Five gonadotrophin-releasing hormone receptors in a teleost fish: isolation, tissue distribution and phylogenetic relationships

Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is the main neurohormone controlling gonadotrophin release in all vertebrates, and in teleost fish also of growth hormone and possibly of other adenohypophyseal hormones. Over 20 GnRHs have been identified in vertebrates and protochoordates and shown to bind cognate G-protein couple receptors (GnRHR). We have searched the puffer fish, Fugu rubripes, genome sequencing database, identified five GnRHR genes and proceeded to isolate the corresponding complementary DNAs in European sea bass, Dicentrachus labrax. Phylogenetic analysis clusters the European sea bass, puffer fish and all other vertebrate receptors into two main lineages corresponding to the mammalian type I and II receptors. The fish receptors could be subdivided in two GnRHR1 (A and B) and three GnRHR2 (A, B and C) subtypes. Amino acid sequence identity within receptor subtypes varies between 70 and 90% but only 50–55% among the two main lineages in fish. All European sea bass receptor mRNAs are expressed in the anterior and mid brain, and all but one are expressed in the pituitary gland. There is differential expression of the receptors in peripheral tissues related to reproduction (gonads), chemical senses (eye and olfactory epithelium) and osmoregulation (kidney and gill). This is the first report showing five GnRH receptors in a vertebrate species and the gene expression patterns support the concept that GnRH and GnRHRs play highly diverse functional roles in the regulation of cellular functions, besides the ‘‘classical’’ role of pituitary function regulation.

Molecular biology of prolactin and prolactin receptor in a marine teleost: the sea bream(Sparus aurata)

Tese de dout. em Biologia, especialidade de Biologia Molecular, Unidade de Ciências e Tecnologias dos Recursos Aquáticos, Univ. do Algarve

Polymorphisms at the five exons of gowth hormone gene in the Algarvia Goat. Possible association with milk traits

The present preliminary study attempts to establish associations between milk production traits and genetic polymorphisms at the GH gene in the Algarvia goat. The DNA of 108 goats of the indigenous Portuguese Algarvia breed was evaluated.

Investigating the role of Annexin A2 in Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) induced signalling in cancer

Dissertação de mestrado, Qualidade em Análises, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve; Universitat de Barcelona; Gdansk University of Technology, Universidad de Cádiz, Universitas Bergensis; 2015

Análise e caracterização da expressão e papel funcional dos potenciais genes da família 2 GPCRs no protostómio Caenorhabditis elegans

Dissertação de Mestrado, Biotecnologia, Faculdade de Engenharia de Recursos Naturais, Universidade do Algarve, 2009