Molecular cloning, sequence and expression of follicle-stimulating hormonereceptor in the lizard Podarcis sicula

The present paper reports the full nucleotide sequence of a cloned cDNA pre pared from RNA of lizard ovaries. The open reading frame consists of 2019 n ucleotides, which encodes a protein of 673 amino acids belonging to the G p rotein-coupled receptor superfamily with a large extracellular N-terminal d omain involved in hormone recognition. The transmembrane domain ends with a short intracytoplasmic COOH-terminal domain involved in effector activatio n. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the lizard receptor belongs to the fam ily of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) receptors. The hydrophobicity pro file is similar to that observed for mammalian and avian FSH receptors. Nor thern blot analysis of total RNA revealed that the FSH receptor is expresse d at high levels in the ovary. In situ hybridization experiments demonstrat e that FSH receptor mRNA is specifically localized within the small cells o f the follicular epithelium surrounding the oocyte. (C) 2001 Published by E lsevier Science B.V.