Oct-GnRH, the first protostomian gonadotropin-releasing hormone-like peptide and a critical mini-review of the presence of vertebrate sex steroids in molluscs

General and Comparative Endocrinology
Hiroyuki Minakata, Kazuyoshi Tsutsui

Abstract

In protostome and deuterosome invertebrates, neurosecretory cells play major roles in the endocrine system. The optic glands of cephalopods are indicators of sexual maturation. In mature octopuses, optic glands enlarge and secrete a gonadotropic hormone. A peptide with structural features similar to that of vertebrate gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) was isolated from the octopus, Octopus vulgaris, and was named oct-GnRH. The discovery of oct-GnRH has triggered structural determinations and predictions of other mollusc GnRH-like peptides in biochemical and in silico studies. Interestingly, cephalopods studied so far are characterized by a single molecular form of oct-GnRH with a C-terminal -Pro-Gly-NH2 sequence, which is critical for gonadotropin-releasing activity in vertebrates. Other molluscan GnRH-like peptides lack the C-terminal -Pro-Gly-NH2 sequence but have -X-NH2 or -Pro-Gly although all protostome GnRH-like peptides have yet to be sequenced. In marine molluscs, relationships between GnRH-like peptides and sex steroids have been studied to verify the hypothesis that molluscs have vertebrate-type sex steroid system. However, it is currently questionable whether such sex steroids are present and whether they play en...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jun 18, 2017·General and Comparative Endocrinology·Meet ZandawalaMaurice R Elphick
Nov 18, 2020·International Journal of Molecular Sciences·Tsubasa SakaiHonoo Satake
Jun 29, 2021·Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology·Jan TaubenheimSebastian Fraune

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