EVOLUTION OF SUPERFAMILIES FOR GNRH AND ITS RECEPTOR
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1
University of Victoria, Dept. of Biology, Canada
Gonadotropin –releasing hormone (GnRH) and its receptor are well established in the vertebrates, but their identity and function in the invertebrates are just beginning to emerge. Genomics has made available DNA sequences for a number of key genomes. These sequences combined with phylogenetic analysis are used here to consider whether invertebrate and vertebrate GnRHs share a common ancestor. Structural homology of GnRH peptides from vertebrates, tunicates, echinoderms, molluscs and annelids supports grouping the GnRH peptides into one family provided that function need not be strictly related to reproduction. The once solitary GnRH peptide family is structurally related to the invertebrate peptides corazonin and adipokinetic hormone (AKH). We propose that these families form a superfamily of peptides with an ancient evolutionary origin. The corresponding receptors for GnRH, corazonin and AKH are seven-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptors belonging to Family A (Rhodopsin) that also form a superfamily, as demonstrated by phylogenetics. Phylogenetic analysis of invertebrate GnRH receptors show that the four tunicate and two out of four amphioxus GnRHRs cluster closer to the vertebrate receptors, but the other two amphioxus, hemichordate, sea urchin, annelid and mollusc GnRHRs cluster in a basal position. The two vertebrate-related amphioxus GnRHRs responded in vitro to vertebrate GnRH1 and 2, whereas the functional protostome-related amphioxus receptor responded preferentially to octopus GnRH and AKH. The vasopressin/oxytocin receptor superfamily is phylogenetically most homologous to the GnRH receptor superfamily, possibly sharing a common ancestral gene in pre-bilaterian animals. The peptide and receptor superfamilies are compared to the origin of pituitary hormones and kisspeptin .
Acknowledgements
Research supported by Canadian NSERC
Keywords:
adipokinetic hormone and receptor,
corazonin and receptor,
Genomics,
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone,
Neuropeptide Receptors,
neuropeptide superfamilies,
Neuropeptides,
Reproduction
Conference:
NASCE 2011: The inaugural meeting of the North American Society for Comparative Endocrinology, Ann Arbor, United States, 13 Jul - 16 Jul, 2011.
Presentation Type:
Invited Symposium
Topic:
Molecular evolution
Citation:
Sherwood
NM,
Roch
GJ and
Busby
ER
(2011). EVOLUTION OF SUPERFAMILIES FOR GNRH AND ITS RECEPTOR.
Front. Endocrinol.
Conference Abstract:
NASCE 2011: The inaugural meeting of the North American Society for Comparative Endocrinology.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fendo.2011.04.00068
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Received:
23 Jul 2011;
Published Online:
09 Aug 2011.
*
Correspondence:
Prof. Nancy M Sherwood, University of Victoria, Dept. of Biology, Victoria, BC, V8W 3N5, Canada, nsherwoo@uvic.ca