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

The present paper reports the full nucleotide sequence of a cloned cDNA prepared from RNA of lizard ovaries. The open reading frame consists of 2019 nucleotides, which encodes a protein of 673 amino acids belonging to the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily with a large extracellular N-terminal domain involved in hormone recognition. The transmembrane domain ends with a short intracytoplasmic COOH-terminal domain involved in effector activation. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the lizard receptor belongs to the family of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) receptors. The hydrophobicity profile is similar to that observed for mammalian and avian FSH receptors. Northern blot analysis of total RNA revealed that the FSH receptor is expressed at high levels in the ovary. In situ hybridization experiments demonstrate that FSH receptor mRNA is specifically localized within the small cells of the follicular epithelium surrounding the oocyte.