Functional Characterization of Thyrostimulin in Amphioxus Suggests an Ancestral Origin of the TH Signaling Pathway

• DOI: 10.1210/en.2018-00550
• Publication Date: 2018-09-06T06:33:04Z
• Authors: Peng Wang; Shousheng Liu; Qingyun Yang; Zhenhui Liu; Shicui Zhang
• Keywords: Chordate

Thyrostimulin, consisting of GpA2 and GpB5 subunits, has been identified in amphioxus, but to date, little is known about the roles GPA2/GPB5‒type hormone this evolutionarily important animal. We showed here that amphioxus GpA2, GpB5, TSH receptor (TSHR) represent archetypes vertebrate TSHα, TSHβ, TSHR, respectively, both gpa2 gpb5 were coexpressed Hatschek pit, a homolog pituitary, amphioxus. also recombinant like zebrafish TSHα bound TSHR tethered thyrostimulin activated protein kinase A C pathways cells expressing TSHR. Moreover, we demonstrated induced production thyroid (TH) T4. Because genuine absent only sole glycoprotein hormone, our data likely provide evidence functional plays role as does vertebrates. The suggest TH signaling pathway evolved basal chordate more than 500 million years ago.