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. 2021 Jun 18;12(6):928. doi: 10.3390/genes12060928

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© 2021 by the authors.

Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Evolution and diversity of non-steroidal luteotrophic factors in eutherians. In primates, duplication of the luteinizing hormone (LH) gene generated chorionic gonadotropins (CG), which are expressed by trophoblast and impair corpus luteum lysis in the first months of pregnancy. In rodents, pituitary prolactin (PRL) released in response to coitus inhibits 20-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (20α-HSD), this function being subsequently assumed by placental lactogens (PL-1 and PL-2). In ruminants, duplication of the IFNW gene generated interferon-τ (IFNT) secreted by the blastocyst and acting on the endometrium to inhibit the prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) luteolytic signal. In elephants, the PRL gene expressed in the placenta is responsible for pregnancy maintenance by accessory corpora lutea. In red, proteins born after gene duplication (adapted from [58]).