This award supports a three year collaborative research project between Professor Yohathan Zohar of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute and Professor Akihisa Urano of Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan. The researchers will be undertaking a study of functional significance of GnRH multiplicity in teleost fish. Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) is a decapeptide, produced in the brain, which is essential for the control of reproduction in vertebrates. However, it has been discovered that in all vertebrates multiple forms of GnRH coexist in the brain of a single species. This indicates that during evolution GnRHs may have acquired additional functions that are not related to reproduction. The differential roles of the multiple GnRHs are not yet fully understood, and their relative involvement in reproduction has yet to be defined. One of the primary research objectives is to elucidate the relative role each form contributes to the complex process of reproduction. The research is aimed at a detailed study of the physiological significance of the two forms of GnRH present in salmonids, and the three forms present in perciforms. The experimental design includes both an integrative physiologic approach (in vivo studies on intact animals) and a molecular approach (e.g., recombinant GnRH receptor binding assay).
This project brings together the efforts of two laboratories that have complementary expertise and research capabilities. The U.S. researchers' expertise is in the area of molecular science and the Japanese have expertise in the physiological area. Results of this research will provide valuable information that can be used by both experimentalists and aquaculturists, and should have an important (and positive) economic impact in providing additional animal protein for human consumption. This research advances international human resources through the participation of a younger scientist and graduate students. Through the exchange of ideas and technology, this project will broaden our base of basic knowledge and promote international understanding and cooperation. ***
