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
  • 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.
Products