Subtypes of Neurohypophyseal Nonapeptide Receptors and Their Functions in Rat Kidneys.

The nonapeptides of neurohypophysis, vasotocin and mesotocin, detected in most vertebrates, are replaced by vasopressin and oxytocin in mammals. Using bioinformatics methods, we determined the spectrum of receptor subtypes for these hormones in mammals and their physiological effects in the kidneys of rats. A search for sequences similar to the vertebrate vasotocin receptor by proteomes and transcriptomas of nine mammalian species and the rat genome revealed three subtypes of vasopressin receptors (V1a, V1b, and V2) and one type of oxytocin receptors. In the kidneys of non-anesthetized rats, which received a water load of 2 ml per 100 g of body weight, three effects of vasopressin were revealed: 1) increased reabsorption of water and sodium, 2) increased excretion of potassium ions, and 3) increased excretion of sodium ions. It has been suggested that each of the effects on the kidney is associated with selective stimulation of the vasopressin receptor subtypes V2, V1b, and V1a depending on the concentration of nonapeptide. In experiments on non-anaesthetized rats with a water load, the injection of oxytocin reduces the reabsorption of solute-free water in the kidneys and increases the excretion of sodium ions. The possible physiological mechanisms behind the realization of both effects with the participation of a single type of oxytocin receptors are being analyzed. Thus, the spectrum of activated receptor subtypes varies depending on the current concentration of neurohypophyseal hormones, as a result of which the predominant effect on renal function changes, which ensures precise regulation of water-salt homeostasis.

Correction to: Evolutionarily novel genes are expressed in transgenic fish tumors and their orthologs are involved in development of progressive traits in humans.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s13027-019-0262-5.].

Evolutionarily novel genes are expressed in transgenic fish tumors and their orthologs are involved in development of progressive traits in humans.

ABSTRACT: Earlier we suggested a new hypothesis of the possible evolutionary role of hereditary tumors (Kozlov, Evolution by tumor Neofunctionalization, 2014), and described a new class of genes - tumor specifically expressed, evolutionarily novel (TSEEN) genes - that are predicted by this hypothesis (Kozlov, Infect Agents Cancer 11:34, 2016). In this paper we studied evolutionarily novel genes expressed in fish tumors after regression, as a model of evolving organs. As evolutionarily novel genes may not yet have organismal functions, we studied the acquisition of new gene functions by comparing fish evolutionarily novel genes with their human orthologs. We found that many genes involved in development of progressive traits in humans (lung, mammary gland, placenta, ventricular septum, etc.) originated in fish and are expressed in fish tumors and tumors after regression. These findings support a possible evolutionary role of hereditary tumors, and in particular the hypothesis of evolution by tumor neofunctionalization. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Earlier we described a new class of genes that are tumor-specifically expressed and evolutionarily novel (TSEEN). As the functions of TSEEN genes are often uncertain, we decided to study TSEEN genes of fishes so that we could trace the appearance of their new functions in higher vertebrates. We found that many human genes which are involved in development of progressive traits (placenta development, mammary gland and lung development etc.,) originated in fishes and are expressed in fish tumors.

Oncogenes, tumor suppressor and differentiation genes represent the oldest human gene classes and evolve concurrently.

Earlier we showed that human genome contains many evolutionarily young or novel genes with tumor-specific or tumor-predominant expression. We suggest calling such genes Tumor Specifically Expressed, Evolutionarily New (TSEEN) genes. In this paper we performed a study of the evolutionary ages of different classes of human genes, using homology searches in genomes of different taxa in human lineage. We discovered that different classes of human genes have different evolutionary ages and confirmed the existence of TSEEN gene classes. On the other hand, we found that oncogenes, tumor-suppressor genes and differentiation genes are among the oldest gene classes in humans and their evolution occurs concurrently. These findings confirm non-trivial predictions made by our hypothesis of the possible evolutionary role of hereditary tumors. The results may be important for better understanding of tumor biology. TSEEN genes may become the best tumor markers.