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Vertebrate reproductive science and technology
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Cloning, characterisation and expression profile of kisspeptin1 and the kisspeptin1 receptor in the hypothalamic–pituitary–ovarian axis of Chinese alligator Alligator sinensis during the reproductive cycle

Ruidong Zhang A B * , Haitao Nie https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2332-6391 A * , Shulong Duan A , Peng Yan A , Ali Izaz A , Renping Wang C , Yongkang Zhou C and Xiaobing Wu https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0118-3908 A D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Key Laboratory for Conservation and Use of Important Biological Resources of Anhui Province, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China.

B College of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010022, China.

C Alligator Research Center of Anhui Province, Xuanzhou 242000, China.

D Corresponding author. Email:wuxb@mail.ahnu.edu

Reproduction, Fertility and Development 32(8) 792-804 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD19332
Submitted: 27 August 2019  Accepted: 22 January 2020   Published: 20 April 2020

Abstract

Kisspeptin1 (Kiss1), a product of the Kiss1 gene, plays an important role in the regulation of reproduction in vertebrates by activating the Kiss1 receptor (Kiss1R) and its coexpression with gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in GnRH neurons. The purpose of this study was to clone the Kiss1 and Kiss1R genes found in the brain of Alligator sinensis and to explore their relationship with reproduction. The full-length cDNA of Kiss1 is 816 bp, the open reading frame (ORF) is 417 bp and the gene encodes a 138-amino acid precursor protein. The full-length cDNA of Kiss1R is 2348 bp, the ORF is 1086 bp and the gene encodes a 361-amino acid protein. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that, except for Kiss1R expression in the hypothalamus, the expression of Kiss1 and Kiss1Rduring the reproductive period of A. sinensis was higher than that in the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and ovary during the hibernation period. The changes in GnRH2 mRNA in the hypothalamus were similar to those of GnRH1 and peaked during the reproductive period. This study confirms the existence of Kiss1 and Kiss1R in A. sinensis and the findings strongly suggest that Kiss1 and Kiss1R may participate in the regulation of GnRH secretion in the hypothalamus of alligators during the reproductive period. Furthermore, this is the first report of the full-length cDNA sequences of Kiss1 and Kiss1R in reptiles.

Graphical Abstract Image

Additional keywords: hypothalamus, neuropeptide, ovary, reproduction.


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