Identification of the Receptors for Prolactin-Releasing Peptide (PrRP) and Carassius RFamide Peptide (C-RFa) in Chickens
- Authors
- Wang, Y., Wang, C.Y., Wu, Y., Huang, G., Li, J., and Leung, F.C.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-120223-36
- Date
- 2012
- Source
- Endocrinology 153(4): 1861-1874 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Keywords
- none
- MeSH Terms
-
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Brain/metabolism*
- Chick Embryo
- Chickens/metabolism*
- Chromosome Mapping
- Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases/physiology
- DNA, Complementary/metabolism
- Gene Expression Regulation
- Humans
- Mice
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Neuropeptides/genetics*
- Neuropeptides/metabolism*
- Rats
- Receptors, Neuropeptide/genetics*
- Receptors, Neuropeptide/metabolism*
- Signal Transduction/physiology
- Xenopus
- Zebrafish
- PubMed
- 22355069 Full text @ Endocrinology
Prolactin-releasing peptide (PrRP) and its structurally related peptide, Carassius Arg-Phe-amide peptide (C-RFa), have been reported to play similar roles in regulating food intake and pituitary functions in vertebrates. However, the identity, functionality, and expression of the receptor(s) for PrRP and C-RFa remain largely unknown in nonmammalian vertebrates, including birds. In this study, three receptors homologous to mammalian PrRP receptor (PrRPR), named cPrRPR1, cPrRPR2, and cC-RFaR, respectively, were cloned from chicken brain by RT-PCR. Using a pGL3-NFAT-RE-luciferase reporter system, we demonstrated that cPrRPR1 and cPrRPR2 expressed in Chinese hamster ovarian cells could be activated by cPrRP20 and cC-RFa20 potently, whereas cC-RFaR could only be activated effectively by cC-RFa20 (EC50, 0.11 nm), indicating that cPrRPR1 and cPrRPR2 can function as common receptors for PrRP and C-RFa, whereas cC-RFaR is a receptor specific to C-RFa. Using a pGL3-CRE-luciferase reporter system, cPrRPR1, cPrRPR2, and cC-RFaR expressed in Chinese hamster ovarian cells were also shown to activate intracellular protein kinase A signaling pathway upon cC-RFa20 treatment (100 nm). Moreover, RT-PCR assay revealed that cPrRPR1, cPrRPR2, and cC-RFaR were widely expressed in most adult chicken tissues examined, including various regions of brain. These findings, together with evidence of PrRP and C-RFa encoded by separate genes in chicken, Xenopus, and zebrafish, and the differential expression of PrRP and C-RFa genes in chicken tissues, strongly suggest that PrRP and C-RFa may play similar yet distinctive roles in nonmammalian vertebrates, including chicken, and their actions are mediated by common receptor(s) or a specific C-RFa receptor.