Receptor specificity and functional comparison of recombinant sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) gonadotropins (FSH and LH) produced in different host systems.

Different yields, biopotency, and in vivo pharmacokinetics are obtained for recombinant sea bass gonadoltropins depending on the production system and DNA construct, but they show specific activation of their corresponding receptors. Gonadotropins (GTHs) are glycoprotein hormones that play a major role in the regulation of gonadal functions. Recently, we succeeded in isolating the native sea bass Fsh from sea bass pituitaries, but to ensure the availability of bioactive GTHs and no cross-contamination with other related glycoproteins, recombinant sea bass GTHs were produced using two expression systems-insect and mammalian cells-and different constructs that yielded tethered or noncovalently bound dimers.