Evolution of Gonadotropic Hormones : Molecular and Morphological Approaches

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A.Evolution of pituitary glycoprotein hormone alpha subunit in vertebrates1) cDNAs encoding the alpha subunits of lungfishes, elasmobranchs, an acipenser, amphibians and reptiles were cloned and the primary structures of the subunit molecules were deduced.2) By comparing the molecular structures, we supposed that the evolution speed of the alpha subunit was extremely faster in actinopterygian fishes than in the other vertebrate lineages. We also found a fact indicating that the evlolution speed of the alpha subunit molecule was faster in the anamnian lineage than in the amniote linage.B.Evolution of gonadotropin beta subunits in vertebrates1) We also cloned cDNAs for the gonadotropin beta subunits in a lungfish, amphibians and reptilians, and the primary structure of these molecules were deduced..2) We found that the luteinizing hormone (LH) beta subunits were more diversified than the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) beta subunits in vertebrates. The evolution speed of the LH beta subunit was supposed to be faster in amuniotes than in anamunians.C.Our study strongly suggests that the gonadotropin subunit molecules have evolved with different speeds among the hormone or subunit species and also among the animal groups in vertebrates. Pituitary structure also shows similar variations as in the molecules.