Regional expression of mRNA encoding a second form of gonadotropin-releasing hormone in the macaque brain.
In mammals, reproduction is thought to be controlled by a single neuropeptide, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH-I), which regulates the synthesis and secretion of gonadotropins from the pituitary gland. However, another form of this decapeptide (GnRH-II), of unknown function, also exists in the brain of many vertebrate species, including humans; it is encoded by a different gene and its amino acid sequence is 70% identical to that of GnRH-I. Here we report the cloning of a GnRH-II cDNA from the rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta), and show for the first time by in situ hybridization that GnRH-II mRNA is expressed in the primate midbrain, hippocampus and discrete nuclei of the hypothalamus, including the supraoptic, paraventricular, suprachiasmatic and arcuate. Because the regional distribution pattern of cells containing GnRH-II mRNA is largely dissimilar to that of cells containing GnRH-I mRNA, it is likely that these two cell populations receive distinct neuroendocrine inputs and thus regulate GnRH synthesis and release differently.
Urbanski
H F
HF
Division of Neuroscience, Oregon Regional Primate Research Center, Beaverton 97006, USA. urbanski@ohsu.edu
White
R B
RB
Fernald
R D
RD
Kohama
S G
SG
Garyfallou
V T
VT
Densmore
V S
VS
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry; D015870:Gene Expression; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000737:chemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000737:chemistry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D017385:Sequence Homology
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; C047717:LHRH, His(5)-Trp(7)-Tyr(8)-