Functional and Structural Evolution of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone

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Functional and Structural Evolution of Gonadotropin-Releasing HormoneSuccessful reproduction in all vertebrates depends upon the action of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). Because GnRH is present in diverse animals ranging from mammals to tunicates, it is hypothesized that GnRH may have already been present 630 million years ago in an ancestor that gave rise to vertebrates and invertebrates. If proven, GnRH could be one of the most ancient hormones to persist through evolution. As such, its evolutionary pattern could reveal much about how an important hormone changed its function and structure over time. Dr. Tsai's recent data that a GnRH-like molecule is present in the sea slug, Aplysia californica, proved that GnRH arose very early during evolution. This project utilizes a combination of molecular, cellular and whole organism approaches to characterize the receptor for Aplysia GnRH (ap-GnRH) and to understand what ap-GnRH does in the sea slug. This project will also allow Dr. Tsai to train graduate and undergraduate students interested in hormone evolution and strengthen collaborative ties with other trainees in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department. In sum, this project will contribute substantially to our understanding of how evolutionary selection pressures drive changes in hormone structures and functions, and how these changes allow the organism to adapt better to the environment.