Phylogeny of Brain/Pituitary Hormones of Agnathans

七鳃鳗纲无颌类是特别重要的了解内分泌的关系，因为它们代表了现存脊椎动物的最古老的血统。本研究旨在探讨七鳃鳗的生殖、生长和适应的内分泌机制。I.从新罕布什尔州和密歇根州的10，000只成年雌性七鳃鳗（Petromizon marinus）中收集脑、垂体和肝脏等组织，用于以下研究：（1）前脑催乳素释放肽的分离;（2）生长激素的分离及其cDNA的克隆。(3)前阿片皮质素和前阿黑皮素基因外显子-内含子结构的测定（4）肝脏胰岛素样生长因子cDNA的克隆。(5)从脑垂体中寻找促性腺激素及其cDNA。(6)垂体分泌细胞的个体发育研究。II.在澳大利亚塔斯马尼亚岛的河流中收集了200只Modecia mordax和Geotoria australis的幼鱼。这些七鳃鳗的基因组文库正在建设中。III.在8月1日和2日在西雅图举行的第四届国际鱼类内分泌学研讨会上组织了"无颌鱼和软骨鱼的繁殖和适应“国际研讨会。2000年，不仅更新了无颌症内分泌学的现状，而且还将信息扩展到软骨鱼类。

Lampreys of the class Agnatha are of particular importance in understanding endocrinological relationships since they represent the oldest lineages of extant vertebrates. This project aimed to investigate the endocrine mechanisms of reproduction, growth and adaptation of the sea lampreys.I.The tissues including brains, pituitaries, and livers were collected from 10,000 adult female sea lampreys (Petromizon marinus) in New Hampshire and Michigan and used for the following studies(1) Isolation of prolactin-releasing peptide front brain(2) Isolation of growth hormone and cloning of its cDNA.(3) Determination of exon-intron structure of proopiocortin and proopiomelanotropin genes(4) Cloning of insulin-like growth factor cDNA from the liver.(5) Search for gonadotropin and its cDNA from the pituitary glands.(6) Ontogenic study on hormone-producing cells in the pituitary glands.II.200 juveniles of Modecia mordax and Geotoria australis were collected in rivers in Tasmania Island of Australia.Genome libraries of these lampreys are under construction.III.Organized the International symposium on 'Agnathan and Chondrichthyes Reproduction and Adaptation' at the 4th International Symposium on Fish Endocrinology, held in Seattle on 1 and 2 August, 2000 to not only update the status of agnathan endocrinology but also to extend the information to the Chondrichthyes.