Ethanolamine plasmalogens derived from whale brain stimulate both follicle ‐stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone secretion by bovine gonadotrophs

AbstractEthanolamine plasmalogens (EPls) are the only known ligands of a novel receptor, G protein-coupled receptor 61, and bovine brain EPls stimulate follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) but not luteinizing hormone (LH), secreted by bovine gonadotrophs. We hypothesized that the brain EPls of whales (Balaenoptera edeni), anotherCetartiodactyla with at least twice the lifespan of bovines, could stimulate FSH secretion by gonadotrophs. To test this hypothesis, bovine gonadotrophs (from approximately 2-year-old Japanese Black heifers) were cultured for 3.5  days and treated with increasing concentrations of brain EP1s from whales (approximately 22 years old). FSH and LH secretion was stimulated by all tested concentrations of whale EPls (p <  0.05). To clarify the important differences between bovine and whale EPls, we utilized two-dimensional liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, which revealed 35 peaks. Among them, we observed significant differences between 12 EPl molecular species. Additionally, we identified differentially e xpressed genes for enzymes involved in EPl synthesis or degradation in the hypothalamus of young heifers and old cows (approximately 10 years old) as compared to whales (approximately 28 years old) via deep sequencing of the transcriptome. We conclude that whale brains contain unique EPls that st imulate both FSH and LH secretion by bovine gonadotrophs.

Source: Animal Science Journal - May 30, 2023 Category: Zoology Authors: Risa Saito, Takeharu Bando, Miyako Kotaniguchi, Tsutomu Tamura, Tomoe Kuno, Kenji Watanabe, Yoichi Mizukami, Shinichi Kitamura, Hiroya Kadokawa Tags: RESEARCH ARTICLE Source Type: research