Evolution of the growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF) family of peptides

1. The primordial GRF may have arisen quite early in evolutionary history, at or prior to (i.e. should immunoreactivity data be confirmed in invertebrates) the appearance of jawed vertebrates (Gnathostomates). A common evolutionary pathway using gene duplication may have been utilized to generate the GRF super-family of peptides. As most members of this peptide superfamily are produced in the gastrointestinal tract, the question is posed whether the GRF may have similar origins. 2. It is suggested that the GRF superfamily has two major branches: a) GRF; PRP/PACAP; VIP/PHI; secretin and b) Glucagon/GLP-1/GLP-2. GIP is likely to be a member of the glucagon branch. The two branches may be attributable to gene duplication encoding an ancestral molecule. These gene duplications are likely to have occurred prior to the evolution of vertebrates (conservatively 400-500 million years ago, and possibly 1 billion years ago). It is probable that peptides homologous to GRF, VIP and glucagon will be isolated from invertebrates. These invertebrate sequences will shed further light upon the evolution of this peptide superfamily. 3. Throughout the GRF superfamily, amphiphilic alpha-helical secondary structures represent preferred bioactive conformations. It is assumed that stable, ordered secondary structures conferring enhanced ligand-receptor interactions were conserved due to selective pressures. 4. It is well documented that hypothalamic GRF stimulates adenohypophyseal GH secretion in a variety of species. Thus far, the physiological effects of GRF have been attributed thus to the elevation of GH, and possibly also IGF-I. Recent data suggests a more liberal view; that GRF may also have direct actions in fetal/placental development, reproduction and immune function. Furthermore these direct effects may be mediated via GRF from either hypothalamic or extrahypothalamic (e.g. placenta, testes, ovary, leukocyte) sources. In conclusion, a great wealth of information has accumulated since the discovery of GRF. Examination of the GRF peptide superfamily from an evolutionary perspective has revealed new insights into the synthesis, processing, degradation, conformation and activities of these molecules. Knowledge obtained from these evolutionary comparisons has also become particularly useful in contemporary peptide drug design, which may be liberally viewed as a form of 'artificial evolution' (i.e. the selective pressure being clinical/veterinary requirements for more potent, long-acting GRF analogs).