Molecular characterization of the GHRH/GHRH-R and its effect on GH synthesis and release in orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides)

Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) is a hypothalamic neuropeptide that stimulates growth hormone (GH) synthesis and secretion in the pituitary gland. In this paper, the full-length cDNAs of orange-spotted grouper GHRH and its receptor (GHRH-R) were cloned. The grouper GHRH cDNA is 713 bp in length and encodes a 141-aa precursor that includes an 18-aa signal peptide, a 27-aa mature GHRH mature peptide and a 47-aa carboxyl terminus. The grouper GHRH-R cDNA sequence is 1495 bp in length, encoding a 422-aa receptor with seven transmembrane domains. Tissue distribution analyses showed that both GHRH and GHRH-R mRNAs were predominantly expressed in the brain, while the GHRH-R mRNA was also abundantly detected in the pituitary gland. Both GHRH and GHRH-R mRNAs were expressed throughout embryonic development from the multi-cell stage to the newly hatched larvae stage, and the highest GHRH and GHRH-R expressions appeared at the brain vesicle stage and the heart stage, respectively. In vitro studies performed on the grouper pituitary primary cells showed that a synthetic grouper GHRH-NH2 increased both GH mRNA expression and GH protein release in a dose-dependent manner. Together, these results suggest that the newly obtained grouper GHRH was able to stimulate GH synthesis and release, similar to its mammalian counterparts.