.K. (2007) Discovery of growth hormone-releasing hormones and receptors in nonmammalian vertebrates. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 104(7):213-2138.