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Evolution of the Corticotropin‐releasing Hormone Signaling System and Its Role in Stress‐induced Phenotypic Plasticity
Author(s) -
DENVER ROBERT J.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1999.tb07877.x
Subject(s) - biology , corticotropin releasing hormone , metamorphosis , phenotypic plasticity , hormone , developmental plasticity , amphibian , phenotype , neuropeptide , signal transduction , receptor , vertebrate , adaptation (eye) , plasticity , endocrinology , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , evolutionary biology , neuroscience , ecology , larva , gene , genetics , physics , thermodynamics
A bstract : Developing animals respond in variation in their habitats by altering their rules of development and/or their morphologies (i.e., they exhibit phenotypic plasticity). In vertebrates, one mechanism by which plasticity is expressed is through activation of the neuroendocrine system, which transduces environmental information into a physiological response. Recent findings of ours with amphibians and of others with mammals show that the primary vertebrate stress neuropeptide, corticotropin‐releasing hormone (CRH), is essential for adaptive developmental responses to environmental stress. For instance, CRH‐dependent mechanisms cause accelerated metamorphosis in response to pond‐drying in some amphibian species, and intrauterine fetal stress syndromes in humans precipitate preterm birth. CRH may be a phylogenetically ancient developmental signaling molecule that allows developing organisms to escape deleterious changes in their larval/fetal habitat. The response to CRH is mediated by at least two different receptor subtypes and may also be modulated by a secreted binding protein.