2. Academic Validation
  3. Molecular and functional characterization of the kisspeptin receptor Kissr3 in the large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea)

Molecular and functional characterization of the kisspeptin receptor Kissr3 in the large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea)

  • Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol. 2026 Jun-Jul:284:111225. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2026.111225.
Haojie Yuan 1,  Baoyi Huang 1,  Rui Zhang 1,  Youyi Chen 1,  Yuanyang Li 1,  Xudong Liang 1,  Chenqian Wu 1,  Jixiu Wang 1,  Tianming Wang 2,  Jingwen Yang 3
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 National Engineering Laboratory of Marine Germplasm Resources Exploration and Utilization, Marine Science and Technology College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, Zhejiang 316022, China.
  • 2 National Engineering Laboratory of Marine Germplasm Resources Exploration and Utilization, Marine Science and Technology College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, Zhejiang 316022, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 3 National Engineering Laboratory of Marine Germplasm Resources Exploration and Utilization, Marine Science and Technology College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, Zhejiang 316022, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 41912081 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2026.111225
Abstract

Kisspeptin is a conserved neuropeptide that regulates reproductive function and Other physiological processes across vertebrates via its cognate G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), commonly referred to as kisspeptin receptors (KissRs). In teleosts, extensive gene duplication and lineage-specific diversification have generated multiple kisspeptin ligands and receptors, yet the molecular properties and signaling profiles of individual KissRs remain incompletely characterized. Here, we identified and cloned a Kissr3-type receptor from the large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea), designated LcKissr3. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses classified LcKissr3 within the teleost Kissr3 clade. Functional assays in a human embryonic kidney cell line (HEK293) demonstrated that stimulation with synthetic kisspeptin-2 decapeptide (LcKiss2-10) activated multiple downstream signaling pathways, including intracellular calcium ions (CA2+) mobilization, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) accumulation, and mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) phosphorylation, in a concentration-dependent manner. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis further showed that lckissr3 is expressed in multiple tissues, with the highest levels detected in the pituitary and testis. Together, these findings establish LcKissr3 as a functional Kisspeptin Receptor and provide a molecular basis for further investigation of kisspeptin signaling in teleost physiology.

Keywords

GPCR signaling; Larimichthys crocea; kisspeptin receptor; neuroendocrine regulation; reproductive endocrinology.

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