title: Second gene for gonadotropin-releasing hormone in humans.
abstract: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is a decapeptide widely known for its role in regulating reproduction by serving as a signal from the hypothalamus to pituitary gonadotropes. In addition to hypothalamic GnRH (GnRH-I), a second GnRH form (pGln-His-Trp-Ser-His-Gly-Trp-Tyr-Pro-Gly; GnRH-II) with unknown function has been localized to the midbrain of many vertebrates. We show here that a gene encoding GnRH-II is expressed in humans and is located on chromosome 20p13, distinct from the GnRH-I gene that is on 8p21-p11.2. The GnRH-II genomic and mRNA structures parallel those of GnRH-I. However, in contrast to GnRH-I, GnRH-II is expressed at significantly higher levels outside the brain (up to 30x), particularly in the kidney, bone marrow, and prostate. The widespread expression of GnRH-II suggests it may have multiple functions. Molecular phylogenetic analysis shows that this second gene is likely the result of a duplication before the appearance of vertebrates, and predicts the existence of a third GnRH form in humans and other vertebrates.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. rwhite@psych.stanford.edu
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Eisen
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Kasten
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Fernald
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; C047717:LHRH, His(5)-Trp(7)-Tyr(8)-