51
|
Evolutionary origin of a functional gonadotropin in the pituitary of the most primitive vertebrate, hagfish. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107:15832-7. [PMID: 20733079 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1002208107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hagfish, which lack both jaws and vertebrae, are considered the most primitive vertebrate known, living or extinct. Hagfish have long been the enigma of vertebrate evolution not only because of their evolutionary position, but also because of our lack of knowledge on fundamental processes. Key elements of the reproductive endocrine system in hagfish have yet to be elucidated. Here, the presence and identity of a functional glycoprotein hormone (GPH) have been elucidated from the brown hagfish Paramyxine atami. The hagfish GPH consists of two subunits, alpha and beta, which are synthesized and colocalized in the same cells of the adenohypophysis. The cellular and transcriptional activities of hagfish GPHalpha and -beta were significantly correlated with the developmental stages of the gonad. The purified native GPH induced the release of gonadal sex steroids in vitro. From our phylogenetic analysis, we propose that ancestral glycoprotein alpha-subunit 2 (GPA2) and beta-subunit 5 (GPB5) gave rise to GPHalpha and GPHbeta of the vertebrate glycoprotein hormone family, respectively. The identified hagfish GPHalpha and -beta subunits appear to be the typical gnathostome GPHalpha and -beta subunits based on the sequence and phylogenetic analyses. We hypothesize that the identity of a single functional GPH of the hagfish, hagfish GTH, provides critical evidence for the existence of a pituitary-gonadal system in the earliest divergent vertebrate that likely evolved from an ancestral, prevertebrate exclusively neuroendocrine mechanism by gradual emergence of a previously undescribed control level, the pituitary, which is not found in the Protochordates.
Collapse
|
52
|
Chauvigné F, Tingaud-Sequeira A, Agulleiro MJ, Calusinska M, Gómez A, Finn RN, Cerdà J. Functional and Evolutionary Analysis of Flatfish Gonadotropin Receptors Reveals Cladal- and Lineage-Level Divergence of the Teleost Glycoprotein Receptor Family1. Biol Reprod 2010; 82:1088-102. [DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.109.082289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
|
53
|
Kubokawa K, Tando Y, Roy S. Evolution of the Reproductive Endocrine System in Chordates. Integr Comp Biol 2010; 50:53-62. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icq047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
|
54
|
Hansen KK, Stafflinger E, Schneider M, Hauser F, Cazzamali G, Williamson M, Kollmann M, Schachtner J, Grimmelikhuijzen CJP. Discovery of a novel insect neuropeptide signaling system closely related to the insect adipokinetic hormone and corazonin hormonal systems. J Biol Chem 2010; 285:10736-47. [PMID: 20068045 PMCID: PMC2856281 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m109.045369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2009] [Revised: 12/04/2009] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptides and their G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play a central role in the physiology of insects. One large family of insect neuropeptides are the adipokinetic hormones (AKHs), which mobilize lipids and carbohydrates from the insect fat body. Other peptides are the corazonins that are structurally related to the AKHs but represent a different neuropeptide signaling system. We have previously cloned an orphan GPCR from the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae that was structurally intermediate between the A. gambiae AKH and corazonin GPCRs. Using functional expression of the receptor in cells in cell culture, we have now identified the ligand for this orphan receptor as being pQVTFSRDWNAamide, a neuropeptide that is structurally intermediate between AKH and corazonin and that we therefore named ACP (AKH/corazonin-related peptide). ACP does not activate the A. gambiae AKH and corazonin receptors and, vice versa, AKH and corazonin do not activate the ACP receptor, showing that the ACP/receptor couple is an independent and so far unknown peptidergic signaling system. Because ACP is structurally intermediate between AKH and corazonin and the ACP receptor between the AKH and corazonin receptors, this is a prominent example of receptor/ligand co-evolution, probably originating from receptor and ligand gene duplications followed by mutations and evolutionary selection, thereby yielding three independent hormonal systems. The ACP signaling system occurs in the mosquitoes A. gambiae, Aedes aegypti, and Culex pipiens (Diptera), the silkworm Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera), the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera), the parasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis (Hymenoptera), and the bug Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera). However, the ACP system is not present in 12 Drosophila species (Diptera), the honeybee Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera), the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (Hemiptera), the body louse Pediculus humanus (Phthiraptera), and the crustacean Daphnia pulex, indicating that it has been lost several times during arthropod evolution. In particular, this frequent loss of hormonal systems is unique for arthropods compared with vertebrates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karina K. Hansen
- From the Center for Functional and Comparative Insect Genomics, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark and
| | - Elisabeth Stafflinger
- From the Center for Functional and Comparative Insect Genomics, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark and
| | - Martina Schneider
- From the Center for Functional and Comparative Insect Genomics, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark and
| | - Frank Hauser
- From the Center for Functional and Comparative Insect Genomics, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark and
| | - Giuseppe Cazzamali
- From the Center for Functional and Comparative Insect Genomics, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark and
| | - Michael Williamson
- From the Center for Functional and Comparative Insect Genomics, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark and
| | - Martin Kollmann
- the Department of Animal Physiology, University of Marburg, D-35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Joachim Schachtner
- the Department of Animal Physiology, University of Marburg, D-35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Cornelis J. P. Grimmelikhuijzen
- From the Center for Functional and Comparative Insect Genomics, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark and
| |
Collapse
|
55
|
Neuropeptide Receptors as Possible Targets for Development of Insect Pest Control Agents. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2010; 692:211-26. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4419-6902-6_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
|
56
|
Oishi A, Gengyo-Ando K, Mitani S, Mohri-Shiomi A, Kimura KD, Ishihara T, Katsura I. FLR-2, the glycoprotein hormone alpha subunit, is involved in the neural control of intestinal functions in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genes Cells 2009; 14:1141-54. [PMID: 19735483 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2443.2009.01341.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The intestine plays an essential role in organism-wide regulatory networks in both vertebrates and invertebrates. In Caenorhabditis elegans, class 1 flr genes (flr-1, flr-3 and flr-4) act in the intestine and control growth rates and defecation cycle periods, while class 2 flr genes (flr-2, flr-5, flr-6 and flr-7) are characterized by mutations that suppress the slow growth of class 1 flr mutants. This study revealed that flr-2 gene controls antibacterial defense and intestinal color, confirming that flr-2 regulates intestinal functions. flr-2 encoded the only glycoprotein hormone alpha subunit in C. elegans and was expressed in certain neurons. Furthermore, FLR-2 bound to another secretory protein GHI-1, which belongs to a family of lipid- and lipopolysaccharide-binding proteins. A ghi-1 deletion mutation partially suppressed the short defecation cycle periods of class 1 flr mutants, and this effect was enhanced by flr-2 mutations. Thus, FLR-2 acts as a signaling molecule for the neural control of intestinal functions, which is achieved in a functional network involving class 1 and class 2 flr genes as well as ghi-1. These results are informative to studies of glycoprotein hormone signaling in higher animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Akane Oishi
- Structural Biology Center, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima 411-8540, Japan
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
57
|
Dos Santos S, Bardet C, Bertrand S, Escriva H, Habert D, Querat B. Distinct expression patterns of glycoprotein hormone-alpha2 and -beta5 in a basal chordate suggest independent developmental functions. Endocrinology 2009; 150:3815-22. [PMID: 19264871 DOI: 10.1210/en.2008-1743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate glycoprotein hormones (GpHs), gonadotropins and thyrotropin, are heterodimers composed of a common alpha- and specific beta-subunit. The recombinant heterodimer of two additional, structurally related proteins identified in vertebrate and protostome genomes, the glycoproteins-alpha2 (GPA2) and-beta5 (GPB5), was shown to activate the thyrotropin receptor and was therefore named thyrostimulin. However, differences in tissue distribution and expression levels of these proteins suggested that they might act as nonassociated factors, prompting further investigation on these proteins. In this study we show that GPA2 and GPB5 appeared with the emergence of bilateria and were maintained in most groups. These genes are tightly associated at the genomic level, an association, however, lost in tetrapods. Our structural and genomic environment comparison reinforces the hypothesis of their phylogenetic relationships with GpH-alpha and -beta. In contrast, the glycosylation status of GPA2 and GPB5 is highly variable further questioning heterodimer secretory efficiency and activity. As a first step toward understanding their function, we investigated the spatiotemporal expression of GPA2 and GPB5 genes at different developmental stages in a basal chordate, the amphioxus. Expression of GPB5 was essentially ubiquitous with an anteroposterior gradient in embryos. GPA2 embryonic and larvae expression was restricted to specific areas and, interestingly, partially overlapped that of a GpH receptor-related gene. In conclusion, we speculate that GPA2 and GPB5 have nondispensable and coordinated functions related to a novelty appeared with bilateria. These proteins would be active during embryonic development in a manner that does not require their heterodimerization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Dos Santos
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche 5166, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle Unité Scientifique du Muséum 501, Régulation, Développement et Diversité Moléculaire, F75231 Paris cedex 5, France
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
58
|
Tando Y, Kubokawa K. Expression of the gene for ancestral glycoprotein hormone beta subunit in the nerve cord of amphioxus. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2009; 162:329-39. [PMID: 19393658 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2009.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2008] [Revised: 04/16/2009] [Accepted: 04/17/2009] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Amphioxus belongs to the subphylum cephalochordata, a clade of chordates phylogenetically placed at the most basal position. Despite many studies on the endocrine system of amphioxus, there were no confident lines of evidence on the presence of pituitary hormones, whereas recent amphioxus genome analysis reported that amphioxus has no pituitary hormone except for thyrostimulin, which is a glycoprotein hormone in the pituitary, brain, and other organs of vertebrates. In the present study, we cloned cDNA for one glycoprotein hormone beta subunit (GPB) from amphioxus, AmpGPB5, and phylogenetically indicated that AmpGPB5 is the ancestral molecule of glycoprotein hormone beta subunits of vertebrates including pituitary glycoprotein hormones. Synteny analyses showed conservation of chromosomal location of genes near GPB genes from amphioxus through human. The AmpGPB5 gene was expressed in a restricted region of the dorsal part of the nerve cord, glandular atrial cells of gills, and pre-vitellogenic oocytes in amphioxus. However, expression was not detected in the Hatschek's pit which is considered to be a primitive pituitary gland. On the basis of present results, we hypothesize that a portion of vertebrate pituitary hormones might be derived from an ancestral glycoprotein hormone of amphioxus that functions as a neuroendocrine hormone.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yukiko Tando
- Center for Advance Marine Research, Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 1-15-1, Minamidai, Nakano, Tokyo 164-8639, Japan
| | | |
Collapse
|
59
|
McKinlay R, Plant JA, Bell JNB, Voulvoulis N. Endocrine disrupting pesticides: implications for risk assessment. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2008; 34:168-83. [PMID: 17881056 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2007.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 279] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2006] [Revised: 07/26/2007] [Accepted: 07/27/2007] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine disrupting (ED) chemicals are compounds that alter the normal functioning of the endocrine system, potentially causing disease or deformity in organisms and their offspring. Pesticides are used widely to kill unwanted organisms in crops, public areas, homes and gardens and medicinally to kill parasites. Many are proven or suspected to be EDs. Ancient physiological similarities between different vertebrate groups suggest that disorders observed in wildlife may indicate risks to humans. This makes accurate risk assessment and effective legislation difficult. In this paper, the hazardous properties of pesticides which are known to have ED properties are reviewed in order to assess the implications for risk assessment. As well as data on sources of exposure in the United Kingdom (UK) an assessment of the evidence on the health effects of ED pesticides is also included. In total, 127 have been identified from the literature and their effects and modes of action are listed in this paper. Using the UK as a case study, the types and quantities of pesticides used, and their methods of application are assessed, along with their potential pathways to humans. In the UK reliable data are available only for agricultural use, so non-agricultural routes of pesticide exposure have been poorly quantified. The exposure of people resident in or visiting rural areas could also have been grossly under-estimated. Material links between ED pesticide use and specific illnesses or deformities are complicated by the multifactorial nature of disease, which can be affected by factors such as diet. Despite these difficulties, a large body of evidence has accumulated linking specific conditions to ED pesticides in wildlife and humans. A more precautionary approach to the use of ED pesticides, especially for non-essential purposes is proposed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R McKinlay
- Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
60
|
Van Loy T, Vandersmissen HP, Van Hiel MB, Poels J, Verlinden H, Badisco L, Vassart G, Vanden Broeck J. Comparative genomics of leucine-rich repeats containing G protein-coupled receptors and their ligands. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2008; 155:14-21. [PMID: 17706217 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2007.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2007] [Accepted: 06/27/2007] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Leucine-rich repeats containing G protein-coupled receptors (LGRs) constitute a unique cluster of transmembrane proteins sharing a large leucine-rich extracellular domain for hormone binding. In mammals, LGRs steer important developmental, metabolic and reproductive processes as receptors for glycoprotein hormones and insulin/relaxin-related proteins. In insects, a receptor structurally related to human LGRs mediates the activity of the neurohormone bursicon thereby regulating wing expansion behaviour and remodelling of the newly synthesized exoskeleton. In the past decade, novel insights into the molecular evolution of LGR encoding genes accumulated rapidly due to comparative genome analyses indicating that the endocrine LGR signalling system likely emerged before the radiation of metazoan phyla and expanded throughout evolution. Here, we present a short survey on the evolution of LGRs and the hormones they interact with.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tom Van Loy
- Department of Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, Molecular Developmental Physiology and Signal Transduction Research Group, Zoological Institute K.U.Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
61
|
Blair HC, Wells A, Isales CM. Pituitary glycoprotein hormone receptors in non-endocrine organs. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2007; 18:227-33. [PMID: 17588768 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2007.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2007] [Revised: 05/10/2007] [Accepted: 06/13/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Although glycoprotein hormones are usually regarded as pituitary-endocrine signals, their receptors can be found in non-endocrine tissues. High expression of selected receptors in the pituitary-endocrine axis is key to mammalian endocrine regulation. We hypothesize that peripheral receptor distribution during development and in secondary organs reflects older but still-applicable functions, with their concentration in the pituitary a more recent evolutionary advancement. We extrapolate additional functions of these receptors by analogy of homologous receptors in older phyla, with emphasis on the bony fishes (teleosts). Studies of the multiple roles of the glycoprotein hormone receptors are likely to uncover novel endocrine functions and axes, and highlight the potential of these receptors as novel therapeutic targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Harry C Blair
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
62
|
Aizen J, Kasuto H, Golan M, Zakay H, Levavi-Sivan B. Tilapia Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH): Immunochemistry, Stimulation by Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone, and Effect of Biologically Active Recombinant FSH on Steroid Secretion1. Biol Reprod 2007; 76:692-700. [PMID: 17192515 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.106.055822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
In fish, FSH is generally important for early gonadal development and vitellogenesis. As in mammals, FSH is a heterodimer composed of an alpha subunit that is noncovalently associated with the hormone-specific beta subunit. The objective of the present study was to express glycosylated, properly folded, and biologically active tilapia FSH (tFSH) using the Pichia pastoris expression system. Using this material, we aimed to develop a specific ELISA and to enable the study of FSH response to GnRH. The methylotrophic yeast P. pastoris was used to coexpress recombinant genes formed by fusion of mating factor alpha leader and tilapia fshb and cga coding sequences. Western blot analysis of tilapia pituitary FSH, resolved by SDS-PAGE, yielded a band of 15 kDa, while recombinant tFSH beta (rtFSH beta) and rtFSH beta alpha had molecular masses of 17-18 kDa and 26-30 kDa, respectively. Recombinant tFSH beta alpha was found to bear only N-linked carbohydrates. Recombinant tFSH beta alpha significantly enhanced 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) and estradiol secretion from tilapia testes and ovaries, respectively, in a dose-dependent manner (similar to tilapia pituitary extract, affinity-purified pituitary FSH, and porcine FSH). Using antibodies raised against rtFSH beta, FSH-containing cells were localized adjacent to hypothalamic nerve fibers ramifying in the proximal pars distalis (PPD), while LH cells were localized in a more peripheral region of the PPD. Moreover, FSH is under the control of hypothalamic decapeptide GnRH, an effect that was abolished through the use of specific bioneutralizing antisera, anti-rtFSH beta. It also reduced basal secretion of 11-KT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Aizen
- Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Quality Sciences, Hebrew University, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
63
|
Watanabe N, Hatano J, Asahina K, Iwasaki T, Hayakawa S. Molecular cloning and histological localization of LH-like substances in a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) placenta. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2007; 146:105-18. [PMID: 17158078 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2006.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2005] [Revised: 09/19/2006] [Accepted: 09/21/2006] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
All mammals exhibit pituitary-specific expression of LH and FSH, whereas placental expression of gonadotropins has been reported only in primates and equids. Some cetaceans, such as dolphins, have a long gestational period and a sexual cycle of about 27 days almost comparable with that of humans. Histologically, dolphins have an epitheliochorial placentae that resembles placentas of Perissodactyla including horses. In the present study, we cloned cDNAs encoding gonadotropins and observed their immunohistochemical localization in the placenta of bottlenose dolphin. The cDNAs obtained encoded 120 amino acids for the alpha-subunit (including 96 amino acids of mature proteins), and 141 amino acids for the beta-subunit (including 121 amino acids of mature proteins). The sequence of the alpha-subunit was similar to that in the pig (Artiodactyla) pituitary glycoprotein hormone [96.7% homology at amino acids (aa) level], and the sequence of the beta-subunit was similar to that of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the pig [94.3% homology at aa level] and white rhinoceros (Perissodactyla) [93.3% homology at aa level]. Of interest, dolphin LHbeta lacks carboxyl-terminal-peptides (CTP). This fact suggests that CTP are not essential for placental expression of gonadotropin in dolphins. Immunohistochemical observations employing anti-ovine LHbeta antibody revealed positive staining in the villositycal tissue. Our observations suggest placental expression of gonadotropin homologues in cetaceans and possible evolutionary conservation of placentae-derived hormonal control of ovarian functions during pregnancy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nozomi Watanabe
- Department of Infectious Disease Control, Nihon University Advanced Medical Research Center, 30-1 Ohyaguchi-Kamimachi Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-8610, Japan
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|