Tsutsui Kazuyoshi, Osugi Tomohiro, Son You Lee, Ubuka Takayoshi
Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology and Center for Medical Life Science, Waseda University, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan.
Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, Kyoto 619-0284, Japan.
Gen Comp Endocrinol. 2018 Aug 1;264:48-57. doi: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.07.024. Epub 2017 Jul 25.
Neuropeptides that possess the Arg-Phe-NH motif at their C-termini (i.e., RFamide peptides) have been characterized in the nervous system of both invertebrates and vertebrates. In vertebrates, RFamide peptides make a family and consist of the groups of gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH), neuropeptide FF (NPFF), prolactin-releasing peptide (PrRP), kisspeptin (kiss1 and kiss2), and pyroglutamylated RFamide peptide/26RFamide peptide (QRFP/26RFa). It now appears that these vertebrate RFamide peptides exert important neuroendocrine, behavioral, sensory, and autonomic functions. In 2000, GnIH was discovered as a novel hypothalamic RFamide peptide inhibiting gonadotropin release in quail. Subsequent studies have demonstrated that GnIH acts on the brain and pituitary to modulate reproductive physiology and behavior across vertebrates. To clarify the origin and evolution of GnIH, the existence of GnIH was investigated in agnathans, the most ancient lineage of vertebrates, and basal chordates, such as tunicates and cephalochordates (represented by amphioxus). This review first summarizes the structure and function of GnIH and other RFamide peptides, in particular NPFF having a similar C-terminal structure of GnIH, in vertebrates. Then, this review describes the evolutionary origin of GnIH based on the studies in agnathans and basal chordates.
在其C末端具有精氨酸-苯丙氨酸-酰胺基序（即RFamide肽）的神经肽已在无脊椎动物和脊椎动物的神经系统中得到表征。在脊椎动物中，RFamide肽构成一个家族，由促性腺激素抑制激素（GnIH）、神经肽FF（NPFF）、催乳素释放肽（PrRP）、亲吻素（kiss1和kiss2）以及焦谷氨酸化RFamide肽/26RFamide肽（QRFP/26RFa）等组成。现在看来，这些脊椎动物的RFamide肽发挥着重要的神经内分泌、行为、感觉和自主功能。2000年，GnIH被发现是一种新型的下丘脑RFamide肽，可抑制鹌鹑的促性腺激素释放。随后的研究表明，GnIH作用于大脑和垂体，以调节整个脊椎动物的生殖生理和行为。为了阐明GnIH的起源和进化，人们在脊椎动物最古老的谱系无颌类动物以及基部脊索动物，如被囊动物和头索动物（以文昌鱼为代表）中研究了GnIH的存在情况。本综述首先总结了GnIH和其他RFamide肽的结构和功能，特别是在脊椎动物中具有与GnIH相似C末端结构的NPFF。然后，本综述基于对无颌类动物和基部脊索动物的研究描述了GnIH的进化起源。
