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Bókony V, Kalina C, Ujhegyi N, Mikó Z, Lefler KK, Vili N, Gál Z, Gabor CR, Hoffmann OI. Does stress make males? An experiment on the role of glucocorticoids in anuran sex reversal. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 341:172-181. [PMID: 38155497 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Environmentally sensitive sex determination may help organisms adapt to environmental change but also makes them vulnerable to anthropogenic stressors, with diverse consequences for population dynamics and evolution. The mechanisms translating environmental stimuli to sex are controversial: although several fish experiments supported the mediator role of glucocorticoid hormones, results on some reptiles challenged it. We tested this hypothesis in amphibians by investigating the effect of corticosterone on sex determination in agile frogs (Rana dalmatina). This species is liable to environmental sex reversal whereby genetic females develop into phenotypic males. After exposing tadpoles during sex determination to waterborne corticosterone, the proportion of genetic females with testes or ovotestes increased from 11% to up to 32% at 3 out of 4 concentrations. These differences were not statistically significant except for the group treated with 10 nM corticosterone, and there was no monotonous dose-effect relationship. These findings suggest that corticosterone is unlikely to mediate sex reversal in frogs. Unexpectedly, animals originating from urban habitats had higher sex-reversal and corticosterone-release rates, reduced body mass and development speed, and lower survival compared to individuals collected from woodland habitats. Thus, anthropogenic environments may affect both sex and fitness, and the underlying mechanisms may vary across ectothermic vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Bókony
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Plant Protection Institute, HUN-REN Centre for Agricultural Research, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Csenge Kalina
- Department of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Nikolett Ujhegyi
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Plant Protection Institute, HUN-REN Centre for Agricultural Research, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsanett Mikó
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Plant Protection Institute, HUN-REN Centre for Agricultural Research, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Kinga Katalin Lefler
- Department of Aquaculture, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Safety, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Science, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - Nóra Vili
- Department of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Gál
- Department of Animal Biotechnology, Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Science, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - Caitlin R Gabor
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, USA
| | - Orsolya Ivett Hoffmann
- Department of Animal Biotechnology, Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Science, Gödöllő, Hungary
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Veyrunes F, Perez J, Heitzmann LD, Saunders PA, Givalois L. Hormone profiles of the African pygmy mouse Mus minutoides, a species with XY female sex reversal. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 341:130-137. [PMID: 38059664 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
In mammals, most sex differences in phenotype are controlled by gonadal hormones, but recent work on transgenic mice has shown that sex chromosomes can have a direct influence on sex-specific behaviors. In this study, we take advantage of the naturally occurring sex reversal in a mouse species, Mus minutoides, to investigate for the first time the relationship between sex chromosomes, hormones, and behaviors in a wild species. In this model, a feminizing variant of the X chromosome, named X*, produces three types of females with different sex chromosome complements (XX, XX*, and X*Y), associated with alternative behavioral phenotypes, while all males are XY. We thus compared the levels of three major circulating steroid hormones (testosterone, corticosterone, and estradiol) in the four sex genotypes to disentangle the influence of sex chromosomes and sex hormones on behavior. First, we did not find any difference in testosterone levels in the three female genotypes, although X*Y females are notoriously more aggressive. Second, in agreement with their lower anxiety-related behaviors, X*Y females and XY males display lower baseline corticosterone concentration than XX and XX* females. Instead of a direct hormonal influence, this result rather suggests that sex chromosomes may have an impact on the baseline corticosterone level, which in turn may influence behaviors. Third, estradiol concentrations do not explain the enhanced reproductive performance and maternal care behavior of the X*Y females compared to the XX and XX* females. Overall, this study highlights that most of the behaviors varying along with sex chromosome complement of this species are more likely driven by genetic factors rather than steroid hormone concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederic Veyrunes
- ISEM, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier UMR 5554, CNRS, Université Montpellier, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Julie Perez
- ISEM, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier UMR 5554, CNRS, Université Montpellier, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Louise D Heitzmann
- ISEM, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier UMR 5554, CNRS, Université Montpellier, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Paul A Saunders
- ISEM, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier UMR 5554, CNRS, Université Montpellier, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Laurent Givalois
- MMDN, Molecular Mechanisms in Neurodegenerative Dementia Laboratory, Université Montpellier, EPHE-PSL, INSERM U1198, Montpellier, France
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CR-CHUQ, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Québec City, Canada
- CNRS, Paris, France
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Yu Y, Chen M, Shen ZG. Molecular biological, physiological, cytological, and epigenetic mechanisms of environmental sex differentiation in teleosts: A systematic review. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 267:115654. [PMID: 37918334 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Human activities have been exerting widespread stress and environmental risks in aquatic ecosystems. Environmental stress, including temperature rise, acidification, hypoxia, light pollution, and crowding, had a considerable negative impact on the life histology of aquatic animals, especially on sex differentiation (SDi) and the resulting sex ratios. Understanding how the sex of fish responds to stressful environments is of great importance for understanding the origin and maintenance of sex, the dynamics of the natural population in the changing world, and the precise application of sex control in aquaculture. This review conducted an exhaustive search of the available literature on the influence of environmental stress (ES) on SDi. Evidence has shown that all types of ES can affect SDi and universally result in an increase in males or masculinization, which has been reported in 100 fish species and 121 cases. Then, this comprehensive review aimed to summarize the molecular biology, physiology, cytology, and epigenetic mechanisms through which ES contributes to male development or masculinization. The relationship between ES and fish SDi from multiple aspects was analyzed, and it was found that environmental sex differentiation (ESDi) is the result of the combined effects of genetic and epigenetic factors, self-physiological regulation, and response to environmental signals, which involves a sophisticated network of various hormones and numerous genes at multiple levels and multiple gradations in bipotential gonads. In both normal male differentiation and ES-induced masculinization, the stress pathway and epigenetic regulation play important roles; however, how they co-regulate SDi is unclear. Evidence suggests that the universal emergence or increase in males in aquatic animals is an adaptation to moderate ES. ES-induced sex reversal should be fully investigated in more fish species and extensively in the wild. The potential aquaculture applications and difficulties associated with ESDi have also been addressed. Finally, the knowledge gaps in the ESDi are presented, which will guide the priorities of future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Yu
- College of Fisheries, Engineering Research Center of Green development for Conventional Aquatic Biological Industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Hubei Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Pond Aquaculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Min Chen
- College of Fisheries, Engineering Research Center of Green development for Conventional Aquatic Biological Industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Hubei Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Pond Aquaculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Zhi-Gang Shen
- College of Fisheries, Engineering Research Center of Green development for Conventional Aquatic Biological Industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Hubei Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Pond Aquaculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, PR China.
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Goikoetxea A, Todd EV, Muncaster S, Lokman PM, Thomas JT, Robertson HA, De Farias e Moraes CE, Gemmell NJ. Effects of cortisol on female-to-male sex change in a wrasse. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273779. [PMID: 36048785 PMCID: PMC9436091 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex change occurs as a usual part of the life cycle for many teleost fish and the modifications involved (behavioural, gonadal, morphological) are well studied. However, the mechanism that transduces environmental cues into the molecular cascade that underlies this transformation remains unknown. Cortisol, the main stress hormone in fish, is hypothesised to be a key factor linking environmental stimuli with sex change by initiating gene expression changes that shift steroidogenesis from oestrogens to androgens but this notion remains to be rigorously tested. Therefore, this study aimed to experimentally test the role of cortisol as an initiator of sex change in a protogynous (female-to-male) hermaphrodite, the New Zealand spotty wrasse (Notolabrus celidotus). We also sought to identify potential key regulatory factors within the head kidney that may contribute to the initiation and progression of gonadal sex change. Cortisol pellets were implanted into female spotty wrasses under inhibitory conditions (presence of a male), and outside of the optimal season for natural sex change. Histological analysis of the gonads and sex hormone analyses found no evidence of sex change after 71 days of cortisol treatment. However, expression analyses of sex and stress-associated genes in gonad and head kidney suggested that cortisol administration did have a physiological effect. In the gonad, this included upregulation of amh, a potent masculinising factor, and nr3c1, a glucocorticoid receptor. In the head kidney, hsd11b2, which converts cortisol to inactive cortisone to maintain cortisol balance, was upregulated. Overall, our results suggest cortisol administration outside of the optimal sex change window is unable to initiate gonadal restructuring. However, our expression data imply key sex and stress genes are sensitive to cortisol. This includes genes expressed in both gonad and head kidney that have been previously implicated in early sex change in several sex-changing species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Goikoetxea
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- * E-mail:
| | - Erica V. Todd
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Simon Muncaster
- Environmental Management Group, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, Tauranga, New Zealand
- School of Science, University of Waikato, Tauranga, New Zealand
| | - P. Mark Lokman
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Jodi T. Thomas
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Holly A. Robertson
- Environmental Management Group, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, Tauranga, New Zealand
| | | | - Neil J. Gemmell
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Goikoetxea A, Servili A, Houdelet C, Mouchel O, Hermet S, Clota F, Aerts J, Fernandino JI, Allal F, Vandeputte M, Blondeau-Bidet E, Geffroy B. Natural cortisol production is not linked to the sexual fate of European sea bass. FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2022; 48:1117-1135. [PMID: 35917042 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-022-01104-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between cortisol and the determination of sexual fate in the commercially important European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax). To test our hypothesis, we designed two temperature-based experiments (19 ℃, 21 ℃ and 23 ℃, experiment 1; 16 ℃ and 21 ℃, experiment 2) to assess the effects of these thermal treatments on European sea bass sex determination and differentiation. In the fish from the first experiment, we evaluated whether blood cortisol levels and expression of stress key regulatory genes were different between differentiating (149 to 183 dph) males and females. In the second experiment, we assessed whether cortisol accumulated in scales over time during the labile period for sex determination as well as the neuroanatomical localisation of brain cells expressing brain aromatase (cyp19a1b) and corticotropin-releasing factor (crf) differed between males and females undergoing molecular sex differentiation (117 to 124 dph). None of the gathered results allowed to detect differences between males and females regarding cortisol production and regulatory mechanisms. Altogether, our data provide strong physiological, molecular and histochemical evidence, indicating that in vivo cortisol regulation has no major effects on the sex of European sea bass.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arianna Servili
- Ifremer, IFREMER, Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, LEMAR, 29280, Plouzané, France
| | - Camille Houdelet
- MARBEC Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Palavas-Les-Flots, France
| | - Olivier Mouchel
- Ifremer, IFREMER, Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, LEMAR, 29280, Plouzané, France
| | - Sophie Hermet
- MARBEC Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Fréderic Clota
- MARBEC Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Palavas-Les-Flots, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, GABI, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Johan Aerts
- Stress Physiology Research Group, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Ostend, Belgium
| | | | - François Allal
- MARBEC Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Palavas-Les-Flots, France
| | - Marc Vandeputte
- MARBEC Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Palavas-Les-Flots, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, GABI, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | | | - Benjamin Geffroy
- MARBEC Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Palavas-Les-Flots, France
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Developmental dynamics of sex reprogramming by high incubation temperatures in a dragon lizard. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:322. [PMID: 35459109 PMCID: PMC9034607 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08544-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In some vertebrate species, gene-environment interactions can determine sex, driving bipotential gonads to differentiate into either ovaries or testes. In the central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps), the genetic influence of sex chromosomes (ZZ/ZW) can be overridden by high incubation temperatures, causing ZZ male to female sex reversal. Previous research showed ovotestes, a rare gonadal phenotype with traits of both sexes, develop during sex reversal, leading to the hypothesis that sex reversal relies on high temperature feminisation to outcompete the male genetic cue. To test this, we conducted temperature switching experiments at key developmental stages, and analysed the effect on gonadal phenotypes using histology and transcriptomics. RESULTS We found sexual fate is more strongly influenced by the ZZ genotype than temperature. Any exposure to low temperatures (28 °C) caused testes differentiation, whereas sex reversal required longer exposure to high temperatures. We revealed ovotestes exist along a spectrum of femaleness to male-ness at the transcriptional level. We found inter-individual variation in gene expression changes following temperature switches, suggesting both genetic sensitivity to, and the timing and duration of the temperature cue influences sex reversal. CONCLUSIONS These findings bring new insights to the mechanisms underlying sex reversal, improving our understanding of thermosensitive sex systems in vertebrates.
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