Evolution of Gonadotropic Hormones : Molecular and Morphological Approaches

A.脊椎动物脑下垂体糖蛋白激素α亚基的进化1)克隆了肺鱼、脊椎动物、两栖动物和爬行动物的α亚基的编码基因，并推测了亚基分子的一级结构。2)通过比较分子结构，我们推测，放线翅目鱼类的α亚基进化速度比其他脊椎动物快得多。B.脊椎动物中促性腺激素β亚基的进化1)我们还克隆了肺鱼、两栖动物和爬行动物中促性腺激素β亚基的基因，并推测了这些分子的一级结构。2)我们发现脊椎动物中促黄体激素(LH)β亚基比促卵泡激素(FSH)β亚基更加多样化。我们的研究有力地表明，促性腺激素亚基分子在激素或亚单位物种之间以及在脊椎动物的动物群体中的进化速度是不同的。脑下垂体结构也表现出与分子相似的变化。

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.