Gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) is a newly identified hypothalamic neuropeptide that inhibits pituitary hormone secretion in vertebrates. GnIH has an LPXRFamide (X = L or Q) motif at the C-terminal in representative species of gnathostomes. On the other hand, neuropeptide FF (NPFF), a neuropeptide characterized as a pain-modulatory neuropeptide, in vertebrates has a PQRFamide motif similar to the C-terminal of GnIH, suggesting that GnIH and NPFF have diverged from a common ancestor. Because GnIH and NPFF belong to the RFamide peptide family in vertebrates, protochordate RFamide peptides may provide important insights into the evolutionary origin of GnIH and NPFF. In this study, we identified a novel gene encoding RFamide peptides and two genes of their putative receptors in the amphioxus Branchiostoma japonicum. Molecular phylogenetic analysis and synteny analysis indicated that these genes are closely related to the genes of GnIH and NPFF and their receptors of vertebrates. We further identified mature RFamide peptides and their receptors in protochordates. The identified amphioxus RFamide peptides inhibited forskolin induced cAMP signaling in the COS-7 cells with one of the identified amphioxus RFamide peptide receptors expressed. These results indicate that the identified protochordate RFamide peptide gene is a common ancestral form of GnIH and NPFF genes, suggesting that the origin of GnIH and NPFF may date back to the time of the emergence of early chordates. GnIH gene and NPFF gene may have diverged by whole-genome duplication in the course of vertebrate evolution.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4077772PMC
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0100962PLOS

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

gnih npff
28
rfamide peptides
20
origin gnih
12
amphioxus rfamide
12
rfamide peptide
12
gnih
11
npff
9
evolutionary origin
8
rfamide
8
motif c-terminal
8

Similar Publications

Gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone and its receptors in teleosts: Physiological roles and mechanisms of actions.

Gen Comp Endocrinol

May 2024

Department of Biology, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cádiz, Puerto Real (Cádiz), Spain; Marine Research Institute (INMAR), Marine Campus of International Excellence (CEIMAR) and Agrifood Campus of International Excellence (ceiA3), Puerto Real (Cádiz), Spain; The European University of the Seas (SEA-EU), Cádiz, Spain. Electronic address:

Gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) was the first reported hypothalamic neuropeptide inhibiting reproduction in vertebrates. Since its discovery in the quail brain, its orthologs have been identified in a variety of vertebrate species and even protochordates. Depending on the species, the GnIH precursor polypeptides comprise two, three or four mature peptides of the RFamide family.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Characterization of the neuropeptide FF (NPFF) gene in chickens: evidence for a single bioactive NPAF peptide encoded by the NPFF gene in birds.

Domest Anim Endocrinol

July 2020

Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China. Electronic address:

The 2 structurally related peptides, neuropeptide FF (NPFF) and neuropeptide AF (NPAF), are encoded by the NPFF gene and have been identified as neuromodulators that regulate nociception and opiate-mediated analgesia via NPFF receptor (NPFFR2) in mammals. However, little is known about these 2 peptides in birds. In this study, we examined the structure, tissue expression profile, and functionality of NPAF and NPFF in chickens.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Waterborne pheromones modulate gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone levels in sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus).

Gen Comp Endocrinol

March 2020

Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, Natural Resources Building, Rm. 13, 480 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. Electronic address:

The relationships between pheromone stimuli and neuropeptides are not well established in vertebrates due to the limited number of unequivocally identified pheromone molecules. The sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) is an advantageous vertebrate model to study the effects of pheromone exposure on neuropeptides since many pheromone molecules and neuropeptides have been identified in this species. Sexually mature male sea lamprey release pheromones 7α, 12α, 24-trihydroxy-5α-cholan-3-one 24-sulfate (3 keto-petromyzonol sulfate, 3kPZS) and 7α, 12α-dihydroxy-5α-cholan-3-one-24-oic acid (3-keto allocholic acid, 3kACA) that differentially regulate gonadotropin-releasing hormone (lGnRH) and steroid levels in sexually immature sea lamprey.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Comparative and Evolutionary Aspects of Gonadotropin-Inhibitory Hormone and FMRFamide-Like Peptide Systems.

Front Neurosci

October 2018

Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology and Center for Medical Life Science, Waseda University, Shinjuku, Japan.

Gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) is a hypothalamic neuropeptide that was found in the brain of Japanese quail when investigating the existence of RFamide peptides in birds. GnIH was named because it decreased gonadotropin release from cultured anterior pituitary, which was located in the hypothalamo-hypophysial system. GnIH and GnIH precursor gene related peptides have a characteristic C-terminal LPXRFamide (X = L or Q) motif that is conserved in jawed vertebrates.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Review: Structure, function and evolution of GnIH.

Gen Comp Endocrinol

August 2018

Brain Research Institute Monash Sunway, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor 47500, Malaysia.

Neuropeptides that possess the Arg-Phe-NH motif at their C-termini (i.e., RFamide peptides) have been characterized in the nervous system of both invertebrates and vertebrates.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!