Functional characterization of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone receptors in cloudy catshark, Scyliorhinus torazame

• Published in: General and comparative endocrinology 2024-08, Vol.354, p.114542-114542, Article 114542
• Main Authors: Arimura, Shogo, Wong, Marty Kwok Shing, Inoue, Ryotaro, Kawano, Mai, Shimoyama, Koya, Fujimori, Chika, Tokunaga, Kotaro, Takagi, Wataru, Hyodo, Susumu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Follicle development; Luteinizing hormone surge; Ovarian hierarchy; Reporter assay; Splice variants
• ISSN: 0016-6480; 1095-6840
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2024.114542

[Display omitted] •FSHR and LHR were characterized for the first time in elasmobranchs.•FSHR was abundantly expressed in pre-vitellogenic follicles.•LHR was upregulated in vitellogenic follicles and expression peaked in maturing follicles.•A plasma LH-like surge was found before ovulation and egg-capsule formation.•Alternative transcripts of LHR may have differentiated roles in vitellogenesis and maturation.•LHR was downregulated during P4-phase after the LH-like surge. The follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) and luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) in cloudy catshark were cloned, and recombinant FSHR and LHR were expressed for characterization. Ventral lobe extract (VLE) from the pituitary contains homologous FSH and LH, and it stimulated the cAMP signaling of FSHR and LHR dose-dependently. Two transcript variants of LHR (LHR-L with exon 10 and LHR-S without) were identified, and LHR-S was the dominant form with higher basal cAMP activity without VLE stimulation. Among various developmental stages of follicles, FSHR expression was mainly associated with the pre-vitellogenic and early white follicles. When follicles were recruited into vitellogenesis, the expression of FSHR decreased while of LHR was upregulated reciprocally, suggesting that LHR may also be responsible for the control of vitellogenesis in chondrichthyans. The expression of LHR-L was upregulated among maturing follicles before ovulation, indicating LHR-L could have a specific role in receiving the LH surge signal for final maturation. Plasma LH-like activity was transiently increased prior to the progesterone (P4)-surge and testosterone-drop at the beginning of P4-phase, supporting a pituitary control of follicle-maturation via LH signaling in chondrichthyans. The expression of follicular LHR was downregulated during the P4-phase when LH-like activity was high, indicating that the LH-dependent downregulation of LHR is conserved in chondrichthyans as it is in other vertebrate lineages. (213 words)