36
1 Review 1 2 Molecular evolution and function of 26RFa/QRFP and its cognate receptor 3 4 Kazuyoshi Ukena a , Tomohiro Osugi b,d , Jérôme Leprince c , Hubert Vaudry c , 5 Kazuyoshi Tsutsui b,* 6 7 a Section of Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, 8 Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8521, Japan 9 b Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda 10 University, Tokyo, 162-8480, Japan 11 c Normandy University, INSERM U982, Institute for Research and Innovation in 12 Biomedicine (IRIB), 76821 Mont-Saint-Aignan, France 13 Current address: d Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, Bioorganic Research 14 Institute, Osaka, 618-8503, Japan 15 16 Keywords: 26RFa/QRFP, food intake, G protein-coupled receptor, hypothalamus, 17 neuropeptide 18 19 * Corresponding author: 20 Kazuyoshi Tsutsui, Ph. D., Professor 21 Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda 22 University, Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University 23 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan 24 Tel.: +81-3-5369-7311 25 Fax: +81-3-3355-0316 26 E-mail: [email protected] 27 Page 1 of 36 Accepted Preprint first posted on 14 February 2014 as Manuscript JME-13-0207 Copyright © 2014 by the Society for Endocrinology.

MOLECULAR EVOLUTION OF GPCRS: 26Rfa/GPR103

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Page 1: MOLECULAR EVOLUTION OF GPCRS: 26Rfa/GPR103

1

Review 1

2

Molecular evolution and function of 26RFa/QRFP and its cognate receptor 3

4

Kazuyoshi Ukenaa, Tomohiro Osugi

b,d, Jérôme Leprince

c, Hubert Vaudry

c, 5

Kazuyoshi Tsutsuib,* 6

7

aSection of Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, 8

Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8521, Japan 9

bLaboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda 10

University, Tokyo, 162-8480, Japan 11

cNormandy University, INSERM U982, Institute for Research and Innovation in 12

Biomedicine (IRIB), 76821 Mont-Saint-Aignan, France 13

Current address: dSuntory Foundation for Life Sciences, Bioorganic Research 14

Institute, Osaka, 618-8503, Japan 15

16

Keywords: 26RFa/QRFP, food intake, G protein-coupled receptor, hypothalamus, 17

neuropeptide 18

19

*Corresponding author: 20

Kazuyoshi Tsutsui, Ph. D., Professor 21

Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda 22

University, Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University 23

2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan 24

Tel.: +81-3-5369-7311 25

Fax: +81-3-3355-0316 26

E-mail: [email protected]

Page 1 of 36 Accepted Preprint first posted on 14 February 2014 as Manuscript JME-13-0207

Copyright © 2014 by the Society for Endocrinology.

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2

ABSTRACT 28

Neuropeptides possessing the Arg-Phe-NH2 (RFamide) motif at their C-termini 29

(designated RFamide peptides) have been characterized in a variety of animals. 30

Among these, neuropeptide 26RFa (also termed QRFP) is the latest member of the 31

RFamide peptide family to be discovered in the hypothalamus of vertebrates. 32

26RFa/QRFP is a 26-amino acid residue peptide that was originally identified 33

from the frog brain. It has been shown to exert orexigenic activity in mammals and 34

to be a ligand of the previously identified orphan G protein-coupled receptor, 35

GPR103, viz., QRFPR. The cDNAs encoding 26RFa/QRFP and QRFPR have now 36

been characterized in representative species of mammals, birds, and fish. 37

Functional studies have shown that, in mammals, the 26RFa/QRFP-QRFPR 38

system may regulate various functions, including food intake, energy homeostasis, 39

bone formation, pituitary hormone secretion, steroidogenesis, nociceptive 40

transmission, and blood pressure. Several biological actions have also been 41

reported in birds and fish. This review summarizes the current state of 42

identification, localization, and understanding of the functions of 26RFa/QRFP 43

and its cognate receptor, QRFPR, in vertebrates. 44

45

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3

Introduction 46

Neuropeptides that possess the Arg-Phe-NH2 motif at their C-termini (i.e., 47

RFamide peptides) have been characterized both in invertebrates and vertebrates. 48

The first RFamide peptide to be identified was the cardioexcitatory peptide 49

Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-NH2 (FMRFamide), which was isolated from the ganglia of the 50

Venus clam Macrocallista nimbosa (Price & Greenberg 1977). Since then, a 51

number of RFamide peptides have been identified in invertebrates, where these 52

peptides seem to act as neurotransmitters and neuromodulators (for review, see 53

Walker et al. 2009). 54

A number of immunohistochemical studies that used antisera against 55

FMRFamide suggested that the nervous system of vertebrates also contained 56

neuropeptides immunologically related to FMRFamide (Raffa 1988, Vallarino et 57

al. 1991, 1994, 1995, Rastogi et al. 2001). In fact, several neuropeptides harboring 58

the RFamide sequence at their C-terminal end have been characterized in the brain 59

of various vertebrates. In the past, the existence of 5 groups within the RFamide 60

peptide family has been recognized in vertebrates, viz., the neuropeptide FF 61

(NPFF) group, the prolactin-releasing peptide (PrRP) group, the 62

gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) group, the kisspeptin group, and the 63

26RFa/QRFP group (for reviews, see Bruzzone et al. 2006, Chartrel et al. 2011, 64

Leprince et al. 2013, Osugi et al. 2006, Tsutsui 2009, Tsutsui & Ukena 2006, 65

Tsutsui et al. 2010a,b, Ukena & Tsutsui 2005) (Fig. 1). These RFamide peptides 66

have been shown to exert important neuroendocrine, behavioral, sensory, and 67

autonomic functions (for reviews, see Chartrel et al. 2002, 2006a, Tsutsui & 68

Ukena 2006, Ukena & Tsutsui 2005). Among these vertebrate RFamide peptides, 69

NPFF is well-documented as a morphine modulatory peptide (Panula et al. 1999). 70

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4

In addition, GnIH and kisspeptin appear to play key roles in the regulation of the 71

reproductive axis (Tsutsui et al. 2010b). This review summarizes the current state 72

of knowledge on the molecular evolution and functions of 26RFa/QRFP, the latest 73

member of the RFamide peptide family to be discovered in vertebrates, and of its 74

cognate receptor, QRFPR. This review also indicates future directions in this 75

research field. 76

77

Unity and diversity of the structure of 26RFa/QRFP in vertebrates 78

The 26-amino acid residue RFamide peptide 26FRa/QRFP was identified for 79

the first time in the brain of an amphibian species (Chartrel et al. 2003). An 80

antibody against the RFamide motif was used to screen, by radioimmunoassay, 81

peptide fractions purified from a brain extract of the European green frog (Rana 82

esculenta). After high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) purification, 83

the sequence of the isolated substance was analyzed by mass spectrometry MS/MS 84

fragmentation; it turned out to be a 26-amino acid peptide possessing the RFamide 85

motif at its C-terminus, viz., VGTALGSLAEELNGYNRKKGGFSFRFamide. 86

This neuropeptide had not been reported in any animals previously and was 87

designated 26RFa (Fig. 2A) (Chartrel et al. 2003). 88

The amino acid sequence of frog 26RFa was employed to identify the cDNA 89

encoding the counterpart of 26RFa in rat and humans (Chartrel et al. 2003). 90

Concurrently, two other research groups independently identified 26RFa/QRFP 91

precursors using a bioinformatic approach in the rat, mouse, bovine, and human 92

genomes and paired 26RFa/QRFP with a previously identified orphan G 93

protein-coupled receptor, GPR103, also known as AQ27 or SP9155 (Fukusumi et 94

al. 2003, Jiang et al. 2003) (Fig. 2B). GPR103 has thus been re-named QRFPR by 95

Page 4 of 36

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5

the HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (http://www.genenames.org/). The 96

mature 43-amino acid residue RFamide peptide was identified from the culture 97

medium of CHO cells that expressed the human peptide precursor (Fukusumi et al. 98

2003). Because the N-terminal amino acid was pyroglutamic acid, this RFamide 99

peptide was also named pyroglutamylated RFamide peptide (QRFP) (Fukusumi et 100

al. 2003). Subsequently, the cDNAs encoding the 26RFa/QRFP precursors have 101

been characterized in goldfish (Liu et al. 2009), quail (Ukena et al. 2010), chicken 102

(Ukena et al. 2010), and zebra finch (Tobari et al. 2011) (Fig. 2B). Although the 103

26RFa/QRFP cDNA has not been characterized in the European green frog, the 104

corresponding sequence in the African clawed frog (Xenopus tropicalis) is present 105

in the database (Fig. 2B). Furthermore, homologous sequences have been listed in 106

the genome database of reptilian (lizard) and fish (stickleback, medaka, fugu, and 107

zebrafish) species (Liu et al. 2009). These data have revealed the existence of the 108

26RFa/QRFP-encoding gene in representative species of the whole vertebrate 109

phyla, including fish, amphibians, reptilians, birds, and mammals (Chartrel et al. 110

2011, Ukena et al. 2011). 111

As there are several monobasic processing sites in the 26RFa/QRFP precursor 112

protein, alternative cleavage may yield various N-terminally elongated forms of 113

26RFa/QRFP (Chartrel et al. 2006b, 2011). HPLC analysis combined with 114

radioimmunoassays indicated the existence of both 26- and 43-amino acid residue 115

RFamide peptide-like immunoreactivities in the hypothalamus and spinal cord of 116

humans (Bruzzone et al. 2006). Indeed, an N-terminally extended peptide of 43 117

residues, called 43RFa or QRFP, has been characterized in rat brain extracts, as 118

well as in PC12 cells and the culture medium of CHO cells that express the human 119

precursor, as described above (Bruzzone et al. 2006, Fukusumi et al. 2003, 120

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6

Takayasu et al. 2006) (Fig. 2A). The human and Xenopus 26RFa/QRFP precursors 121

may also generate a 9-amino acid peptide, termed 9RFa, located upstream of 122

26RFa/QRFP (Fig. 2B). However, 9RFa has not been detected in tissue extracts to 123

date. Structure–activity relationship studies have revealed that the synthetic 124

C-terminal heptapeptide (26RFa20–26; GGFSFRFamide) is responsible for the 125

biological activity of 26RFa/QRFP (Le Marec et al. 2011, Neveu et al. 2012). A 126

reverse pharmacological study has demonstrated that 26RFa/QRFP is a natural 127

ligand for the previously identified orphan receptor, GPR103, viz., QRFPR, as 128

described below (Fukusumi et al. 2003, Jiang et al. 2003, Takayasu et al. 2006). 129

As reported above, the mature forms of 26RFa/QRFP have been identified in 130

the brains of amphibians and mammals (Bruzzone et al. 2006, Chartrel et al. 2003, 131

Takayasu et al. 2006) but, until recently, the existence of 26RFa/QRFP had not 132

been investigated in birds. Only the GnIH group among the RFamide peptide 133

family had been found in avian at the time we started this study (for reviews, see 134

Tsutsui 2009, Tsutsui & Ukena 2006, Tsutsui et al. 2010a,b, Ukena & Tsutsui 135

2005). We have therefore looked for 26RFa/QRFP in the avian brain and found the 136

presence of a gene encoding the 26RFa/QRFP precursor in chicken after searching 137

the genomic database. Subsequently, the cDNA of the 26RFa/QRFP precursor was 138

sequenced in the quail hypothalamus (Ukena et al. 2010). The quail precursor 139

protein demonstrates 88% overall similarity with the chicken sequence, 47% with 140

the corresponding human sequence, and 40% with the rat sequence (Ukena et al. 141

2011). A Lys-Arg dibasic cleavage site is present in the C-terminal region of the 142

quail and chicken precursor sequences, but not in that of mammalian sequences 143

(Fig. 2B). This indicates that the mature peptide consists of 27 amino acid residues 144

in quail and chicken, unlike the 26 residues in the amphibian 26RFa /QRFP 145

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7

sequence (Chartrel et al. 2003). In fact, MS analysis combined with 146

immunoaffinity purification has revealed that the 27-amino acid sequence 147

corresponds to the mature form of the peptide in the quail hypothalamus, 148

indicating that the peptide is actually produced from the precursor in the 149

hypothalamus (Ukena et al. 2010; Fig. 2A). More recently, a 26RFa/QRFP 150

orthologue, consisting of 25 amino acids, and the related cDNA have been 151

characterized in the brain of zebra finch (Tobari et al. 2011; Fig. 2). 152

Synteny analysis of the 26RFa/QRFP gene revealed that the chromosomal 153

region encompassing the 26RFa/QRFP gene is highly conserved from amphibians 154

to human. Indeed, all these regions contain paralogs of several other genes and 155

thus clearly constitute a paralogon (Fig. 3). However, this paralogon has not been 156

preserved in fish (Fig. 3), possibly because of the specific genome duplication and 157

rearrangements that have occurred during the evolution in the fish lineage. To 158

date, the existence of 26RFa/QRFP gene in coelacanth and lamprey is still unclear 159

(Fig. 3). 160

161

Comparative aspects of biological actions of 26RFa/QRFP in vertebrates 162

Mammals 163

The mRNAs encoding 26RFa/QRFP and its cognate receptor QRFPR are 164

highly expressed in the dorsolateral and mediobasal hypothalamic areas of rodents 165

(Bruzzone et al. 2007, Chartrel et al. 2003, Takayasu et al. 2006). These two areas 166

are known to be involved in the regulation of energy homeostasis. In a similar 167

way, in human, 26RFa/QRFP-producing cells are localized in the paraventricular 168

and ventromedial nuclei of the hypothalamus (Bruzzone et al. 2006) which are 169

also known to regulate food intake. Indeed, intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) 170

Page 7 of 36

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8

injection of 26RFa/QRFP has been demonstrated to stimulate food intake in 171

rodents (Chartrel et al. 2003, Do Régo et al. 2006, Lectez et al. 2009, Moriya et 172

al. 2006, Primeaux 2011, Primeaux et al. 2008, 2013, Takayasu et al. 2006). 173

In addition to its orexigenic effects, 26RFa/QRFP has been reported to exert a 174

wide range of biological actions (Fig. 4). In an earlier report, intravenous 175

administration of 26RFa/QRFP in rats was found to increase plasma aldosterone 176

levels in a dose-dependent manner (Fukusumi et al. 2003). Recently, it has been 177

reported that 26RFa/QRFP and QRFPR are present in the human and rat adrenal 178

gland and that 26RFa/QRFP stimulates corticosteroid secretion by human 179

adrenocortical cells (Ramanjaneya et al. 2013). In the rat pancreas, 180

glucose-evoked insulin secretion is reduced by perfusion of 26RFa/QRFP (Egido 181

et al. 2007). In the adipocyte cell line 3T3-L1, 26RFa/QRFP inhibits 182

isoproterenol-induced lipolysis (Malumba et al. 2010). Since 3T3-L1 cells express 183

the QRFPR-encoding gene, it appears that 26RFa/QRFP may act in an 184

autocrine/paracrine manner to regulate adipogenesis (Malumba et al. 2010). 185

26RFa/QRFP is also expressed in human prostate cancer and stimulates the 186

neuroendocrine differentiation and migration of cancer cells (Alonzeau et al. 187

2013). Administration of 26RFa/QRFP in the brain increases plasma luteinizing 188

hormone (LH) levels in both sexes in rat (Navarro et al. 2006, Patel et al. 2008) 189

and stimulates prolactin and growth hormone secretion in male rhesus monkeys 190

(Qaiser et al. 2012, Wahab et al. 2012). Intrathecally administered 26RFa/QRFP 191

induces analgesic effects in rat under formalin and carrageenan tests (Yamamoto et 192

al. 2008). Central injection of 26RFa/QRFP in mice causes a rise in blood pressure 193

and heart rate (Takayasu et al. 2006). Mice deficient in the receptor for 194

26RFa/QRFP (QRFPR) suffer from osteopenia (Baribault et al. 2006). This 195

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9

observation indicates that 26RFa/QRFP plays a major role in bone formation, via 196

QRFPR that is expressed in bone (Baribault et al. 2006). 197

198

Non-mammalian vertebrates 199

In goldfish, quantitative RT-PCR analysis demonstrated high expression of 200

26RFa/QRFP mRNA in the hypothalamus, optic tectum–thalamus, and testis. The 201

expression of 26RFa/QRFP mRNA in the hypothalamus is augmented at 4 days 202

after food deprivation (Liu et al. 2009). In addition, serum LH levels are 203

significantly increased at 1 h, but not at 3 and 6 h after intraperitoneal injection of 204

26RFa/QRFP (Liu et al. 2009). As 26RFa/QRFP has no effect on LH release from 205

pituitary cells in primary culture, it is thought that, in fish, the peptide may 206

stimulate the gonadotropic axis by acting exclusively at the hypothalamic level. 207

These results suggest that 26RFa/QRFP regulates energy homeostasis and the 208

hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis in fish, as also observed in mammals. 209

In birds, the expression of 26RFa/QRFP mRNA in the quail brain has been 210

investigated in different brain regions, i.e., the cerebrum, diencephalon, 211

mesencephalon, and cerebellum, by quantitative PCR analysis. A high level of 212

expression of 26RFa/QRFP mRNA is present in the diencephalon, including the 213

hypothalamus, while 26RFa/QRFP mRNA is almost undetectable in other brain 214

regions (Ukena et al. 2010). 26RFa/QRFP-immunoreactive cell bodies were found 215

only in the anterior hypothalamic nucleus in the diencephalon of 216

colchicine-treated birds (quail and chicken) (Ukena et al. 2010). Furthermore, in 217

situ hybridization has shown specific expression of 26RFa/QRFP mRNA in the 218

anterior hypothalamic nucleus in the chick brain, and the distribution of 219

26RFa/QRFP mRNA-containing perikarya clearly matches with that of 220

Page 9 of 36

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26RFa/QRFP-immunoreactive neurons (Ukena et al. 2010). In the zebra finch, in 221

situ hybridization analysis has revealed that expression of 26RFa/QRFP mRNA is 222

localized to the anterior-medial hypothalamic area, the ventromedial nucleus of 223

the hypothalamus, and the lateral hypothalamic area (Tobari et al. 2011). These 224

neuroanatomical data suggest that, in birds, 26RFa/QRFP produced in the 225

hypothalamus participates in the control of feeding behavior, as previously shown 226

in rodents (Chartrel et al. 2006b, Do Régo et al. 2006, Moriya et al. 2006, 227

Primeaux et al. 2008). 228

To assess the above speculation, the effect of central injection of 26RFa/QRFP 229

has been surveyed in both broiler and layer chick lines. I.c.v. injection of 230

26RFa/QRFP stimulates feeding behavior in broiler chicks, but not in layer chicks 231

(Ukena et al. 2010). It is likely that the different effects in these two chick lines 232

can be explained by the following reports. It has been demonstrated that the effect 233

of 26RFa/QRFP on feeding behavior in rodents differs according to the energy 234

status and/or the species (Primeaux et al. 2013). Although 26RFa/QRFP hardly 235

effects food intake in normally fed rats (Fukusumi et al. 2003, Kampe et al. 2006, 236

Patel et al. 2008), at least under a low-fat diet (Primeaux et al. 2008), 237

26RFa/QRFP induces a marked orexigenic effect in mice and food-restricted rats 238

(Chartrel et al. 2003,2005, Do Régo et al. 2006, Lectez et al. 2009, Moriya et al. 239

2006, Takayasu et al. 2006). In addition, it has been demonstrated that 240

26RFa/QRFP selectively increases the intake of a high fat diet in rats (Primeaux 241

2011, Primeaux et al. 2008, 2013). On the other hand, to determine the 242

biologically active core of 26RFa/QRFP, the effect of a synthetic C-terminal 243

octapeptide (26RFa-8; KGGFAFRFamide) of 26RFa/QRFP has been tested on 244

chicken feeding behavior. This C-terminal sequence is highly conserved from fish 245

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11

to mammals (Fig. 2). 26RFa-8 stimulates food intake in broiler chicks, but not in 246

layer chicks, in much the same manner as the full length peptide (Ukena et al. 247

2010). Consistent with this observation, a synthetic C-terminal heptapeptide of 248

26RFa/QRFP (26RFa20–26; GGFSFRFamide) exerts an orexigenic effect in mice 249

(Do Régo et al. 2006). In addition, 26RFa20–26 evokes a significant increase in 250

serum LH levels in female rats (Navarro et al. 2006). Taken together, it appears 251

that the C-terminal region of 26RFa/QRFP is responsible for the biological 252

activity of the peptide. In addition to the chick data, it has been reported that 253

central injection of 26RFa/QRFP in free-feeding male zebra finches stimulates 254

food intake for 24 h, without a change in body mass (Tobari et al. 2011). These 255

results also indicate that 26RFa/QRFP exerts an orexigenic activity in various 256

avian species. 257

258

Comparative aspects of QRFPR in vertebrates 259

Mammals 260

In humans, 26RFa/QRFP has been found to be an endogenous ligand of the 261

orphan receptor GPR103 (now re-named QRFPR), which is a class A G 262

protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) (Fukusumi et al. 2003, Jiang et al. 2003). 263

QRFPR shares relatively high sequence similarity with other RFamide receptors, 264

notably those for NPFF, PrRP, kisspeptin, and GnIH, and to a lesser extent with 265

the other peptidergic receptors for neuropeptide Y (NPY), galanin, orexin, and 266

cholecystokinin (CCK) (Jiang et al. 2003, Lee et al. 2001). Surprisingly, 267

26RFa/QRFP displays a moderate affinity for NPFF-2 (the receptor for NPFF) and 268

a low affinity for NPFF-1 (the receptor for GnIH) (Gouardères et al. 2007). In 269

addition, QRFPR possesses several characteristic features of class A GPCRs, such 270

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12

as (i) a disulfide bridge between the two Cys (C) residues located in the first and 271

second extracellular loops (EL1 and EL2), (ii) the existence of an Asp (D) residue 272

within the second transmembrane domain (TM2) that seems to play a pivotal role 273

in G protein coupling, (iii) a conserved Glu (E)–Arg (R) doublet sequence at the 274

N-terminal end of the second intracellular loop (IL2), and (iv) three conserved 275

residues, i.e. Phe (F), Pro (P) and Asn (N), within TM6 and TM7, which are 276

crucial for receptor activation (Fig. 5). 26- and 43-amino acid residue QRFPs bind 277

to QRFPR with high affinity (EC50 = 3.2 and 0.52 nM, respectively) (Fukusumi et 278

al. 2003, Jiang et al. 2003). It has also been demonstrated that 26- and 43-amino 279

acid residue QRFPs inhibit cAMP formation with similar efficacy in 280

QRFPR-transfected CHO cells (Fukusumi et al. 2003). Furthermore, 26RFa/QRFP 281

markedly increases intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca

2+]i) in a pertussis toxin 282

(PTX)-independent manner. These results suggest that QRFPR is coupled to a Gi/0 283

and/or to a Gq protein (Fukusumi et al. 2003). The affinity and potency of the 284

C-terminal heptapeptide 26RFa20–26 (GGFSFRFamide) have been investigated and 285

were found to be lower than those of 26RFa/QRFP. These data indicate that this 286

heptapeptide is a relatively weak ligand for QRFPR (Fukusumi et al. 2003, Le 287

Marec et al. 2011). Furthermore, it has been reported that 26RFa/QRFP enhances 288

corticosteroid secretion in human adrenocortical cells by regulating key 289

steroidgogenic enzymes involving MAPK/PKC and Ca2+ signaling pathways via 290

QRFPR (Ramanjaneya et al. 2013). 291

In contrast to humans, who only have a single QRFPR-encoding gene, two 292

isoforms of the receptor for 26RFa/QRFP have been characterized in rodents. 293

These 26RFa/QRFP receptor isoforms have been designated QRFPR1 and 294

QRFPR2 in rat and mouse (Kampe et al. 2006, Takayasu et al. 2006). 295

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26RFa/QRFP stimulates inositol triphosphate in rat QRFPR1 and QRFPR2 with 296

similar efficacy (Kampe et al. 2006) and binds mouse QRFPR1 and QRFPR2 with 297

similar affinity (Takayasu et al. 2006). 298

The distribution of QRFPR mRNA and its peptide binding sites have been 299

studied by in situ hybridization and autoradiography, respectively. In rat, QRFPR 300

mRNA-containing cells are notably expressed in the midbrain, the pons, and the 301

medulla oblongata, while 26RFa/QRFP binding sites are widely distributed 302

throughout the brain and spinal cord (Bruzzone et al. 2007). These results suggest 303

that 26RFa/QRFP can bind to a receptor(s) other than QRFPR. Indeed, it has been 304

found by competition experiments that 26RFa/QRFP interacts with NPFF-2, the 305

cognate receptor for NPFF (Bruzzone et al. 2007). The widespread distribution of 306

26RFa/QRFP binding sites suggests that 26RFa/QRFP exerts multiple functions in 307

the brain and spinal cord that are mediated by at least 2 distinct receptors, QRFPR 308

and NPFF-2 (Bruzzone et al. 2007). 309

310

Non-mammalian vertebrates 311

In birds, the cDNAs encoding QRFPR have been characterized in the brain of 312

chicken and zebra finch (Tobari et al. 2011, Ukena et al. 2010). The sequence of 313

chicken QRFPR is highly similar to those of human and rat QRFPR (Fig. 5). The 314

action of 26RFa/QRFP on chicken QRFPR has been studied by measuring [Ca2+]i 315

in HEK293T cells that had been transiently transfected with chicken QRFPR. In 316

these cells, 26RFa/QRFP increases [Ca2+]i in a dose-dependent manner, with an 317

EC50 value of around 40 nM (Ukena et al. 2010). The mRNA of QRFPR is widely 318

expressed in chicken and zebra finch brains and the highest concentration of 319

mRNA is observed in the diencephalon (Tobari et al. 2011, Ukena et al. 2010). As 320

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14

the mRNA of QRFPR is expressed in the brain outside the diencephalon in 321

chicken, as it is in rat (Bruzzone et al. 2007), 26RFa/QRFP may exert multiple 322

functions in addition to regulating food intake (Ukena et al. 2010). 323

Synteny analysis has revealed the existence of species specific paralogous 324

genes of QRFPR in mouse, zebrafish and coelacanth (Fig. 6). These paralogous 325

genes may have emerged along with the species specific gene or genome 326

duplications that occurred during the course of vertebrate evolution. Phylogenetic 327

analysis data are consistent with synteny analysis (Fig. 7). Although there are 328

homologous sequences to QRFPR in the genome database of Xenopus, zebrafish, 329

coelacanth and lamprey (Figs. 5 and 6), QRFPR has been studied only in 330

mammals and birds. Further characterization of QRFPR is thus needed to 331

determine the functional significance of the 26RFa/QRFP-QRFPR system in other 332

vertebrate phyla, such as reptilians, amphibians, and fish. 333

334

Conclusions and future directions 335

26RFa/QRFP belongs to the most recently identified group of the RFamide 336

peptide family. 26RFa/QRFP was firstly identified in the brain of the European 337

green frog. Subsequently, the cDNAs encoding the 26RFa/QRFP precursors have 338

been charaterized in various animals, including goldfish, quail, chicken, zebra 339

finch, mouse, rat, bovine, and humans and these analyses have shown the 340

existence of the 26RFa/QRFP-encoding gene in representative species of the 341

vertebrate phylum. 26RFa/QRFP has been found to be a high-affinity endogenous 342

ligand of the previously identified orphan G protein-coupled receptor GPR103 343

(QRFPR) in mammals. In rodents and monkeys, 26RFa/QRFP exerts diverse 344

biological actions, including regulation of food intake and energy homeostasis, 345

Page 14 of 36

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hormone secretion, nociception, and bone formation. Recently, the mature 346

sequences of 26RFa/QRFP have been identified by structural analysis in quail and 347

zebra finch. In birds, as in mammals, 26RFa/QRFP-producing neurons are only 348

located in the hypothalamus while QRFPR is widely distributed throughout the 349

brain. 26RFa/QRFP also exerts an orexigenic action in birds, as it does in rodents, 350

and a similar effect of 26RFa/QRFP has been suggested in fish, because of 351

up-regulation of 26RFa/QRFP mRNA by a negative energy state. Thus, the 352

structure, distribution pattern, and biological actions of the 26RFa/QRFP-QRFPR 353

system have been conserved across the vertebrate phylum, from fish to mammals. 354

However, further studies are clearly required to fully elucidate the molecular 355

evolution and functional significance of the 26RFa/QRFP-QRFPR pair in 356

vertebrates. In particular, in vitro and in vivo studies on development, 357

morphogenesis, and behavior in non-mammalian model organisms, such as 358

Xenopus and zebrafish, should bring to light previously unknown physiological 359

actions of 26RFa/QRFP-QRFPR. Recent studies have shown that a number of 360

neuropeptide/GPCR pairs initially discovered in vertebrates/deuterostomes 361

actually possess homologs in protostomes (Sherwood et al. 2006, Roch et al. 362

2011, Frooninckx et al. 2012, Grimmelikhuijzen & Hauser 2012; Mirabeau & 363

Joly, 2013). It would thus be interesting to look for the existence of 26RFa/QRFP 364

and/or QRFPR orthologs in representative species of protostomes.365

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Acknowledgments 366

This work was supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the 367

Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture, Japan (20770056 and 22687004 to 368

K.U. and 18107002, 22132004, and 22227002 to K.T.), the Toray Science 369

Foundation to K.U., the Programme for Promotion of Basic and Applied 370

Researches for Innovations in Bio-oriented Industry to K.U., and a France-Japan 371

exchange program (INSERM-JSPS) to K.T. and H.V. 372

373

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Ukena K, Tachibana T, Iwakoshi-Ukena E, Saito Y, Minakata H, Kawaguchi R, 549

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functional characterization of the orexigenic peptide 26RFa and its receptor 555

in vertebrates. Cell and Tissue Research 343 475–481. 556

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of FMRFamide-like immunoreactivity in the brain of the elasmobranch fish 558

Scyliorhinus canicula. Peptides 12 1321–1328. 559

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Distribution of FMRFamide-like immunoreactivity in the brain of the lizard 561

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1995 Distribution of FMRFamide-like immunoreactivity in the brain of the 564

lungfish Protopterus annectens. Peptides 16 1187–1196. 565

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testosterone and prolactin secretion in the adult male rhesus monkey 568

(Macaca mulatta). Peptides 36 23–28. 569

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RFamide-like peptides in metazoa. Invertebrate Neuroscience 9 111–153. 571

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administered 26RFa, an intrinsic agonist for GPR103, on formalin test and 573

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carrageenan test in rats. Neuroscience 157 214–222. 574

575

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26

Figure Legends 576

Fig. 1. Phylogenetic tree of the RFamide peptide family in vertebrates. Studies 577

over the past decade have demonstrated that the brain of vertebrates produces a 578

variety of RFamide peptides. To date, 5 groups have been identified within this 579

family: the neuropeptide FF (NPFF) group, the prolactin-releasing peptide (PrRP) 580

group, the gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) group, the kisspeptin group, 581

and the 26RFa/QRFP group. 582

583

Fig. 2. Alignments of the amino acid sequences of identified 26RFa/QRFP 584

peptides (A) and their precursor proteins (B) deduced from mammalian (human, 585

bovine, rat, and mouse), avian (chicken, quail, and zebra finch), amphibian 586

(Xenopus), and fish (goldfish) cDNAs. The predicted signal peptide sequences are 587

underlined with a dashed line. <E represents pyroglutamic acid. The positions of 588

identified mature peptides in the precursor proteins are underlined with solid lines. 589

The human and Xenopus 26RFa/QRFP precursors may also generate a 9-amino 590

acid peptide, termed 9RFa (boxed). Fully conserved amino acids are highlighted 591

with red boxes and highly conserved amino acids with gray boxes, respectively. 592

The Lys (K)–Arg (R) dibasic processing sites in birds and Xenopus, the single Arg 593

(R) putative processing sites in mammals and fish, and the Gly (G) C-terminal 594

amidation signals are shown in bold. Gaps marked by hyphens were inserted to 595

optimize homology. The GenBank accession numbers of these sequences are as 596

follows: human 26RFa/QRFP, NP_937823; bovine 26RFa/QRFP, NP_937865; rat 597

26RFa/QRFP, NP_937843; mouse 26RFa/QRFP, NP_906269; chicken 598

26RFa/QRFP, XP_001235089; quail 26RFa/QRFP, BAI81890; zebra finch 599

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27

26RFa/QRFP, BAK32798; Xenopus tropicalis 26RFa/QRFP, XP_002936227; and 600

goldfish 26RFa/QRFP, ACI46681. 601

602

Fig. 3. Synteny analysis around 26RFa/QRFP gene loci. Orthologous or 603

paralogous genes are linked by horizontal lines. The 26RFa/QRFP genes are 604

shown white in black boxes. The nucleotide position of each gene on the 605

chromosome is shown under each gene. Genbank accession numbers of 606

26RFa/QRFP genes are as follows: human 26RFa/QRFP, AB109625.1; mouse 607

26RFa/QRFP, AB109628.1; chicken 26RFa/QRFP, XM_001235088.2; Xenopus 608

tropicalis 26RFa/QRFP, XM_004916673.1; zebrafish 26RFa/QRFP, 609

XP_00133883; medaka 26RFa/QRFP, XP_004073955.1. 610

611

Fig. 4. Demonstrated biological actions of 26RFa/QRFP-QRFPR in vertebrates. 612

26RFa/QRFP and QRFPR have been found to exert a wide array of biological 613

activities. 614

615

Fig. 5. Alignment of the amino acid sequences of the G-protein coupled receptor 616

for 26RFa/QRFP, QRFPR, in mammals (human and rat), birds (chicken and zebra 617

finch), frog (Xenopus), and fish (zebrafish). Fully conserved amino acids are 618

highlighted with green boxes and highly conserved amino acids with gray boxes. 619

Putative transmembrane domains (TMD) are underlined. The disulfide bridge 620

between the 2 Cys (C) residues located in the first and second extracellular loops 621

is indicated by a line. The Asp (D) residue in TMD2 involved in G protein 622

coupling, the conserved Glu (E)–Arg (R) in the second intracellular loop, and the 623

conserved Phe (F), Pro (P), and Asn (N) residues in TMD6 and TMD7 are 624

Page 27 of 36

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28

represented by colored letters. A hyphen has been inserted to obtain optimal 625

homology. The GenBank accession numbers of these sequences are as follows: 626

human QRFPR, NP_937822; rat QRFPR, NP_937842; chicken QRFPR, 627

NP_001120642; zebra finch QRFPR, NP_001243137; Xenopus tropicalis QRFPR, 628

NP_001072295; and zebrafish QRFPR, XP_001920042. 629

630

Fig. 6. Synteny analysis around QRFPR gene loci. Orthologous or paralogous 631

genes are linked by horizontal lines. The QRFPR genes are shown white in black 632

boxes. The nucleotide position of each gene on the chromosome is shown under 633

each gene. Genbank accession numbers of QRFPR genes are as follows: human 634

QRFPR, JF810892.1; mouse QRFRP1, BC096610.1; chicken QRFPR, 635

NM_001127170.1; Xenopus tropicalis QRFPR, NM_001078827.1; medaka 636

QRFPR, XP_004080459.1. Ensembl genome database accession numbers are as 637

follows: mouse QRFPR2, ENSMUSG00000029917; zebrafish QRFPR1, 638

ENSDARG00000039349; zebrafish QRFPR2, ENSDARG00000068422; 639

zebrafish QRFPR3, ENSDARG00000092652; coelacanth QRFPR, 640

ENSLACG00000016226; sea lamprey QRFPR, ENSPMAG00000005451. 641

Genscan (http://genes.mit.edu/GENSCAN.html) was used to predict putative 642

coelacanth QRFPR3 precursor protein. 643

644

Fig. 7. Phylogenetic analysis of QRFPR precursor proteins. Drosophila 645

melanogaster peptide GPCR was used as an out group. NPY receptors are 646

included in the phylogenetic tree as a reference group of vertebrate GPCR. Scale 647

bar refers to a phylogenetic distance of 0.1 nucleotide substitutions per site. 648

Numbers on the branches indicate bootstrap percentage following 1000 649

Page 28 of 36

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29

replications in constructing the tree. Genbank accession numbers of the NPY1-R 650

genes are as follows: human NPY1-R, NM_000909; mouse NPY1-R, 651

NM_010934; chicken NPY1-R, NM_001031535; anole lizard NPY1-R, 652

XM_003221700; Xenopus laevis NPY1-R, NM_001085879; zebrafish NPY1-R, 653

NM_001102391; Drosophila melanogaster peptide GPCR, AY217746.1. 654

Page 29 of 36

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0.1

LampreyGnIH

FuguNPFF

Zebrafish NPFF

Human NPFFRat NPFF

Mouse NPFF

Tilapia PrRP

Goldfish PrRP

Rat PrRP

Human PrRP

Ovine PrRP

Bovine PrRP

Hagfish NPFF

Lamprey NPFF

Newt LPXRFa

Bovine RFRP

Human RFRPMonkey RFRP

Rat RFRP

Mouse RFRP

Quail GnIHChicken GnIH

Starling GnIHSparrow GnIH

Zebra finch GnIH

Frog GRP

Zebrafish LPXRFa

Goldfish LPXRFa

X. tropicalis 26RFa/QRFP

Bovine 26RFa/QRFP

Ovine 26RFa/QRFP

Human 26RFa/QRFP

Rat 26RFa/QRFP

Mouse 26RFa/QRFP

Zebra finch26RFa/QRFP

Quail26RFa/QRFP

Chicken26RFa/QRFP

Medaka26RFa/QRFPGoldfish

26RFa/QRFP

Zebrafish26RFa/QRFP

Human Kiss1

Rat Kiss1

Grass puffer Kiss2

Zebrafish Kiss-2

Grass lizard Kiss-2

X. laevis Kiss-2

X. tropicalisKiss-2

26RFa/QRFP group

Kisspeptingroup

GnIH group

NPFF group

PrRP group

Fig. 1

Page 30 of 36

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mature peptide (26RFa/QRFP)

signal peptide

Fig. 2

putative peptide (9RFa)

Human ------MVR-PYPLIYFLFLPLGACFPLLDRREPTDA----------MGGLGAGER 39Bovine -------MRSPYSLPYLLFLPLGACFPVLDTEEPVDA----------VGGTGREMS 39Rat -------MR-CLCSWLCLLLPLSACFPLLDRRGPTD-----------IGDIGARMS 37Mouse -------MR-GFRPLLSLLLPLSACFPLLDRRGPTD-----------IGDIGARMN 37Chicken -------MRAPYSLTCLILLSLGACCPPHEHHEPRRP------------EDVLEPC 37Quail -------MRASYSLSCLILLSLAACCPPHQHHQPRHP------------EDVLEPR 37Zebra finch -------MRAPYSLSCLFLLSLGACIPPGERWEPAEPGEGAALGGGWQRAAEGRGP 49Xenopus -------MS------VLVLLSLGYTFALQDSREQSDP----------WERIRLLRM 33Goldfish MKFQVIHLSSTLQTTILFLLVLLVQPPRGLMLPHHPMVYLPMLDNPEWEAALLQLQ 56

Human WADLAM-----------GPR-PHSVWGSSRWLRASQPQALLVIARGLQTSGREHAG 83Bovine WMDPAR-----------GRPFP---WGSPGWPRAPYPHALLVTAKELRASGKARAG 81Rat WVQLTE-----------GHT-PRSVQ-------SPRPQALLVVAKEQQASRREHTG 74Mouse WAQLAE-----------GHP-PNSVQ-------NPQPQALLVVAREQQASHREHTG 74Chicken WRG------------AVAEAVGPCGWAAPMRRRSEELGALLGIARVLRGYGQQHSV 81Quail WRG--------------AEAVGPCVWAAPMRRRSEELGTLLGIARGLRGYGQQHSV 78Zebra finch GWRAGARRRRSEELDELLSITRGPGWRAGARRRRSEELEALLSIARELRGYSAAGA 105Xenopus MADGEE-----------NSAGALWYPLAPRQRKSTDPASLFSVAKELQGFGKERAG 78Goldfish ASLGAAGGKAVVEIQPWALIQEPGPEELLERVKAELGWGQKGIVKGQKREELGWKP 112

Human CRFRF--GR-QDEGSEATGFLPAAGEKTSGPLGNLAEELNGYSRKKGGFSFRFGRR 136Bovine FQLRL--GR-QDDGSEATGLLLGEAEKVGGLLGTLAEELNGYSRKKGGFSFRFGRR 134Rat --FRL--GR-QDSGSEATGFLPTDSEKASGPLGTLAEELSSYSRRKGGFSFRFGR- 124Mouse --FRL--GR-QDGSSEAAGFLPADSEKASGPLGTLAEELSSYSRRKGGFSFRFGR- 124Chicken GPR----GR-PEG-SE--------KRGGGGTLGDLAEELNGYGRKKGGFAFRFGR- 122Quail GTR----GR-QEG-SE--------KRGGGGTLGDLAEELNGYSRKKGGFAFRFGR- 120Zebra finch -------GQRPGG-SGGPGALPVVGEKRSGTLGNLAEEINGYNRRKGGFTFRFGR- 152Xenopus FRFRF--GRQEEGNEFEDFEQQDEEKRGGTALGSLAEELNGYNRKKGGFSFRFGRR 132Goldfish MGTFPDNLIVDVPYPQGGEVEEEGGEKQNEALTSIAGGLQAFNRQKGGFGFRFGKK 168

Human <EDEGSEATGFLPAAGEKTSGPLGNLAEELNGYSRKKGGFSFRFamideRat <EDSGSEATGFLPTDSEKASGPLGTLAEELSSYSRRKGGFSFRFamideQuail GGGGTLGDLAEELNGYSRKKGGFAFRFamideZebra finch SGTLGNLAEEINGYNRRKGGFTFRFamideGreen frog VGTALGSLAEELNGYNRKKGGFSFRFamide

A

B

Page 31 of 36

Page 32: MOLECULAR EVOLUTION OF GPCRS: 26Rfa/GPR103

Human

26RFA/QRFP133.77 MB

GPR107132.81 MB

FAM78A134.13 MB

Mouse

31.67 MB

31.00 MB

Ch. 17

6.65 MB

5.82 MB

Zebrafish

19.82 MB

34.08 MB

1.65 MB

1.51 MB

1.98 MB

1.12 MB

X. tropicalisScaffold

EXOSC2133.56 MB 6.56 MB31.52 MB

75.25 MB

6.76 MB31.90 MB

75.10 MB

Gpr107 GPR107 gpr107gpr107

exosc2EXOSC2Exosc2

exosc2

26Rfa/Qrfp 26RFA/QRFP 26rfa/qrfp 26rfa/qrfp

fam78aFAM78AFam78a

fam78a

Ch. 11

26rfa/qrfp1.98 MB

fam78a10.04 MB

Ch. 12

12.38 MB

exosc2

Ch. 5

CoelacanthScaffold GL476397

81.22 KB

gpr107

JH126633.1

1.92 MB

fam78aPOMT1134.37 MB

Pomt132.23 MB

POMT16.22 MB

pomt11.04 MB

pomt12.09 MB

pomt152.80 MB

Ch. 9

pomt128.21 MB

1.28 MB

exosc2

591.58 KB

fam78a

dnm1a441.68 KB

DNM1130.97 MB 5.02 MB

DNM132.31 MB

Dnm1 dnm1591.58 KB

dnm1a1.60 MB 2.01 MB

dnm1

5.86 MB 213.38 KB

ncs1NCS1132.93 MB

NCS131.25 MB

Ncs1 ncs11.93 MB

GL483090

2.91 KB

ncs1

133.05 MBHMCN2

31.31 MBHmcn2 hmcn2

242.57 KB

Ch. 19

Ch. 5

246.83 KB

rgs3b116.21 MB

RGS3

JH126677.1

JH128425.1

1.37 MB

RGS3

GL172827.1

GL476397

Medaka

GL476397

73.01 MB

rgs3

11.66 MB

dnm1a

Ch. 12

Ch. 9

Ch. 2

ChickenLampreyScaffold

Fig. 3

Page 32 of 36

Page 33: MOLECULAR EVOLUTION OF GPCRS: 26Rfa/GPR103

Fig. 4

Page 33 of 36

Page 34: MOLECULAR EVOLUTION OF GPCRS: 26Rfa/GPR103

TMD1

TMD2 TMD3

TMD4

TMD5

TMD6 TMD7

Fig. 5

Human MQALNITPEQFSRLLRDHNLTREQFIALYRLRPLVYTPELPGRAKLALVLTGVLIFALALFGNALVFYVV 70Rat MQALNITAEQFSRLLSAHNLTREQFIHRYGLRPLVYTPELPARAKVAFALAGALIFALALFGNSLVIYVV 70Chicken MRSLNITPEQFAQLLRDNNVTREQFIALYGLQPLVYVPELPGRTKVAFVLICVLIFALTLFGNCLVLYVV 70Zebra finch MRSLNITPEQFAQLLRDNNVTREQFIALYGLQPLVYIPELPRRTKVAFVLICVLIFALALFGNCLVLYVV 70Xenopus MQSLNITPEQFARLLQENNVTREQFIELYQLQPLVYIPELPFRTKIAFVTICVLIFVLALFGNSLVLYVV 70Zebrafish MGDKKITPEVLEQLLQFYNLTRQEFIETYQIEPLVYIPELPAGAKTTFVIVYTVIFLLALVGNSVVVYIV 70

Human TRSKAMRTVTNIFICSLALSDLLITFFCIPVTMLQNISDNWLGGAFICKMVPFVQSTAVVTEILTMTCIA 140Rat TRSKAMRTVTNIFICSLALSDLLIAFFCIPVTMLQNISDKWLGGAFICKMVPFVQSTAVVTEILTMTCIA 140Chicken TRSRAMRTVTNIFICSLALSDLLIAFFCVPFTMLQNISSEWLGGAFACKMVPFVQSTAIVTEILTMTCIA 140Zebra finch TRSKAMRTVTNIFICSLALSDLFIAFFCVPFTMLQNISSNWLGGAFACKMVPFVQSTAIVTEILTMTCIA 140Xenopus TRSKAMRTVTNIFICSLALSDLLIAFFCIPFTMLQNISSNWLGGAFACKMVPFVQSTAIVTEILTMTCIA 140Zebrafish LRKRGIQTATNIFICSLAVSDLLISFFCIPFTLLQNISSEWFGGVLVCKTVPFVQTTAVVTGILTMTCIA 140

Human VERHQGLVHPFKMKWQYTNRRAFTMLGVVWLVAVIVGSPMWHVQQLEIKYDFLYEKEHICCLEEWTSPVH 210Rat VERHQGLVHPFKMKWQYTTRRAFTILGVVWLAAIIVGSPMWHVQRLEIKYDFLYEKEHICCLEEWASPVH 210Chicken VERHQGIVHPLKMKWQYTNKRAFTMLGIVWLLAIIVGSPMWHVQRLEVKYDFLYEKVHICCLEEWASPTY 210Zebra finch VERHQGIVHPLKMKWQYTNKRAFTMLGIVWLLALIVGSPMWYVQRLEVKYDFLYEKVHVCCLEEWASPIY 210Xenopus VERHQGIVHPLKMKWQYTNRRAFTMLGIVWLIAAVVGIPMWHAQRLEVKYDFLYEKQYVCCLEAWNSQVH 210Zebrafish VERYQGIVHPLKIKRQCTPQRAYRMLGVVWIAAMMVGSPMLFVQQLEVKYDFLYDNHHVCCQERWRSSAH 210

Human QKIYTTFILVILFLLPLMVMLILYSKIGYELWIKKRVGDGSVLRTIHGKEMSKIARKKKRAVIMMVTVVA 280Rat QRIYSTFILVILFLLPLVVMLVLYSKIGYELWIKKRVGDSSALQTIHGKEMSKIARKKKRAVIMMVTVVA 280Chicken QKIYTTFILVILFLFPLILMLFLYTKIGYELWIKKRVGDASVLQTIHGSEMSKISRKKKRAIVMMVTVVF 280Zebra finch QKIYTTFILVILFLLPLMLMLFLYTKIGYELWIKKRVGDASVLQTIHGNEMSKISRKKKRAIVMMVTVVF 280Xenopus QKIYTTFILVILFLLPLTVMLLLYSKIGYELWIKKRVGDASVLQTIHGSEMSKIARKKKRAIIMMITVVV 280Zebrafish RKRYATFILVFLFLLPLAAMLILYTRIGIELWIRKQVGDSSVLNAMNQREVSKIARKKRRAIKMMVTIVV 280

Human LFAVCWAPFHVVHMMIEYSNFEKEYDDVTIKMIFAIVQIIGFSNSICNPIVYAFMNENFKKNVLSAVCYC 350Rat LFAACWAPFHVVHMMVEYSNFEKEYDDVTIKMVFAVAQTIGFFNSICNPFVYAFMNENFKKNFLSAVCYC 350Chicken LFAVCWAPFHIIHMMMEYSNFEKQYDDVTIKMIFAIVQIIGFFNSICNPIVYAFMNENFKKNFLSAICFC 350Zebra finch LFAVCWAPFHVIHMMMEYSNFEKEYDDVTIKMIFAIVQIIGFFNSICNPIVYAFMNENFKKNFLSALCFC 350Xenopus LFAVCWAPFHVVHMMIEYSNFENEYDDVTIKIIFAIVQIIGFFNSICNPIVYAFMNENFKKNFLSALCFC 350Zebrafish LFTVCWAPFHTVHILFEYSYLNKKYDDVTVNMIIAVAQAIGFSNSFNNPIIYAFMNENFQKNCMSTLSVC 350

Human IVNKTFSPAQRHGNSGITMMRKKAKFSLRENP-VEETKGEAFSDGNIEVKLCEQTEEKKKLKRHLALFRS 419Rat IVKESSSPARKPGNSGISMMQKRAKLSRPQRP-VEETKGDTFSDASIDVKLCEQPREKRQLKRQLAFFSS 419Chicken VVKENASPTRQLGNSGITMRRQKAGDSQRAPTDSDEARREAFSDGNIEVKFCDQPSSKRNLKRHLTLFSS 420Zebra finch IMKDSTSPGRQLGNSGITMRRQKPSASQRDLMHSDEGRREAFSDGNIEVKFCDQPASKRNLKRHLVLFSS 420Xenopus FLRDPSSPSRRPGNSGITLIQQKSSSSRRENT-CEDTRREAFSEGNIEVKFFDQPVSK---KRHLHLFTS 416Zebrafish IRRSNLT 357

Human ELAENSPLDSGH 431Rat ELSENSTFGSGHEL 433Chicken ELPAHSASAQ 430Zebra finch ELTVHSAVGNGQ 432Xenopus ELTVHS 422

Page 34 of 36

Page 35: MOLECULAR EVOLUTION OF GPCRS: 26Rfa/GPR103

HumanCh. 4

122.25 MB

QRFPR

MouseCh. 3

ChickenCh. 4

36.18 MB

Qrfpr1 QRFPR

MouseCh. 6

53.49 MB65.38MB

Qrfpr2

X. tropicalisScaffold

GL173236.1

qrfpr41.85 KB

139.23 KB

tnip3

178.79 KB

ndnf

267.77 KB

prdm5

ZebrafishCh. 13

CoelacanthScaffold

JH127078.1

LampreyScaffold

122.05 MB

TNIP3

121.96 MB

NDNF

121.61 MB

PRDM5

65.59 MB

Tnip3

65.67 MB

Ndnf

65.78 MB

Prdm5

53.54 MB

TNIP3

53.61 MB

NDNF

PRDM553.64 MB

122.72 MBEXOSC9 Exosc9

36.55 MB 53.36 MBEXOSC9

891.70 KBanxa5

GL173104.1

53.40 MBANXA5

36.45 MBAnxa5ANXA5

122.59 MB

927.56 KBexosc9

ZebrafishCh. 12

ZebrafishCh. 21

qrfpr1 qrfpr2 qrfpr330.44 MB 49.12 MB 14.35 MB

164.25 MB

NPY1R

166.28 MB

CPE

1.01 MBqrfpr1

CoelacanthScaffold

JH126583.1

CoelacanthScaffold

JH126808.1

qrfpr2 qrfpr32.62 MB 1.49 MB

0.75 MB

ndnf

0.83 MB

tnip3

0.40 MBprdm5

1.20 MBexosc9

1.06 MBanxa5

2.71 MBanxa4

69.75 KBqrfpr

GL476500

ndnf200.08 KB

40.19 KB

prdm5

GL476494

GL478833

32.85 KBexosc9

ZebrafishCh. 23

2.08 MB

ndnf

1.95 MB

prdm5

Ch. 1

17.83 MBexosc9

cpe19.62 MB

npy1r20.03 MB

Medaka

9.76 MBqrfpr

30.56 MB

Ch. 19

Ch. 4

ndnf

30.59 MBprdm5

anxa523.42 MB

Ch. 1

4.81 MB

exosc9

23.66 MB

cpe

22.82 MB

NPY1R1.89 MB

GL172746.1

npy1r

23.34 MB

CPE2.47 MB

cpe

21.43 MB

anxa5

16.33 MB

anxa11a50.25 MB

anxa11b

Fig. 6

Page 35 of 36

Page 36: MOLECULAR EVOLUTION OF GPCRS: 26Rfa/GPR103

QRFPR group

NPYR group

Drosophila GPCR

Coelacanth QRFPR3

Zebrafish NPY1-R

X. laevis NPY1-R

Anole lizard NPY1-R

Chicken NPY1-R

Human NPY1-R

Mouse NPY1-R

Lamprey QRFPR

Zebrafish QRFPR3

Coelacanth QRFPR2

Zebrafish QRFPR1

Zebrafish QRFPR2

Medaka QRFPR

Coelacanth QRFPR1

X. tropicalis QRFPR

Zebra finch QRFPR

Anser QRFPR

Chicken QRFPR

Mouse QRFPR2

Human QRFPR

Bovine QRFPR

Rat QRFPR2

Rat QRFPR1

Fig. 70.1

1000

636

931

1000

1000

1000

1000

998

547

1000

994

1000

1000

993

750

985

1000

937

990

1000

550

994

Mouse QRFPR1

Page 36 of 36