PRESENCE OF SALMON GONADOTROPIN-RELEASING-HORMONE (GNRH) AND COMPOUNDS WITH GNRH-LIKE ACTIVITY IN THE OVARY OF GOLDFISH

The presence of ovarian GnRH and/or compounds with GnRH-like activity was investigated in the goldfish ovary. Goldfish ovary was extracted u sing an acetone/HCl/ether mixture and was purified by Waters C-18 Sep- Pak columns (ovarian extract). The goldfish ovarian extract was found to 1) stimulate gonadotropin release and subunit messenger RNA product ion in the goldfish pituitary that was inhibited by a GnRH antagonist; 2) stimulate germinal vesicle breakdown in the prophase-I arrested fo llicle-enclosed goldfish oocytes in vitro, which was inhibited by a Gn RH antagonist; 3) immunoreact with various GnRH antisera; and 4) bind to GnRH receptors in the goldfish pituitary and ovary as well as rat p ituitary. Further purification with HPLC revealed the presence of two compounds with GnRH-like activity. One with identical chromatographic characteristics, amino acid composition, and primary structure to that of the salmon GnRH (sGnRH), and the other a novel compound with GnRH- like activity.