Dynamic evolution of the GnRH receptor gene family in vertebrates.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Elucidating the mechanisms underlying coevolution of ligands and receptors is an important challenge in molecular evolutionary biology. Peptide hormones and their receptors are excellent models for such efforts, given the relative ease of examining evolutionary changes in genes encoding for both molecules. Most vertebrates possess multiple genes for both the decapeptide gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) and for the GnRH receptor. The evolutionary history of the receptor family, including ancestral copy number and timing of duplications and deletions, has been the subject of controversy.

Results

We report here for the first time sequences of three distinct GnRH receptor genes in salamanders (axolotls, Ambystoma mexicanum), which are orthologous to three GnRH re

SUBMITTER: Williams BL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4232701 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature