ABR: Novel Glycoprotein Hormone, Signaling Mechanisms, and Transcriptome Profiling in a Basal Vertebrate

本研究将探讨在一种基础脊椎动物，海七鳃鳗中调节生殖的脑和垂体糖蛋白激素及其受体。七鳃鳗有一种在其他脊椎动物中没有的独特的垂体糖蛋白激素（GpH）。本项目将研究垂体糖蛋白-激素受体家族的起源和/或分化以及垂体GpH信号的分子机制和动力学。结果将说明这些激素是否与所有其他脊椎动物中发现的其他激素具有共同的功能和发育特征。该项目将提供神经科学、神经内分泌学、分子生物学和脊椎动物生物学的关键信息，并为这些领域的博士后、本科生和研究生提供培训机会。进一步了解生殖激素及其各自的受体，与神经递质的相互作用以及测试类似物对于开发改善和控制生殖的新策略至关重要。作为分子和比较内分泌学中心（CME）主任，PI促进了全球和当地的合作，实验室互访和粉笔讲座，这些讲座带来了好处，从而增加了学生/博士后对研究社区的参与。外展活动多样而广泛，包括公开演讲和与当地社区大学的生物技术项目合作。七鳃鳗脑图谱也将被开发为一个交互式神经解剖学数字资源，供科学界使用。PI和实验室成员参与了一个由47名科学家组成的国际小组，他们正在注释七鳃鳗的基因组。通过研究产生的数据将包括核苷酸和蛋白质序列、系统发育分析、图表、受体的三维结构、重建的显微镜图像、照片和手工记录的观察结果，只要这种要求不损害知识产权利益、干扰出版、侵犯受试者隐私或泄露机密，PI将向有资格的各方提供这些数据。

This research will investigate the brain and pituitary glycoprotein hormones and respective receptors that regulate reproduction in a the basal vertebrate, the sea lamprey. Lampreys have an ancestral unique pituitary glycoprotein hormone (GpH) not found in any other vertebrate. This project will examine the origin and/or divergence of the pituitary glycoprotein-hormone-receptor families and the molecular mechanisms and dynamics of pituitary GpH signaling. Results will tell whether these hormones share common functional and developmental features with the other hormones found in all other vertebrates. This project will provide key information in neuroscience, neuroendocrinology, molecular biology and vertebrate biology, and it will provide training oppportunities for postdocs, undergraduates and graduate students in these areas. Gaining a further understanding of reproductive hormones and their respective receptors, interactions with neurotransmitters and testing analogs will be critical for development of novel strategies for improving and controlling reproduction. The PI as Director of the Center for Molecular and Comparative Endocrinology (CME) facilitates worldwide and local collaborations, laboratory exchange visits and chalk talks that yield benefits leading to increased student/postdoc engagement in the research community. Outreach activities are varied and broad, including public talks and collaborating with a Biotechnology Program at a local community college. A lamprey brain atlas will also be developed as an interactive neuroanatomy digital resource to be available for the scientific community. The PI and members of the laboratory are involved with an international group of 47 scientists who are annotating the lamprey genome. The data generated through the research will consist of nucleotide and protein sequences, phylogenetic analysis, graphs, three-dimensional structures of the receptors, reconstructed microscopic images, photographs, and hand-recorded observations, and will be made available to qualified parties by the PI so long as such a request does not compromise intellectual property interests, interfere with publication, invade subject privacy, or betray confidentiality.