title: Structures and diverse functions of frog growth hormone-releasing peptide (fGRP) and its related peptides (fGRP-RPs): a review.
abstract: A new Arg-Phe-NH(2) (RFamide) peptide has been discovered in the amphibian hypothalamus. The cell bodies and terminals containing this peptide were localized in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and median eminence, respectively. This peptide was further revealed to have a considerable growth hormone (GH)-releasing activity in vitro and in vivo and hence designated as frog GH-releasing peptide (fGRP). Molecular cloning of cDNA encoding the fGRP precursor polypeptide revealed that it encodes fGRP and its putative gene-related peptides (fGRP-RP-1, -RP-2, and -RP-3). Subsequently, we identified these putative fGRP-RPs as mature peptides and analyzed their hypophysiotropic activities. Only fGRP-RP-2 stimulated the release of GH and prolactin (PRL) in vitro and in vivo. Thus, in addition to fGRP, fGRP-RP-2 acts as a hypothalamic factor on the frog pituitary to stimulate the release of GH and PRL.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Brain Science, Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8521, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ukena
authors.forename: Aya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koda
authors.forename: Kazutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Eiko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Iwakoshi-Ukena
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Minakata
authors.forename: Sakae
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kikuyama
authors.forename: Kazuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsutsui
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011892:Rana catesbeiana / Q000502:physiology*; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein
chemical_list: C099166:growth hormone releasing hormone-related peptide; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone