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Razmi K, Tran NK, Patil JG. Gonad Ontogeny and Sex Differentiation in a Poeciliid, Gambusia holbrooki: Transition from a Bi- to a Mono-Lobed Organ. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12050731. [PMID: 37237542 DOI: 10.3390/biology12050731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Despite their uniqueness, the ontogeny and differentiation of the single-lobed gonads in the poeciliids are very poorly understood. To address this, we employed both cellular and molecular approaches to systematically map the development of the testes and ovary in Gambusia holbrooki from pre-parturition to adulthood, encompassing well over 19 developmental stages. The results show that putative gonads form prior to the completion of somitogenesis in this species, a comparatively early occurrence among teleosts. Remarkably, the species recapitulates the typical bi-lobed origin of the gonads during early development that later undergoes steric metamorphosis to form a single-lobed organ. Thereafter, the germ cells undergo mitotic proliferation in a sex-dependent manner before the acquisition of the sexual phenotype. The differentiation of the ovary preceded that of the testes, which occurred before parturition, where the genetic females developed meiotic primary oocytes stage I, indicating ovarian differentiation. However, genetic males showed gonial stem cells in nests with slow mitotic proliferation at the same developmental stage. Indeed, the first signs of male differentiation were obvious only post-parturition. The expression pattern of the gonadosoma markers foxl2, cyp19a1a, amh and dmrt1 in pre- and post-natal developmental stages were consistent with morphological changes in early gonad; they were activated during embryogenesis, followed by the onset of gonad formation, and a sex-dimorphic expression pattern concurrent with sex differentiation of the ovary (foxl2, cyp19a1a) and testes (amh and dmrt1). In conclusion, this study documents for the first time the underlying events of gonad formation in G. holbrooki and shows that this occurs relatively earlier than those previously described for ovi- and viviparous fish species, which may contribute to its reproductive and invasive prowess.
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Affiliation(s)
- Komeil Razmi
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Fisheries and Aquaculture Centre, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, TAS 7053, Australia
| | - Ngoc Kim Tran
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Fisheries and Aquaculture Centre, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, TAS 7053, Australia
- Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, An Giang University, a Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Long Xuyen City 880000, Vietnam
| | - Jawahar G Patil
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Fisheries and Aquaculture Centre, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, TAS 7053, Australia
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Schutz H, Anderson RJ, Warwick EG, Barry TN, Jamniczky HA. Sexually mediated phenotypic variation within and between sexes as a continuum structured by ecology: The mosaic nature of skeletal variation across body regions in Threespine stickleback ( Gasterosteus aculeatus L.). Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9367. [PMID: 36254299 PMCID: PMC9557811 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9367] [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: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological character displacement between the sexes, and sexual selection, integrate into a convergent set of factors that produce sexual variation. Ecologically modulated, sexually mediated variation within and between sexes may be a major contributor to the amount of total variation that selection can act on in species. Threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) display rapid adaptive responses and sexual variation in many phenotypic traits. We examined phenotypic variation in the skull, pectoral and pelvic girdles of threespine stickleback from two freshwater and two coastal marine sites on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, Canada, using an approach that avoids a priori assumptions about bimodal patterns of variation. We quantified shape and size of the cranial, pectoral and pelvic regions of sticklebacks in marine and freshwater habitats using 3D geometric morphometrics and an index of sexually mediated variation. We show that the expression of phenotypic variation is structured in part by the effects of both habitat marine vs freshwater and the effects of individual sites within each habitat. Relative size exerts variable influence, and patterns of phenotypic variation associated with sex vary among body regions. This fine-grained quantification of sexually mediated variation in the context of habitat difference and different anatomical structures indicates a complex relationship between genetically inferred sex and environmental factors, demonstrating that the interplay between shared genetic background and sexually mediated, ecologically based selective pressures structures the phenotypic expression of complex traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Schutz
- Biology DepartmentPacific Lutheran UniversityTacomaWashingtonUSA
| | | | - Ethan G. Warwick
- Biology DepartmentPacific Lutheran UniversityTacomaWashingtonUSA
| | - Tegan N. Barry
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada,Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of LethbridgeLethbridgeAlbertaCanada
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3
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Shiguemoto GF, Coelho GCZ, López LS, Pessoa GP, Dos Santos SCA, Senhorini JA, Monzani PS, Yasui GS. Primordial germ cell identification and traceability during the initial development of the Siluriformes fish Pseudopimelodus mangurus. FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2022; 48:1137-1153. [PMID: 35925505 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-022-01106-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are responsible for generating all germ cells. Therefore, they are essential targets to be used as a tool for the production of germline chimeras. The labeling and route of PGCs were evaluated during the initial embryonic development of Pseudopimelodus mangurus, using whole-mount in situ hybridization (WISH) and mRNA microinjection in zygotes. A specific antisense RNA probe constituted by a partial coding region from P. mangurus nanos3 mRNA was synthesized for the WISH method. RNA microinjection was performed using the GFP gene reporter regulated by translation regulatory P. mangurus buc and nanos3 3'UTR sequences, germline-specific markers used to describe in vivo migration of PGCs. Nanos3 and buc gene expression was evaluated in tissues for male and female adults and initial development phases and larvae from the first to seventh days post-hatching. The results from the WISH technique indicated the origin of PGCs in P. mangurus from the aggregations of nanos3 mRNA in the cleavage grooves and the signals obtained from nanos3 probes corresponded topographically to the migratory patterns of the PGCs reported for other fish species. Diffuse signals were observed in all blastomeres until the 16-cell stage, which could be related to the two sequences of the nanos3 3'UTR observed in the P. mangurus unfertilized egg transcriptome. Microinjection was not successful using GFP-Dr-nanos1 3'UTR mRNA and GFP-Pm-buc 3'UTR mRNA and allowed the identification of potential PGCs with less than 2% efficiency only and after hatching using GFP-Pm-nanos3 3'UTR. Nanos3 and buc gene expression was reported in the female gonads and from fertilized eggs until the blastula phase. These results provide information about the PGC migration of P. mangurus and the possible use of PGCs for the future generation of germline chimeras to be applied in the conservation efforts of Neotropical Siluriformes species. This study can contribute to establishing genetic banks, manipulating organisms, and assisting in biotechnologies such as transplanting germ cells in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Fonseca Shiguemoto
- Institute of Bioscience, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
- Laboratory of Fish Biotechnology, Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation /National Center for Research and Conservation of Continental Aquatic Biodiversity, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil
| | - Geovanna Carla Zacheo Coelho
- Institute of Bioscience, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
- Laboratory of Fish Biotechnology, Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation /National Center for Research and Conservation of Continental Aquatic Biodiversity, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil
| | - Lucia Suárez López
- Institute of Bioscience, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
- Laboratory of Fish Biotechnology, Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation /National Center for Research and Conservation of Continental Aquatic Biodiversity, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil
| | - Giselle Pessanha Pessoa
- Institute of Bioscience, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
- Laboratory of Fish Biotechnology, Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation /National Center for Research and Conservation of Continental Aquatic Biodiversity, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil
| | | | - José Augusto Senhorini
- Institute of Bioscience, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
- Laboratory of Fish Biotechnology, Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation /National Center for Research and Conservation of Continental Aquatic Biodiversity, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil
| | - Paulo Sérgio Monzani
- Institute of Bioscience, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Fish Biotechnology, Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation /National Center for Research and Conservation of Continental Aquatic Biodiversity, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil.
| | - George Shigueki Yasui
- Institute of Bioscience, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
- Laboratory of Fish Biotechnology, Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation /National Center for Research and Conservation of Continental Aquatic Biodiversity, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil
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Petersen AM, Small CM, Yan Y, Wilson C, Batzel P, Bremiller RA, Buck CL, von Hippel FA, Cresko WA, Postlethwait JH. Evolution and developmental expression of the sodium-iodide symporter ( NIS, slc5a5) gene family: Implications for perchlorate toxicology. Evol Appl 2022; 15:1079-1098. [PMID: 35899258 PMCID: PMC9309457 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate sodium-iodide symporter (NIS or SLC5A5) transports iodide into the thyroid follicular cells that synthesize thyroid hormone. The SLC5A protein family includes transporters of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Disruption of SLC5A5 function by perchlorate, a pervasive environmental contaminant, leads to human pathologies, especially hypothyroidism. Perchlorate also disrupts the sexual development of model animals, including threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) and zebrafish (Danio rerio), but the mechanism of action is unknown. To test the hypothesis that SLC5A5 paralogs are expressed in tissues necessary for the development of reproductive organs, and therefore are plausible candidates to mediate the effects of perchlorate on sexual development, we first investigated the evolutionary history of Slc5a paralogs to better understand potential functional trajectories of the gene family. We identified two clades of slc5a paralogs with respect to an outgroup of sodium/choline cotransporters (slc5a7); these clades are the NIS clade of sodium/iodide and lactate cotransporters (slc5a5, slc5a6, slc5a8, slc5a8, and slc5a12) and the SGLT clade of sodium/glucose cotransporters (slc5a1, slc5a2, slc5a3, slc5a4, slc5a10, and slc5a11). We also characterized expression patterns of slc5a genes during development. Stickleback embryos and early larvae expressed NIS clade genes in connective tissue, cartilage, teeth, and thyroid. Stickleback males and females expressed slc5a5 and its paralogs in gonads. Single-cell transcriptomics (scRNA-seq) on zebrafish sex-genotyped gonads revealed that NIS clade-expressing cells included germ cells (slc5a5, slc5a6a, and slc5a6b) and gonadal soma cells (slc5a8l). These results are consistent with the hypothesis that perchlorate exerts its effects on sexual development by interacting with slc5a5 or its paralogs in reproductive tissues. These findings show novel expression domains of slc5 genes in stickleback and zebrafish, which suggest similar functions across vertebrates including humans, and provide candidates to mediate the effects of perchlorate on sexual development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M. Petersen
- Department of Biology, Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of OregonEugeneOregonUSA
- J.J. Howard Marine Lab, Northeast Fisheries Science CenterNational Oceanographic and Atmospheric AdministrationSandy HookNew JerseyUSA
| | - Clayton M. Small
- Department of Biology, Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of OregonEugeneOregonUSA
| | - Yi‐Lin Yan
- Department of Biology, Institute of NeuroscienceUniversity of OregonEugeneOregonUSA
| | - Catherine Wilson
- Department of Biology, Institute of NeuroscienceUniversity of OregonEugeneOregonUSA
| | - Peter Batzel
- Department of Biology, Institute of NeuroscienceUniversity of OregonEugeneOregonUSA
| | - Ruth A. Bremiller
- Department of Biology, Institute of NeuroscienceUniversity of OregonEugeneOregonUSA
| | - C. Loren Buck
- Department of Biological SciencesNorthern Arizona UniversityFlagstaffArizonaUSA
| | - Frank A. von Hippel
- Department of Community, Environment & Policy, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public HealthUniversity of ArizonaTucsonArizonaUSA
| | - William A. Cresko
- Department of Biology, Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of OregonEugeneOregonUSA
| | - John H. Postlethwait
- Department of Biology, Institute of NeuroscienceUniversity of OregonEugeneOregonUSA
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Aharon D, Marlow FL. Sexual determination in zebrafish. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 79:8. [PMID: 34936027 PMCID: PMC11072476 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-04066-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Zebrafish have emerged as a major model organism to study vertebrate reproduction due to their high fecundity and external development of eggs and embryos. The mechanisms through which zebrafish determine their sex have come under extensive investigation, as they lack a definite sex-determining chromosome and appear to have a highly complex method of sex determination. Single-gene mutagenesis has been employed to isolate the function of genes that determine zebrafish sex and regulate sex-specific differentiation, and to explore the interactions of genes that promote female or male sexual fate. In this review, we focus on recent advances in understanding of the mechanisms, including genetic and environmental factors, governing zebrafish sex development with comparisons to gene functions in other species to highlight conserved and potentially species-specific mechanisms for specifying and maintaining sexual fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devora Aharon
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy, Place Box 1020, New York, NY, 10029-6574, USA
| | - Florence L Marlow
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy, Place Box 1020, New York, NY, 10029-6574, USA.
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Myosho T, Hattori M, Yamamoto J, Toda M, Okamura T, Onishi Y, Takehana Y, Kobayashi T. Effects of synthetic sex steroid hormone exposures on gonadal sex differentiation and dynamics of a male-related gene, Gonadal soma-derived factor (Gsdf) and an estrogen up-regulated gene, Choriogenine-H (ChgH) gene expression in the euryhaline Javafish medaka, Oryzias javanicus, based on genetic sexes. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 274:129893. [PMID: 33979926 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.129893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
To clarify the basal aspects of sexual development in Javafish medaka, Oryzias javanicus (ZZ/ZW), a model marine species for ecotoxicity testing, we examined the details of gonadal sex differentiation and exogenous sex hormone-dependent sex reversals using genetic sex-linked DNA markers. Sex differences in germ cell numbers were observed at 5 days post hatching (dph), in which there was a significant increase in the germ cells of ZW. In ZW, diplotene oocytes and the ovarian cavity appeared at approximately 10, and 30 dph, respectively. In ZZ, spermatogonial proliferation was observed at approximately 20 dph. A ZZ-dominant expression of Gonadal soma-derived factor (Gsdf) mRNA was detected before hatching. The exposure of embryos to 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2; 0.1, 1, 10 ng/mL) did not cause sex reversals in most cases. However, EE2 exposures led to significant Choriogenin-H (ChgH) mRNA expression, an estrogen up-regulated gene, in all fry; these exposures did not suppress Gsdf expression in ZZ fry. The exposure of embryos to 17α-methyltestosterone (MT; 0.1, 1, 10 ng/mL) caused sex reversals but only at low frequencies in ZW and ZZ fish. Although the 10 ng/mL MT exposure was accompanied by induction of significant Gsdf expression in ZW fry, induction of ChgH expression was also observed in several fry. Together, the present study indicates for the first time that male-dominant sexual dimorphic expression of Gsdf precedes the first morphological sex difference, i.e., the sex difference in germ cell number, and results strongly suggest that exogenous sex hormone-dependent sex reversal is not induced easily in O. javanicus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taijun Myosho
- Laboratory of Molecular Reproductive Biology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, 422-8526, Japan; Department of Environmental Life Sciences, School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, 422-8526, Japan
| | - Minako Hattori
- Department of Environmental Life Sciences, School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, 422-8526, Japan
| | - Jun Yamamoto
- Institute of Environmental Ecology, IDEA Consultants Inc., 1334-5, Riemon, Yaizu, Shizuoka, 421-0212, Japan
| | - Misa Toda
- Institute of Environmental Ecology, IDEA Consultants Inc., 1334-5, Riemon, Yaizu, Shizuoka, 421-0212, Japan
| | - Tetsuro Okamura
- Institute of Environmental Ecology, IDEA Consultants Inc., 1334-5, Riemon, Yaizu, Shizuoka, 421-0212, Japan
| | - Yuta Onishi
- Institute of Environmental Ecology, IDEA Consultants Inc., 1334-5, Riemon, Yaizu, Shizuoka, 421-0212, Japan
| | - Yusuke Takehana
- Department of Animal Bio-Science, Faculty of Bio-Science, Nagahama Institute of Bioscience and Technology, 1266 Tamura, Nagahama, 526-0829, Japan
| | - Tohru Kobayashi
- Laboratory of Molecular Reproductive Biology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, 422-8526, Japan; Department of Environmental Life Sciences, School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, 422-8526, Japan.
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7
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Jin YH, Robledo D, Hickey JM, McGrew MJ, Houston RD. Surrogate broodstock to enhance biotechnology research and applications in aquaculture. Biotechnol Adv 2021; 49:107756. [PMID: 33895331 PMCID: PMC8192414 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2021.107756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Aquaculture is playing an increasingly important role in meeting global demands for seafood, particularly in low and middle income countries. Genetic improvement of aquaculture species has major untapped potential to help achieve this, with selective breeding and genome editing offering exciting avenues to expedite this process. However, limitations to these breeding and editing approaches include long generation intervals of many fish species, alongside both technical and regulatory barriers to the application of genome editing in commercial production. Surrogate broodstock technology facilitates the production of donor-derived gametes in surrogate parents, and comprises transplantation of germ cells of donors into sterilised recipients. There are many successful examples of intra- and inter-species germ cell transfer and production of viable offspring in finfish, and this leads to new opportunities to address the aforementioned limitations. Firstly, surrogate broodstock technology raises the opportunity to improve genome editing via the use of cultured germ cells, to reduce mosaicism and potentially enable in vivo CRISPR screens in the progeny of surrogate parents. Secondly, the technology has pertinent applications in preservation of aquatic genetic resources, and in facilitating breeding of high-value species which are otherwise difficult to rear in captivity. Thirdly, it holds potential to drastically reduce the effective generation interval in aquaculture breeding programmes, expediting the rate of genetic gain. Finally, it provides new opportunities for dissemination of tailored, potentially genome edited, production animals of high genetic merit for farming. This review focuses on the state-of-the-art of surrogate broodstock technology, and discusses the next steps for its applications in research and production. The integration and synergy of genomics, genome editing, and reproductive technologies have exceptional potential to expedite genetic gain in aquaculture species in the coming decades. Genetic improvement in aquaculture species has a major role in global food security. Advances in biotechnology provide new opportunities to support aquaculture breeding. Advances in biotechnology provide new opportunities to support aquaculture breeding. Donor-derived gametes can be produced from surrogate broodstock of several aquaculture species. Surrogate broodstock technology provides new opportunities for application of genome editing. Surrogate broodstock can accelerate genetic gain, and improve dissemination of elite germplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Hwa Jin
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Roslin EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Diego Robledo
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Roslin EH25 9RG, UK
| | - John M Hickey
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Roslin EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Mike J McGrew
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Roslin EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Ross D Houston
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Roslin EH25 9RG, UK.
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8
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Imarazene B, Beille S, Jouanno E, Branthonne A, Thermes V, Thomas M, Herpin A, Rétaux S, Guiguen Y. Primordial Germ Cell Migration and Histological and Molecular Characterization of Gonadal Differentiation in Pachón Cavefish Astyanax mexicanus. Sex Dev 2021; 14:80-98. [PMID: 33691331 DOI: 10.1159/000513378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The genetic regulatory network governing vertebrate gonadal differentiation appears less conserved than previously thought. Here, we investigated the gonadal development of Astyanax mexicanus Pachón cavefish by looking at primordial germ cells (PGCs) migration and proliferation, gonad histology, and gene expression patterns. We showed that PGCs are first detected at the 80% epiboly stage and then reach the gonadal primordium at 1 day post-fertilization (dpf). However, in contrast to the generally described absence of PGCs proliferation during their migration phase, PGCs number in cavefish doubles between early neurula and 8-9 somites stages. Combining both gonadal histology and vasa (germ cell marker) expression patterns, we observed that ovarian and testicular differentiation occurs around 65 dpf in females and 90 dpf in males, respectively, with an important inter-individual variability. The expression patterns of dmrt1, gsdf, and amh revealed a conserved predominant male expression during cavefish gonadal development, but none of the ovarian differentiation genes, i. e., foxl2a, cyp19a1a, and wnt4b displayed an early sexually dimorphic expression, and surprisingly all these genes exhibited predominant expression in adult testes. Altogether, our results lay the foundation for further research on sex determination and differentiation in A. mexicanus and contribute to the emerging picture that the vertebrate sex differentiation downstream regulatory network is less conserved than previously thought, at least in teleost fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boudjema Imarazene
- INRAE, Laboratoire de Physiologie et Génomique des poissons, Rennes, France.,Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Séverine Beille
- INRAE, Laboratoire de Physiologie et Génomique des poissons, Rennes, France
| | - Elodie Jouanno
- INRAE, Laboratoire de Physiologie et Génomique des poissons, Rennes, France
| | - Adéle Branthonne
- INRAE, Laboratoire de Physiologie et Génomique des poissons, Rennes, France
| | - Violette Thermes
- INRAE, Laboratoire de Physiologie et Génomique des poissons, Rennes, France
| | - Manon Thomas
- INRAE, Laboratoire de Physiologie et Génomique des poissons, Rennes, France
| | - Amaury Herpin
- INRAE, Laboratoire de Physiologie et Génomique des poissons, Rennes, France
| | - Sylvie Rétaux
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Yann Guiguen
- INRAE, Laboratoire de Physiologie et Génomique des poissons, Rennes, France,
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9
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Vandeputte M, Clota F, Sadoul B, Blanc M, Blondeau‐Bidet E, Bégout M, Cousin X, Geffroy B. Low temperature has opposite effects on sex determination in a marine fish at the larval/postlarval and juvenile stages. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:13825-13835. [PMID: 33391683 PMCID: PMC7771145 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) can be observed in multiple reptile and fish species. It is adaptive when varying environmental conditions advantage either males or females. A good knowledge of the thermosensitive period is key to understand how environmental changes may lead to changes in population sex ratio. Here, by manipulating temperature during development, we confirm that cold temperature (16°C) increases the proportion of fish that develop as females in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) until 56 days posthatching, but show that it has an opposite effect at later stages, with the proportion of males reaching ~90% after 230 days at 16°C. This is the first observation of opposite effects of temperature at different time periods on the sex ratio of a vertebrate. Our results highlight the potential complexity of environmental effects on sex determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Vandeputte
- Université Paris‐Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTechGABIJouy‐en‐JosasFrance
- MARBEC, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, IfremerIRDPalavas‐les‐FlotsFrance
| | - Frédéric Clota
- Université Paris‐Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTechGABIJouy‐en‐JosasFrance
- MARBEC, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, IfremerIRDPalavas‐les‐FlotsFrance
| | - Bastien Sadoul
- MARBEC, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, IfremerIRDPalavas‐les‐FlotsFrance
| | | | | | | | - Xavier Cousin
- Université Paris‐Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTechGABIJouy‐en‐JosasFrance
- MARBEC, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, IfremerIRDPalavas‐les‐FlotsFrance
| | - Benjamin Geffroy
- MARBEC, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, IfremerIRDPalavas‐les‐FlotsFrance
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10
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Ge S, Dan C, Xiong Y, Gong G, Mei J, Guo W, Li X. Identifying difference in primordial germ cells between XX female and XY male yellow catfish embryos. Gene 2020; 761:145037. [PMID: 32777526 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2020.145037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are singled out from somatic cells very early during embryogenesis, then they migrate towards the genital ridge and differentiate into gametes through oogenesis or spermatogenesis. Labeling PGCs with Localized RNAexpression (LRE) technique by fluorescent proteins has been widely applied among teleost species to study the germ cell development and gonad differentiation. In this study, we first cloned and characterized the 3' untranslated regions (3'UTRs) of nanos homolog 1-like (nos1l), dead end (dnd), and vasa in yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco), and then synthesized the GFP-nos1l/dnd/vasa 3'UTR mRNAs. Each of these three 3'UTRs could label PGCs in yellow catfish embryos, of which, vasa 3'UTR exhibited the highest labeling efficiency. To identify the differences in PGCs at embryonic stage, XX all-female and XY all-male yellow catfish embryos were produced and injected with GFP-vasa 3'UTR mRNA. We observed the PGC migration route in these two monosex embryos from 24 hpf to 7 dpf, and found there was no difference between them. Besides, the PGC number was counted at 48 hpf, and the result showed that the average PGC number in XX females (11.3) was significantly larger than that in XY males (8.1).These findings provide an insight into the development of PGCs in yellow catfish embryos and the relationship between embryonicPGCnumberand thelatergonaddifferentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si Ge
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Cheng Dan
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Yang Xiong
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Gaorui Gong
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Jie Mei
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Wenjie Guo
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
| | - Xiaohui Li
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
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Peichel CL, McCann SR, Ross JA, Naftaly AFS, Urton JR, Cech JN, Grimwood J, Schmutz J, Myers RM, Kingsley DM, White MA. Assembly of the threespine stickleback Y chromosome reveals convergent signatures of sex chromosome evolution. Genome Biol 2020; 21:177. [PMID: 32684159 PMCID: PMC7368989 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-020-02097-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heteromorphic sex chromosomes have evolved repeatedly across diverse species. Suppression of recombination between X and Y chromosomes leads to degeneration of the Y chromosome. The progression of degeneration is not well understood, as complete sequence assemblies of heteromorphic Y chromosomes have only been generated across a handful of taxa with highly degenerate sex chromosomes. Here, we describe the assembly of the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) Y chromosome, which is less than 26 million years old and at an intermediate stage of degeneration. Our previous work identified that the non-recombining region between the X and the Y spans approximately 17.5 Mb on the X chromosome. RESULTS We combine long-read sequencing with a Hi-C-based proximity guided assembly to generate a 15.87 Mb assembly of the Y chromosome. Our assembly is concordant with cytogenetic maps and Sanger sequences of over 90 Y chromosome BAC clones. We find three evolutionary strata on the Y chromosome, consistent with the three inversions identified by our previous cytogenetic analyses. The threespine stickleback Y shows convergence with more degenerate sex chromosomes in the retention of haploinsufficient genes and the accumulation of genes with testis-biased expression, many of which are recent duplicates. However, we find no evidence for large amplicons identified in other sex chromosome systems. We also report an excellent candidate for the master sex-determination gene: a translocated copy of Amh (Amhy). CONCLUSIONS Together, our work shows that the evolutionary forces shaping sex chromosomes can cause relatively rapid changes in the overall genetic architecture of Y chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine L. Peichel
- Divisions of Human Biology and Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109 USA
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Shaugnessy R. McCann
- Divisions of Human Biology and Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109 USA
| | - Joseph A. Ross
- Divisions of Human Biology and Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109 USA
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | | | - James R. Urton
- Divisions of Human Biology and Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109 USA
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Jennifer N. Cech
- Divisions of Human Biology and Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109 USA
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Jane Grimwood
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806 USA
| | - Jeremy Schmutz
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806 USA
| | - Richard M. Myers
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806 USA
| | - David M. Kingsley
- Department of Developmental Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Michael A. White
- Divisions of Human Biology and Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109 USA
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA
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12
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da Costa Amaral A, Lima AF, Ganeco-Kirschnik LN, de Almeida FL. Morphological characterization of pirarucu Arapaima gigas (Schinz, 1822) gonadal differentiation. J Morphol 2020; 281:491-499. [PMID: 32198946 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Arapaima gigas is a giant air-breathing and bony tongue fish from the Amazon basin and a promising species for aquaculture. A. gigas farming industry is still not established because of the lack of information on its reproductive physiology. Reproduction in captivity cannot be manipulated or stimulated, and the identification of males and females in a broodstock is not easy. We aimed to reveal the morphological sex differentiation of pirarucu as studies involving gonad development are essential to understanding the reproductive physiology of any species. We performed histological analysis on the whole body and extracted the gonads of 150 juveniles. The first sign of ovary differentiation is the sex-specific rearrangement of the germ cells. In 9 cm total length females, the germ cells group into nests and are restricted to the lateral face of the gonad, in close contact with the abdomen wall. With further development, this region invaginates and that later develops into ovigerous lamellae. Meiosis starts soon after ovary differentiation. In males, the germ cells are scattered along the elongated differentiating testis at first, and later become more restricted to the central region where the spermatogonial cysts start to develop. Somatic and germ cells are jointly involved in the cellular reorganization during gonadal differentiation, specifically when the germ cells begin to establish new associations during the development of both the germinal epithelium and stroma. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: In Arapaima gigas, the ovary differentiation occurs in 9 cm TL females and it is marked by the rearrangement of germ and somatic cells; and the germ cells entering meiosis with no formation of ovarian cavity; testis differentiation occurs later and meiosis does not start in males smaller than 80 cm TL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aldessandro da Costa Amaral
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Pesqueiras nos Trópicos, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil
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13
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Baloch AR, Fučíková M, Rodina M, Metscher B, Tichopád T, Shah MA, Franěk R, Pšenička M. Delivery of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles into Primordial Germ Cells in Sturgeon. Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9080333. [PMID: 31375005 PMCID: PMC6724049 DOI: 10.3390/biom9080333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Nanoparticles are finding increasing applications in diagnostics, imaging and therapeutics in medicine. Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONs) have received significant interest of scientific community due to their distinctive properties. For the first time, we have delivered IONs into germ cells in any species. Our results showed that sturgeon primordial germ cells (PGCs) delivered with IONs could be detected until seven days post fertilization (dpf) under fluorescent microscope and at 22 dpf by micro-CT. Delivery of IONs into cells could be helpful for studying germ cell biology and the improvement of germ cell-based bio-technologies as isolation of PGCs using magnetic activated cell sorting or application of hyperthermia for a host sterilization purpose. Intriguingly, in our study, we did not find any toxic effects of IONs on the survival and hatching rates of sturgeon embryos when compared with embryos injected with FITC-dextran only.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdul Rasheed Baloch
- University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zatisi 728/II, 389 25 Vodnany, Czech Republic.
| | - Michaela Fučíková
- University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zatisi 728/II, 389 25 Vodnany, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Rodina
- University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zatisi 728/II, 389 25 Vodnany, Czech Republic
| | - Brian Metscher
- University of Vienna, Department of Theoretical Biology, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Tomáš Tichopád
- University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zatisi 728/II, 389 25 Vodnany, Czech Republic
| | - Mujahid Ali Shah
- University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zatisi 728/II, 389 25 Vodnany, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Franěk
- University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zatisi 728/II, 389 25 Vodnany, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Pšenička
- University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zatisi 728/II, 389 25 Vodnany, Czech Republic
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Ye D, Zhu L, Zhang Q, Xiong F, Wang H, Wang X, He M, Zhu Z, Sun Y. Abundance of Early Embryonic Primordial Germ Cells Promotes Zebrafish Female Differentiation as Revealed by Lifetime Labeling of Germline. MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2019; 21:217-228. [PMID: 30671659 PMCID: PMC6441407 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-019-09874-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Teleost sex differentiation largely depends on the number of undifferentiated germ cells. Here, we describe the generation and characterization of a novel transgenic zebrafish line, Tg(piwil1:egfp-UTRnanos3)ihb327Tg, which specifically labels the whole lifetime of germ cells, i.e., from primordial germ cells (PGCs) at shield stage to the oogonia and early stage of oocytes in the ovary and to the early stage of spermatogonia, spermatocyte, and spermatid in the testis. By using this transgenic line, we carefully observed the numbers of PGCs from early embryonic stage to juvenile stage and the differentiation process of ovary and testis. The numbers of PGCs became variable at as early as 1 day post-fertilization (dpf). Interestingly, the embryos with a high amount of PGCs mainly developed into females and the ones with a low amount of PGCs mainly developed into males. By using transient overexpression and transgenic induction of PGC-specific bucky ball (buc), we further proved that induction of abundant PGCs at embryonic stage promoted later ovary differentiation and female development. Taken together, we generate an ideal transgenic line Tg(piwil1:egfp-UTRnanos3)ihb327Tg which can visualize zebrafish germline for a lifetime, and we have utilized this line to study germ cell development and gonad differentiation of teleost and to demonstrate that the increase of PGC number at embryonic stage promotes female differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ding Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lin Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qifeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Feng Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Houpeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Xiaosi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Mudan He
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zuoyan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yonghua Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China.
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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15
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Yang Y, Liu Q, Xiao Y, Xu S, Wang X, Yang J, Song Z, You F, Li J. High temperature increases the gsdf expression in masculinization of genetically female Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 274:17-25. [PMID: 30594590 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
In teleosts, sex is plastic and is influenced by environmental factors. Elevated temperatures have masculinizing effects on the phenotypic sex of certain sensitive species. In this study, we reared genetic XX Japanese flounder at a high temperature (27.5 ± 0.5 °C) and obtained a population of sex-reversal XX males (male ratio, 95.24%). We comparatively analyzed the dynamic characteristics of germ cells and gsdf (gonadal soma-derived factor) expression during sexual differentiation for the experimental (27.5 ± 0.5 °C) and control (18 °C ± 0.5 °C) groups. The results revealed that the germ cell proliferation inhibited and gsdf expression up-regulated in the experimental group, and the gsdf mRNA and proteins expressed in somatic cells that had direct contact with germline stem cells (with Nanos 2 protein expression) including spermatogonia and oogonia by ISH (in situ hybridization) and IHC (immunohistochemistry). In addition, we also overexpressed the gsdf in XX flounders, and the germ cell number of XX flounders bearing gsdf gene significantly decreased and sometimes disappeared completely, which was consistent with the results from high-temperature induction. Therefore, based on all the results, we speculated that the high expression of gsdf might inhibit germ cell proliferation during sex differentiation, and eventually cause sex reversal in the high-temperature induced masculinization of XX Japanese flounder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Qinghua Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao 266071, China.
| | - Yongshuang Xiao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Shihong Xu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Xueying Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Jingkun Yang
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Zongcheng Song
- Weihai Shenghang Aquatic Product Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Weihai 264200, China
| | - Feng You
- CAS Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Jun Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao 266071, China.
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16
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Wucherpfennig JI, Miller CT, Kingsley DM. Efficient CRISPR-Cas9 editing of major evolutionary loci in sticklebacks. EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY RESEARCH 2019; 20:107-132. [PMID: 34899072 PMCID: PMC8664273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stickleback fish are widely used to study the genetic and ecological basis of phenotypic evolution. Although several major loci have now been identified that contribute to evolutionary differences between wild populations, further study of the phenotypes associated with particular genes and mutations has been limited by the difficulty of generating targeted mutations at precise locations in the stickleback genome. APPROACH AND AIMS We compared different methods of expressing single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs) and Cas9 activity in fertilized stickleback eggs. We used an easily scored pigmentation gene (SLC24A5) to screen for molecular lesions, phenotypic effects, and possible germline transmission of newly induced alleles. We then used the optimized CRISPR methods to target two major evolutionary loci in sticklebacks, KITLG and EDA. We hypothesized that coding region mutations in the KITLG gene would alter body pigmentation and possibly sex determination, and that mutations in the EDA gene would disrupt the formation of most armor plates, fin rays, spines, teeth, and gill rakers. RESULTS Targeted deletions were successfully induced at each target locus by co-injecting one-cell stage stickleback embryos with either Cas9 mRNA or Cas9 protein, together with sgRNAs designed to protein-coding exons. Founder animals were typically mosaic for multiple mutations, which they transmitted through the germline at overall rates of 21 to 100%. We found that the copy of KITLG on the X chromosome (KITLGX) has diverged from the KITLG on the Y chromosome (KITLGY). Predicted loss-of-function mutations in the KITLGX gene dramatically altered pigmentation in both external skin and internal organ, but the same was not true for KITLGY mutations. Predicted loss-of-function mutations in either the KITLGX or KITLGY genes did not lead to sex reversal or prevent fertility. Homozygous loss-of-function mutations in the EDA gene led to complete loss of armor plates, severe reduction or loss of most soft rays in the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins, and severe reductions in tooth and gill raker number. In contrast, long dorsal and pelvic spines remained intact in EDA mutant animals, suggesting that common co-segregation of plate loss and spine reduction in wild populations is unlikely to be due to pleiotropic effects of EDA mutations. CONCLUSION CRISPR-Cas9 approaches can be used to induce germline mutations in key evolutionary loci in sticklebacks. Targeted coding region mutations confirm an important role for KITLG and EDA in skin pigmentation and armor plate reduction, respectively. They also provide new information about the functions of these genes in other body structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia I Wucherpfennig
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305-5329, USA
| | - Craig T Miller
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - David M Kingsley
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305-5329, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305-5329, USA
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Vizziano-Cantonnet D, Lasalle A, Di Landro S, Klopp C, Genthon C. De novo transcriptome analysis to search for sex-differentiation genes in the Siberian sturgeon. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 268:96-109. [PMID: 30081002 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Revised: 07/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The sturgeon family includes many species that are lucrative for commercial caviar production, some of which face critical conservation problems. The purpose of this study was to identify genes involved in gonadal sex differentiation in sturgeons, contributing to our understanding of the biological cycle of this valuable species. A high-quality de novo Siberian sturgeon gonadal transcriptome was built for this study using gonadal samples from undifferentiated fish at 3, 5, and 6 months of age; recently sex-differentiated fish at 9 months of age; and immature males and females at 14-17 months of age. Undifferentiated fish were sexed after validation of forkhead box L2 (foxl2) and cytochrome P450, family 19, subfamily A, and polypeptide 1a (cyp19a1a) as sex markers, and the transcriptomes of the 3-month-old undifferentiated fish, 5-6-month-old future females, and 5-6-month-old putative males were compared. The ovarian program was associated with strong activation of genes involved in estrogen synthesis (cyp19a1, foxl2, and estradiol 17-beta-dehydrogenase 1), stem-cell niche building and regulation, and sex-specific nerve cell development. The genes related to the stem-cell niche were: (1) the family of iroquois-class homeodomain proteins 3, 4, and 5 (irx3, irx4, irx5-1, irx5-2, and irx5-3), which are essential for somatic-germ cell interaction; (2) extracellular matrix remodeling genes, such as collagen type XXVIII alpha 1 chain and collagen type II alpha 1 chain, matrix metalloproteinases 24-1 and 24-2, and NADPH oxidase organizer 1, which, along with the somatic cells, provide architectural support for the stem-cell niche; and (3) mitogenic factors, such as lim homeobox 2, amphiregulin, G2/M phase-specific E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase, and connector enhancer of kinase suppressor of ras 2, which are up regulated in conjunction with the anti-apoptotic gene G2/M phase-specific E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase suggesting a potential involvement in regulating the number of germ cells. Genes related to sex-specific nerve cell developments were: the neurofilament medium polypeptides, the gene coding for serotonin receptor 7, 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 7; neurotensin, isoform CRA-a, the neuron-specific transmembrane protein Delta/Notch-like epidermal growth factor-related receptor; and insulinoma-associated protein 1. The putative testicular program was poorly characterized by elements of the immune response. The classic markers of maleness were not specifically activated, indicating that testicular differentiation occurs at a later stage. In sum, the ovarian program, but not the testicular program, is in place by 5-6 months of age in the Siberian sturgeon. The female program is characterized by estrogen-related genes with well-established roles in gonadal differentiation, but also by several genes with no previously-described function in the ovarian development of fish. These newly-reported genes are involved in stem-cell niche building and regulation as well as sex-specific nerve development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Vizziano-Cantonnet
- Laboratorio de Fisiología de la Reproducción y Ecología de Peces, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República Oriental del Uruguay, Iguá 4225, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay.
| | - André Lasalle
- Laboratorio de Fisiología de la Reproducción y Ecología de Peces, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República Oriental del Uruguay, Iguá 4225, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Santiago Di Landro
- Laboratorio de Fisiología de la Reproducción y Ecología de Peces, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República Oriental del Uruguay, Iguá 4225, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Christophe Klopp
- INRA, SIGENAE, MIAT UR875, Chemin de Borde-Rouge - Auzeville, BP 52627, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan Cedex, France
| | - Clémence Genthon
- Plateforme Génomique, INRA Auzeville, Chemin de Borde Rouge-CS 52627, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan Cédex, France
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18
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Wu XL, Tang ZK, Li W, Chu ZJ, Hong XY, Zhu XP, Xu HY. Identifying the germ cells during embryogenesis and gametogenesis by germ-line gene vasa in an anadromous fish, American shad Alosa sapidissima. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2018; 92:1422-1434. [PMID: 29573270 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 02/14/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
American shad Alosa sapidissima, an anadromous clupeid, exhibits variation in reproductive strategies, including semelparity and iteroparity. It provides an excellent model for studying the behaviour of germ cells in anadromous fish during their migration from sea to river. The vasa gene was characterized in A. sapidissima as a germ-cell marker to elaborate the process of germ-cell development and differentiation in anadromous species. A complementary (c)DNA fragment of 819 bp, partial open reading frame (ORF), was cloned by degenerate PCR and named as ASvas. In adult A. sapidissima, vasa transcript was exclusively detected in gonads by reverse-transcription (RT)-PCR. Through chromogenic in situ hybridization, the vasa messenger (m)RNA was specifically detected in primordial germ cells (PGC) in embryos and germ cells at early stages in ovary and testis. Besides, the cellular distribution profile of Vasa protein also proved that vasa gene could be used as a germ-line marker to trace the PGCs migration during embryogenesis and the germ-cell differentiation during gametogenesis in A. sapidissima. During embryogenesis, the migrating PGCs were clearly detected at tail-bud stage and the PGCs reached the genital ridge at the stage of pre-hatching stage in A. sapidissima embryos. During gametogenesis, the Vasa protein was dynamically expressed in differentiating germ cells at different stages in adult gonads. As far as we know, this is the first report to demonstrate the PGCs migration and germ-cell differentiation through vasa gene expression in the anadromous species. The findings will pave a way for investigating germ-cell development and maturation in the A. sapidissima and other anadromous fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- X L Wu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, 510380, China
| | - Z K Tang
- School of Fishery, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, 316022, China
| | - W Li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, 510380, China
| | - Z J Chu
- School of Fishery, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, 316022, China
| | - X Y Hong
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, 510380, China
| | - X P Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, 510380, China
| | - H Y Xu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, 510380, China
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Yang Y, Liu Q, Xiao Y, Wang X, An H, Song Z, You F, Wang Y, Ma D, Li J. Germ Cell Migration, Proliferation and Differentiation during Gonadal Morphogenesis in All-Female Japanese Flounder (Paralichthys Olivaceus
). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2018; 301:727-741. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.23698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Revised: 04/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Qingdao 266071 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100049 China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology; Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology; Qingdao 266071 China
| | - Qinghua Liu
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Qingdao 266071 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100049 China
| | - Yongshuang Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Qingdao 266071 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100049 China
| | - Xueying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Qingdao 266071 China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology; Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology; Qingdao 266071 China
| | - Hao An
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Qingdao 266071 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100049 China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology; Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology; Qingdao 266071 China
| | - Zongcheng Song
- Weihai Shenghang Aquatic Product Science and Technology Co. Ltd; Weihai 264200 China
| | - Feng You
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Qingdao 266071 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100049 China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology; Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology; Qingdao 266071 China
| | - Yanfeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Qingdao 266071 China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology; Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology; Qingdao 266071 China
| | - Daoyuan Ma
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Qingdao 266071 China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology; Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology; Qingdao 266071 China
| | - Jun Li
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Qingdao 266071 China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology; Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology; Qingdao 266071 China
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20
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Rapid molecular sexing of three-spined sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus L., based on large Y-chromosomal insertions. J Appl Genet 2017; 58:401-407. [DOI: 10.1007/s13353-017-0399-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Revised: 03/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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21
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Zhao C, Xu S, Liu Y, Wang Y, Liu Q, Li J. Gonadogenesis analysis and sex differentiation in cultured turbot (Scophthalmus maximus). FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2017; 43:265-278. [PMID: 27632014 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-016-0284-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
As a flatfish, the turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) is one of the most important farmed fish species with great commercial value, which has a strong sexual dimorphism on growth rate and sexual maturity. In this study, using histology, the basic information on proliferation and migration of germ cells and early gonadal development during sex differentiation in turbot were described in detail. There were six to nine individual primordial germ cells (PGCs) with large nuclei until 15 days post-hatching (dph). The PGCs located under the mesonephric ducts undergo migration along the dorsal mesentery toward the region of the genital ridge from 0 to 15 dph. During migration, the number of PGCs was constant, and the expression of vasa had no significant changes. At 20 dph, the aggregation of somatic cells at genital ridge indicated the formation of primary gonad. Furthermore, the number of PGCs was increased to 60 and the expression of vasa was upregulated for the first time. The undifferentiated gonads with no morphological indications of sex differentiation grew larger with the increase in germ cells and somatic cells number/size from 20 to 35 dph. During 36-52 dph, cytological gonadal differentiation was observed. In presumptive testes of type I gonadal tissue (with a lance shape), the number of germ cells increased steadily and the germ cells had the same characteristics as before. Meanwhile, in presumptive ovaries of type II gonadal tissue (with a club-like shape), the germ cells proliferated and induced in two different populations of germ cells. One type had the morphological characteristics as undifferentiated germ cells, while the other type of germ cells underwent mitosis exhibiting smaller size and mottled nuclei. At 60 dph, ovarian cavity was present in the gonad of type II, which would develop into ovaries. However, spermatogonial cysts were not noticed in the gonad of type I until 90 dph, which indicated the formation of the testes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Shihong Xu
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Yifan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Yanfeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Qinghua Liu
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China.
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, China.
| | - Jun Li
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China.
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, China.
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22
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Li Y, He Z, Shi S, Zhang Y, Chen D, Zhang W, Zhang L. Scp3 expression in relation to the ovarian differentiation in the protogynous hermaphroditic ricefield eel Monopterus albus. FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2016; 42:1609-1619. [PMID: 27277446 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-016-0244-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2016] [Accepted: 05/30/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Synaptonemal complex protein 3 (Scp3), which is encoded by scp3, is a meiotic marker commonly used to trace the timing of gonadal differentiation in vertebrates. In the present study, the ricefield eel scp3 cDNA was cloned, and a fragment encoding amino acids 49 to 244 was overexpressed. The recombinant Scp3 polypeptide was purified and used to generate a rabbit anti-Scp3 polyclonal antiserum. In adult ricefield eels, scp3 mRNA was predominantly detected in the gonads and faintly detected in discrete brain areas. In the gonads, Scp3 immunoreactivities were shown to be localized to the germ cells, including meiotic primary growth oocytes, spermatocytes, and pre-meiotic spermatogonia. During early ovarian differentiation, immunoreactive Scp3 was not detected in the gonads of ricefield eels at 6 days post-hatching (dph) but was found to be abundantly localized in the cytoplasm of some oogonia at 7 dph, coinciding with the appearance of the ovarian cavity and ovarian differentiation. At 14 dph, strong Scp3 immunostaining was detected on one side of the nucleus with a distinct polarity in some germ cells, presumably at the leptotene stage. Consistent with these results, the expression of scp3 mRNA was faintly detected in the gonads of ricefield eels at 6 dph, increased at 8 dph, and then remained relatively high thereafter. Taken together, these results suggest that the appearance of immunoreactive Scp3 in oogonia could be a marker for early ovarian differentiation in ricefield eels. The translocation of the Scp3 protein from the cytoplasm to the nucleus in the oogonium of ricefield eels appears to be a controlled process that warrants further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixue Li
- Institute of Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China
- Biology Department, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi He
- Institute of Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China
- College of Animal Sciences and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, 625014, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuxia Shi
- Biology Department, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China
| | - Yize Zhang
- Institute of Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China
- Biology Department, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China
| | - Dong Chen
- Institute of Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China
- Biology Department, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China
| | - Weimin Zhang
- Institute of Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China.
- Biology Department, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China.
| | - Lihong Zhang
- Biology Department, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China.
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23
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Arfuso F, Guerrera MC, Fortino G, Fazio F, Santulli A, Piccione G. Water temperature influences growth and gonad differentiation in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax, L. 1758). Theriogenology 2016; 88:145-151. [PMID: 27751603 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2016.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2016] [Revised: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 09/13/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The effect of rearing temperature on gonad differentiation and growth was evaluated in sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax). One control group (CG, n = 60) and two experimental groups (EG1, n = 30; EG2, n = 30) were selected. CG was reared at 15.0 °C during 10 days post-hatch (dph) and at 19.0 °C throughout the remaining larval and post-larval development. EG1 was exposed to 14.5 °C from 1 to 50 dph, followed by an increase to 20 °C until sampling (176 dph). EG2 was exposed to 14.5 °C from 1 to 37 dph, followed by an increase to 20 °C until sampling (226 dph); 30 fish from CG were randomly sampled at 176 dph (CG1, control for EG1) and 30 fish were sampled at 226 dph (CG2, control for EG2). Weight, total and fork length measurement, and gonad collection were performed. All biometric indices were higher in EG1 and EG2 than in CG1 and CG2, respectively. Histologic analysis reported 100% of undifferentiated gonads in CG1 and; EG1 reported 80% of undifferentiated gonads and 20% of gonads at early differentiation toward the male line. CG2 reported 34% of undifferentiated gonads, 10% of gonads at early differentiation toward the female line, 23% of gonads at early differentiation toward the male line, and 33% of gonads with intratesticular oocytes. EG2 reported 47% of gonads differentiated in testis, 33% gonads differentiated in ovary, and 20% of gonads with intratesticular oocytes. These results suggest that water temperature plays an important role in the process of gonad differentiation and growth of sea bass.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Arfuso
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Polo Universitario dell'Annunziata, Messina, Italy
| | - M C Guerrera
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Polo Universitario dell'Annunziata, Messina, Italy
| | - G Fortino
- Acqua Azzurra S.p.A., Contrada Morghella, Pachino, Italy
| | - F Fazio
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Polo Universitario dell'Annunziata, Messina, Italy
| | - A Santulli
- Laboratory of Marine Biochemistry and Ecotoxicology, Section of Ecology, Department of Earth and Sea Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - G Piccione
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Polo Universitario dell'Annunziata, Messina, Italy.
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24
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Petersen AM, Earp NC, Redmond ME, Postlethwait JH, von Hippel FA, Buck CL, Cresko WA. Perchlorate Exposure Reduces Primordial Germ Cell Number in Female Threespine Stickleback. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0157792. [PMID: 27383240 PMCID: PMC4934864 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2015] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Perchlorate is a common aquatic contaminant that has long been known to affect thyroid function in vertebrates, including humans. More recently perchlorate has been shown to affect primordial sexual differentiation in the aquatic model fishes zebrafish and threespine stickleback, but the mechanism has been unclear. Stickleback exposed to perchlorate from fertilization have increased androgen levels in the embryo and disrupted reproductive morphologies as adults, suggesting that perchlorate could disrupt the earliest stages of primordial sexual differentiation when primordial germ cells (PGCs) begin to form the gonad. Female stickleback have three to four times the number of PGCs as males during the first weeks of development. We hypothesized that perchlorate exposure affects primordial sexual differentiation by reducing the number of germ cells in the gonad during an important window of stickleback sex determination at 14-18 days post fertilization (dpf). We tested this hypothesis by quantifying the number of PGCs at 16 dpf in control and 100 mg/L perchlorate-treated male and female stickleback. Perchlorate exposure from the time of fertilization resulted in significantly reduced PGC number only in genotypic females, suggesting that the masculinizing effects of perchlorate observed in adult stickleback may result from early changes to the number of PGCs at a time critical for sex determination. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of a connection between an endocrine disruptor and reduction in PGC number prior to the first meiosis during sex determination. These findings suggest that a mode of action of perchlorate on adult reproductive phenotypes in vertebrates, including humans, such as altered fecundity and sex reversal or intersex gonads, may stem from early changes to germ cell development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M. Petersen
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403, United States of America
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University Cascades, Bend, Oregon 97703, United States of America
| | - Nathanial C. Earp
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403, United States of America
| | - Mandy E. Redmond
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403, United States of America
| | - John H. Postlethwait
- Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403, United States of America
| | - Frank A. von Hippel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86001, United States of America
| | - C. Loren Buck
- Department of Biological Sciences & Center for Bioengineering Innovation, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86001, United States of America
| | - William A. Cresko
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403, United States of America
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25
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Toli EA, Calboli FCF, Shikano T, Merilä J. A universal and reliable assay for molecular sex identification of three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Mol Ecol Resour 2016; 16:1389-1400. [PMID: 27238091 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Revised: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 05/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
In heterogametic species, biological differences between the two sexes are ubiquitous, and hence, errors in sex identification can be a significant source of noise and bias in studies where sex-related sources of variation are of interest or need to be controlled for. We developed and validated a universal multimarker assay for reliable sex identification of three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). The assay makes use of genotype scores from three sex-linked loci and utilizes Bayesian probabilistic inference to identify sex of the genotyped individuals. The results, validated with 286 phenotypically sexed individuals from six populations of sticklebacks representing all major genetic lineages (cf. Pacific, Atlantic and Japan Sea), indicate that in contrast to commonly used single-marker-based sex identification assays, the developed multimarker assay should be 100% accurate. As the markers in the assay can be scored from agarose gels, it provides a quick and cost-efficient tool for universal sex identification of three-spined sticklebacks. The general principle of combining information from multiple markers to improve the reliability of sex identification is transferable and can be utilized to develop and validate similar assays for other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- E-A Toli
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland.,Molecular Ecology & Conservation Genetics Lab, Department of Biological Applications & Technology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, GR-45110, Greece
| | - F C F Calboli
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland
| | - T Shikano
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland
| | - J Merilä
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland.
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Robledo D, Ribas L, Cal R, Sánchez L, Piferrer F, Martínez P, Viñas A. Gene expression analysis at the onset of sex differentiation in turbot (Scophthalmus maximus). BMC Genomics 2015; 16:973. [PMID: 26581195 PMCID: PMC4652359 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-2142-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 10/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Controlling sex ratios is essential for the aquaculture industry, especially in those species with sex dimorphism for relevant productive traits, hence the importance of knowing how the sexual phenotype is established in fish. Turbot, a very important fish for the aquaculture industry in Europe, shows one of the largest sexual growth dimorphisms amongst marine cultured species, being all-female stocks a desirable goal for the industry. Although important knowledge has been achieved on the genetic basis of sex determination (SD) in this species, the master SD gene remains unknown and precise information on gene expression at the critical stage of sex differentiation is lacking. In the present work, we examined the expression profiles of 29 relevant genes related to sex differentiation, from 60 up to 135 days post fertilization (dpf), when gonads are differentiating. We also considered the influence of three temperature regimes on sex differentiation. RESULTS The first sex-related differences in molecular markers could be observed at 90 days post fertilization (dpf) and so we have called that time the onset of sex differentiation. Three genes were the first to show differential expression between males and females and also allowed us to sex turbot accurately at the onset of sex differentiation (90 dpf): cyp19a1a, amh and vasa. The expression of genes related to primordial germ cells (vasa, gsdf, tdrd1) started to increase between 75-90 dpf and vasa and tdrd1 later presented higher expression in females (90-105 dpf). Two genes placed on the SD region of turbot (sox2, fxr1) did not show any expression pattern suggestive of a sex determining function. We also detected changes in the expression levels of several genes (ctnnb1, cyp11a, dmrt2 or sox6) depending on culture temperature. CONCLUSION Our results enabled us to identify the first sex-associated genetic cues (cyp19a1a, vasa and amh) at the initial stages of gonad development in turbot (90 dpf) and to accurately sex turbot at this age, establishing the correspondence between gene expression profiles and histological sex. Furthermore, we profiled several genes involved in sex differentiation and found specific temperature effects on their expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Robledo
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Laia Ribas
- Institut de Ciències del Mar, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 08003, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Rosa Cal
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, 36390, Vigo, Spain.
| | - Laura Sánchez
- Departamento de Genética. Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus de Lugo, 27002, Lugo, Spain.
| | - Francesc Piferrer
- Institut de Ciències del Mar, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 08003, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Paulino Martínez
- Departamento de Genética. Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus de Lugo, 27002, Lugo, Spain.
| | - Ana Viñas
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
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27
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Paitz RT, Mommer BC, Suhr E, Bell AM. Changes in the concentrations of four maternal steroids during embryonic development in the threespined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL GENETICS AND PHYSIOLOGY 2015; 323:422-9. [PMID: 26036752 PMCID: PMC5977982 DOI: 10.1002/jez.1937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Revised: 03/12/2015] [Accepted: 04/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Embryonic exposure to steroids often leads to long-term phenotypic effects. It has been hypothesized that mothers may be able to create a steroid environment that adjusts the phenotypes of offspring to current environmental conditions. Complicating this hypothesis is the potential for developing embryos to modulate their early endocrine environment. This study utilized the threespined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) to characterize the early endocrine environment within eggs by measuring four steroids (progesterone, testosterone, estradiol, and cortisol) of maternal origin. We then examined how the concentrations of these four steroids changed over the first 12 days post fertilization (dpf). Progesterone, testosterone, estradiol, and cortisol of maternal origin could be detected within unfertilized eggs and levels of all four steroids declined in the first 3 days following fertilization. While levels of progesterone, testosterone, and estradiol remained low after the initial decline, levels of cortisol rose again by 8 dpf. These results demonstrate that G. aculeatus embryos begin development in the presence of a number of maternal steroids but levels begin to change quickly following fertilization. This suggests that embryonic processes change the early endocrine environment and hence influence the ability of maternal steroids to affect development. With these findings, G. aculeatus becomes an intriguing system in which to study how selection may act on both maternal and embryonic processes to shape the evolutionary consequence of steroid-mediated maternal effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Thomas Paitz
- School of Integrative Biology, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois
| | - Brett Christian Mommer
- School of Integrative Biology, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois
- GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liege, Liège, Belgium
| | - Elissa Suhr
- School of Integrative Biology, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Alison Marie Bell
- School of Integrative Biology, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois
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Furin CG, von Hippel FA, Postlethwait JH, Buck CL, Cresko WA, O'Hara TM. Developmental timing of sodium perchlorate exposure alters angiogenesis, thyroid follicle proliferation and sexual maturation in stickleback. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2015; 219:24-35. [PMID: 25865142 PMCID: PMC4508251 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2014] [Revised: 03/15/2015] [Accepted: 04/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Perchlorate, a common aquatic contaminant, is well known to disrupt homeostasis of the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis. This study utilizes the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) fish to determine if perchlorate exposure during certain windows of development has morphological effects on thyroid and gonads. Fish were moved from untreated water to perchlorate-contaminated water (30 and 100mg/L) starting at 0, 3, 7, 14, 21, 42, 154 and 305 days post fertilization until approximately one year old. A reciprocal treatment (fish in contaminated water switched to untreated water) was conducted on the same schedule. Perchlorate exposure increased angiogenesis and follicle proliferation in thyroid tissue, delayed gonadal maturity, and skewed sex ratios toward males; effects depended on concentration and timing of exposure. This study demonstrates that perchlorate exposure beginning during the first 42 days of development has profound effects on stickleback reproductive and thyroid tissues, and by implication can impact population dynamics. Long-term exposure studies that assess contaminant effects at various stages of development provide novel information to characterize risk to aquatic organisms, to facilitate management of resources, and to determine sensitive developmental windows for further study of underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoff G Furin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, 3211 Providence Dr., Anchorage, AK 99508, USA; Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 902 N. Koyukuk Dr., P.O. Box 757000, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA.
| | - Frank A von Hippel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, 3211 Providence Dr., Anchorage, AK 99508, USA.
| | - John H Postlethwait
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, 1254 University of Oregon, 324 Huestis Hall, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
| | - C Loren Buck
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, 3211 Providence Dr., Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
| | - William A Cresko
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, 312 Pacific Hall, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
| | - Todd M O'Hara
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 757750, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7750, USA.
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Saito T, Psenicka M. Novel technique for visualizing primordial germ cells in sturgeons (Acipenser ruthenus, A. gueldenstaedtii, A. baerii, and Huso huso). Biol Reprod 2015; 93:96. [PMID: 26134864 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.115.128314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2015] [Accepted: 06/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are the origin of all germ cells in developing embryos. In the sturgeon embryo, PGCs develop from the vegetal hemisphere, which mainly acts as an extraembryonic source of nutrition. Current methods for studying sturgeon PGCs require either killing the fish or using costly and time-consuming histological procedures. Here, we demonstrate that visualization of sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus>) PGCs in vivo is feasible by simply labeling the vegetal hemisphere with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran. We injected FITC-dextrans, with molecular weights varying between 10 000 and 2 000 000, into the vegetal pole of 1- to 4-cell stage embryos. At the neurula to tail-bud developmental stages, FITC-positive PGC-like cells appeared ventrally around the developing tail bud in the experimental group that received a high-molecular-weight FITC-dextran. The highest average number of FITC-positive PGC-like cells was observed in embryos injected with FITC-dextran having a molecular weight of 500 000 (FD-500). The pattern of migration of the labeled cells was identical to that of PGCs, clearly indicating that the FITC-positive PGC-like cells were PGCs. Labeled vegetal cells, except for the PGCs, were digested and excreted before the embryos starting feeding. FITC-labeled PGCs were observed in the developing gonads of fish for at least 3 mo after injection. We also found that FD-500 could be used to visualize PGCs in other sturgeon species. To the best of our knowledge, this report is the first to demonstrate in any animal species that PGCs can be visualized in vivo for a long period by the injection of a simple reagent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taiju Saito
- Laboratory of Germ Cells, Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Vodnany, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Psenicka
- Laboratory of Germ Cells, Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Vodnany, Czech Republic
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Petersen AM, Dillon D, Bernhardt RR, Torunsky R, Postlethwait JH, von Hippel FA, Loren Buck C, Cresko WA. Perchlorate disrupts embryonic androgen synthesis and reproductive development in threespine stickleback without changing whole-body levels of thyroid hormone. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2015; 210:130-44. [PMID: 25448260 PMCID: PMC4280913 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2014.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2014] [Revised: 09/08/2014] [Accepted: 10/10/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Perchlorate, an environmental contaminant, disrupts normal functioning of the thyroid. We previously showed that perchlorate disrupts behavior and gonad development, and induces external morphological changes in a vertebrate model organism, the threespine stickleback. Whether perchlorate alters these phenotypes via a thyroid-mediated mechanism, and the extent to which the effects depend on dose, are unknown. To address these questions, we chronically exposed stickleback to control conditions and to three concentrations of perchlorate (10, 30 and 100ppm) at various developmental stages from fertilization to reproductive maturity. Adults chronically exposed to perchlorate had increased numbers of thyroid follicles and decreased numbers of thyrocytes. Surprisingly, T4 and T3 levels in larval, juvenile, and adult whole fish chronically exposed to perchlorate did not differ from controls, except at the lowest perchlorate dose, suggesting a non-monotonic dose response curve. We found no detectable abnormalities in external phenotype at any dose of perchlorate, indicating that the increased number of thyroid follicles compensated for the disruptive effects of these doses. In contrast to external morphology, gonadal development was altered substantially, with the highest dose of perchlorate causing the largest effects. Perchlorate increased the number both of early stage ovarian follicles in females and of advanced spermatogenic stages in males. Perchlorate also disrupted embryonic androgen levels. We conclude that chronic perchlorate exposure may not result in lasting adult gross morphological changes but can produce lasting modifications to gonads when compensation of T3 and T4 levels occurs by thyroid follicle hyperplasia. Perchlorate may therefore affect vertebrate development via both thyroidal and non-thyroidal mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M Petersen
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Danielle Dillon
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
| | - Richard R Bernhardt
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
| | - Roberta Torunsky
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - John H Postlethwait
- Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Frank A von Hippel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
| | - C Loren Buck
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
| | - William A Cresko
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
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31
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Tzung KW, Goto R, Saju JM, Sreenivasan R, Saito T, Arai K, Yamaha E, Hossain MS, Calvert MEK, Orbán L. Early depletion of primordial germ cells in zebrafish promotes testis formation. Stem Cell Reports 2014; 4:61-73. [PMID: 25434820 PMCID: PMC4297871 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2014.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2014] [Revised: 10/21/2014] [Accepted: 10/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As complete absence of germ cells leads to sterile males in zebrafish, we explored the relationship between primordial germ cell (PGC) number and sexual development. Our results revealed dimorphic proliferation of PGCs in the early zebrafish larvae, marking the beginning of sexual differentiation. We applied morpholino-based gene knockdown and cell transplantation strategies to demonstrate that a threshold number of PGCs is required for the stability of ovarian fate. Using histology and transcriptomic analyses, we determined that zebrafish gonads are in a meiotic ovarian stage at 14 days postfertilization and identified signaling pathways supporting meiotic oocyte differentiation and eventual female fate. The development of PGC-depleted gonads appears to be restrained and delayed, suggesting that PGC number may directly regulate the variability and length of gonadal transformation and testicular differentiation in zebrafish. We propose that gonadal transformation may function as a developmental buffering mechanism to ensure the reproductive outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keh-Weei Tzung
- Reproductive Genomics Group, Strategic Research Program, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore 117604, Singapore.
| | - Rie Goto
- Nanae Fresh Water Laboratory, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Nanae, Kameda, Hokkaido 041-1105, Japan
| | - Jolly M Saju
- Reproductive Genomics Group, Strategic Research Program, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore 117604, Singapore
| | - Rajini Sreenivasan
- Reproductive Genomics Group, Strategic Research Program, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore 117604, Singapore
| | - Taiju Saito
- Nanae Fresh Water Laboratory, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Nanae, Kameda, Hokkaido 041-1105, Japan
| | - Katsutoshi Arai
- Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Hokkaido 041-8611, Japan
| | - Etsuro Yamaha
- Nanae Fresh Water Laboratory, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Nanae, Kameda, Hokkaido 041-1105, Japan
| | - Mohammad Sorowar Hossain
- Reproductive Genomics Group, Strategic Research Program, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore 117604, Singapore
| | - Meredith E K Calvert
- Bioimaging and Biocomputing Facility, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore 117604, Singapore
| | - László Orbán
- Reproductive Genomics Group, Strategic Research Program, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore 117604, Singapore; Department of Animal Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Georgikon Faculty, University of Pannonia, 8360 Keszthely, Hungary; Centre for Comparative Genomics, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.
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32
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Martínez P, Viñas AM, Sánchez L, Díaz N, Ribas L, Piferrer F. Genetic architecture of sex determination in fish: applications to sex ratio control in aquaculture. Front Genet 2014; 5:340. [PMID: 25324858 PMCID: PMC4179683 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2014.00340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2014] [Accepted: 09/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Controlling the sex ratio is essential in finfish farming. A balanced sex ratio is usually good for broodstock management, since it enables to develop appropriate breeding schemes. However, in some species the production of monosex populations is desirable because the existence of sexual dimorphism, primarily in growth or first time of sexual maturation, but also in color or shape, can render one sex more valuable. The knowledge of the genetic architecture of sex determination (SD) is convenient for controlling sex ratio and for the implementation of breeding programs. Unlike mammals and birds, which show highly conserved master genes that control a conserved genetic network responsible for gonad differentiation (GD), a huge diversity of SD mechanisms has been reported in fish. Despite theory predictions, more than one gene is in many cases involved in fish SD and genetic differences have been observed in the GD network. Environmental factors also play a relevant role and epigenetic mechanisms are becoming increasingly recognized for the establishment and maintenance of the GD pathways. Although major genetic factors are frequently involved in fish SD, these observations strongly suggest that SD in this group resembles a complex trait. Accordingly, the application of quantitative genetics combined with genomic tools is desirable to address its study and in fact, when applied, it has frequently demonstrated a multigene trait interacting with environmental factors in model and cultured fish species. This scenario has notable implications for aquaculture and, depending upon the species, from chromosome manipulation or environmental control techniques up to classical selection or marker assisted selection programs, are being applied. In this review, we selected four relevant species or fish groups to illustrate this diversity and hence the technologies that can be used by the industry for the control of sex ratio: turbot and European sea bass, two reference species of the European aquaculture, and salmonids and tilapia, representing the fish for which there are well established breeding programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulino Martínez
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Santiago de CompostelaLugo, Spain
| | - Ana M. Viñas
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Santiago de CompostelaSantiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Laura Sánchez
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Santiago de CompostelaLugo, Spain
| | - Noelia Díaz
- Institut de Ciències del Mar, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasBarcelona, Spain
| | | | - Francesc Piferrer
- Institut de Ciències del Mar, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasBarcelona, Spain
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Mommer BC, Bell AM. Maternal experience with predation risk influences genome-wide embryonic gene expression in threespined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). PLoS One 2014; 9:e98564. [PMID: 24887438 PMCID: PMC4041765 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0098564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2014] [Accepted: 05/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
There is growing evidence for nongenetic effects of maternal experience on offspring. For example, previous studies have shown that female threespined stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus) exposed to predation risk produce offspring with altered behavior, metabolism and stress physiology. Here, we investigate the effect of maternal exposure to predation risk on the embryonic transcriptome in sticklebacks. Using RNA-sequencing we compared genome-wide transcription in three day post-fertilization embryos of predator-exposed and control mothers. There were hundreds of differentially expressed transcripts between embryos of predator-exposed mothers and embryos of control mothers including several non-coding RNAs. Gene Ontology analysis revealed biological pathways involved in metabolism, epigenetic inheritance, and neural proliferation and differentiation that differed between treatments. Interestingly, predation risk is associated with an accelerated life history in many vertebrates, and several of the genes and biological pathways that were identified in this study suggest that maternal exposure to predation risk accelerates the timing of embryonic development. Consistent with this hypothesis, embryos of predator-exposed mothers were larger than embryos of control mothers. These findings point to some of the molecular mechanisms that might underlie maternal effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett C. Mommer
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Alison M. Bell
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
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34
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Molecular characterization, sexually dimorphic expression, and functional analysis of 3'-untranslated region of vasa gene in half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis). Theriogenology 2014; 82:213-24. [PMID: 24768058 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2014.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2013] [Revised: 03/23/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Vasa is a highly conserved ATP-dependent RNA helicase expressed mainly in germ cells. The vasa gene plays a crucial role in the development of germ cell lineage and has become an excellent molecular marker in identifying germ cells in teleosts. However, little is known about the structure and function of the vasa gene in flatfish. In this study, the vasa gene (Csvasa) was isolated and characterized in half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis), an economically important flatfish in China. In the obtained 6425-bp genomic sequence, 23 exons and 22 introns were identified. The Csvasa gene encodes a 663-amino acid protein, including highly conserved domains of the DEAD-box protein family. The amino acid sequence also shared a high homology with other teleosts. Csvasa expression was mainly restricted to the gonads, with little or no expression in other tissues. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that Csvasa expression levels decreased during embryonic and early developmental stages and increased with the primordial germ cell proliferation. A typical sexually dimorphic expression pattern of Csvasa was observed during early development and sex differentiation, suggesting that the Csvasa gene might play a differential role in the proliferation and differentiation of male and female primordial germ cells (PGCs). Csvasa mRNA expression levels in neomales were significantly lower than those in normal males and females, indicating that the Csvasa gene might be implicated in germ cell development after sex reversal by temperature treatment. In addition, medaka (Oryzias latipes) PGCs could be transiently labeled by microinjection of synthesized mRNA containing the green fluorescence protein gene and 3'-untranslated region of Csvasa, which confirmed that the Csvasa gene has the potential to be used as a visual molecular marker of germ cells and laid a foundation for manipulation of PGCs in tongue sole reproduction.
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35
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Sreenivasan R, Jiang J, Wang X, Bártfai R, Kwan HY, Christoffels A, Orbán L. Gonad differentiation in zebrafish is regulated by the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. Biol Reprod 2014; 90:45. [PMID: 24174574 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.113.110874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish males undergo a "juvenile ovary-to-testis" gonadal transformation process. Several genes, including nuclear receptor subfamily 5, group A (nr5a) and anti-Müllerian hormone (amh), and pathways such as Tp53-mediated germ-cell apoptosis have been implicated in zebrafish testis formation. However, our knowledge of the regulation of this complex process is incomplete, and much remains to be investigated about the molecular pathways and network of genes that control it. Using a microarray-based analysis of transforming zebrafish male gonads, we demonstrated that their transcriptomes undergo transition from an ovary-like pattern to an ovotestis to a testis-like profile. Microarray results also validated the previous histological and immunohistochemical observation that there is high variation in the duration and extent of commitment to the juvenile ovary phase among individuals. Interestingly, global gene expression profiling of diverging zebrafish juvenile ovaries and transforming ovotestes revealed that some members of the canonical Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway were differentially expressed between these two phases. To investigate whether Wnt/beta-catenin signaling plays a role in zebrafish gonad differentiation, we used the Tg (hsp70l:dkk1b-GFP)w32 line to inhibit Wnt/beta-catenin signaling during gonad differentiation. Activation of dkk1b-GFP expression by heat shock resulted in an increased proportion of males and corresponding decrease in gonadal aromatase gene (cyp19a1a) expression. The Wnt target gene, lymphocyte enhancer binding factor 1 (lef1), was also down-regulated in the process. Together, these results provide the first functional evidence that, similarly to mammals, Wnt/beta-catenin signaling is a "pro-female" pathway that regulates gonad differentiation in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajini Sreenivasan
- Reproductive Genomics Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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von Schalburg KR, Gowen BE, Messmer AM, Davidson WS, Koop BF. Sex-specific expression and localization of aromatase and its regulators during embryonic and larval development of Atlantic salmon. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2014; 168:33-44. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2013.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2013] [Revised: 11/03/2013] [Accepted: 11/06/2013] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Le Mer C, Roy RL, Pellerin J, Couillard CM, Maltais D. Effects of chronic exposures to the herbicides atrazine and glyphosate to larvae of the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2013; 89:174-81. [PMID: 23273618 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2012.11.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2012] [Revised: 10/31/2012] [Accepted: 11/28/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Atrazine (ATR) and glyphosate (GLY) are among the most widely used herbicides in Canada, yet there is relatively little information concerning their toxicity to early life stages of marine fish. The threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) reproduces in coastal habitats which receive runoff of pesticides during the summer, the peak season of herbicide use. Sticklebacks have biomarkers for effects of both estrogenic and androgenic contaminants. Stickleback adults from a clean reference site were allowed to reproduce in the laboratory and the fertilized eggs were incubated until hatching. Larval sticklebacks (<24h old) were exposed for 42 d to four concentrations (0.1, 1, 10 and 100 μg/l) of either ATR or GLY, a seawater control, a carrier (acetone) control and positive controls for estrogenic (0.05 μg/l ethinylestradiol, EE2) and androgenic (3 μg/l dihydrotestosterone, DHT) effects. The survivors were measured (length, wet weight) then conserved for biochemical (vitellogenin, VTG, and the male nest-protein spiggin, SPG) and histological (phenotypic sex determination) analyses. There were no significant effects of ATR and GLY exposures on larval survival or growth. Exposure to 3 μg DHT/l resulted in a significant effect on growth (body lengths) but did not induce SPG, possibly because of DHT degradation after the 24h solution renewal. VTG was induced after the EE2 exposure, yet neither ATR nor GLY induced production of VTG and SPG. The proportion of mixed sex individuals was higher in the positive controls compared to the negative controls. A single mixed sex individual was found in the group exposed to the lowest dose of atrazine and none in glyphosate expositions. We conclude that these herbicides do not show estrogenic or androgenic effects to early life stages of sticklebacks at environmentally realistic concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charline Le Mer
- ISMER, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des Ursulines, PO Box 3300, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada G5L 3A1
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Anderson JL, Rodríguez Marí A, Braasch I, Amores A, Hohenlohe P, Batzel P, Postlethwait JH. Multiple sex-associated regions and a putative sex chromosome in zebrafish revealed by RAD mapping and population genomics. PLoS One 2012; 7:e40701. [PMID: 22792396 PMCID: PMC3392230 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0040701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2012] [Accepted: 06/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Within vertebrates, major sex determining genes can differ among taxa and even within species. In zebrafish (Danio rerio), neither heteromorphic sex chromosomes nor single sex determination genes of large effect, like Sry in mammals, have yet been identified. Furthermore, environmental factors can influence zebrafish sex determination. Although progress has been made in understanding zebrafish gonad differentiation (e.g. the influence of germ cells on gonad fate), the primary genetic basis of zebrafish sex determination remains poorly understood. To identify genetic loci associated with sex, we analyzed F(2) offspring of reciprocal crosses between Oregon *AB and Nadia (NA) wild-type zebrafish stocks. Genome-wide linkage analysis, using more than 5,000 sequence-based polymorphic restriction site associated (RAD-tag) markers and population genomic analysis of more than 30,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms in our *ABxNA crosses revealed a sex-associated locus on the end of the long arm of chr-4 for both cross families, and an additional locus in the middle of chr-3 in one cross family. Additional sequencing showed that two SNPs in dmrt1 previously suggested to be functional candidates for sex determination in a cross of ABxIndia wild-type zebrafish, are not associated with sex in our AB fish. Our data show that sex determination in zebrafish is polygenic and that different genes may influence sex determination in different strains or that different genes become more important under different environmental conditions. The association of the end of chr-4 with sex is remarkable because, unique in the karyotype, this chromosome arm shares features with known sex chromosomes: it is highly heterochromatic, repetitive, late replicating, and has reduced recombination. Our results reveal that chr-4 has functional and structural properties expected of a sex chromosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. Anderson
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Adriana Rodríguez Marí
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Ingo Braasch
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Angel Amores
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Paul Hohenlohe
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Peter Batzel
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| | - John H. Postlethwait
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
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Haugen T, Almeida FFL, Andersson E, Bogerd J, Male R, Skaar KS, Schulz RW, Sørhus E, Wijgerde T, Taranger GL. Sex differentiation in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.): morphological and gene expression studies. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2012; 10:47. [PMID: 22709434 PMCID: PMC3433390 DOI: 10.1186/1477-7827-10-47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2011] [Accepted: 06/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In differentiated gonochoristic species, a bipotential gonad develops into an ovary or testis during sex differentiation. Knowledge about this process is necessary to improve methods for masculinizing genetically female Atlantic cod for the subsequent purpose of producing all-female populations. METHODS Gonads were examined histologically in juveniles from 14 to 39 mm total body length (TL). Number and size of germ cells were determined in a subset of the samples. Relevant genes were cloned, and mRNA levels determined by qPCR of amh, cyp19a1a; dax1 (nr0b2); shp (nr0b2a) and sox9b in a mixed-sex and an all-female population ranging from 12-49 mm TL. RESULTS Individuals between 14-20 mm TL could be separated in two subgroups based on gonad size and germ cell number. Ovarian cavity formation was observed in some individuals from 18-20 mm TL. The mixed sex population displayed bimodal expression patterns as regards cyp19a1a (starting at 12 mm TL) and amh (starting at 20 mm TL) mRNA levels. After approximately 30 mm TL, cyp19a1a and amh displayed a gradual increase in both sexes. No apparent, sex-dependent expression patterns were found for dax1, shp or sox9b transcripts. However, shp levels were high until the larvae reached around 35 mm TL and then dropped to low levels, while dax1 remained low until 35 mm TL, and then increased sharply. CONCLUSIONS The morphological sex differentiation in females commenced between 14-20 mm TL, and ovarian cavities were evident by 18-20 mm TL. Testis development occurred later, and was morphologically evident after 30 mm TL. This pattern was corroborated with sexually dimorphic expression patterns of cyp19a1a from 12-13 mm TL, and a male-specific increase in amh from 20 mm TL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trine Haugen
- Institute of Marine Research, Nordnes, P.O. Box 1870, N-5817, Bergen, Norway
| | - Fernanda FL Almeida
- Utrecht University, Science Faculty, Department of Biology, Padualaan 8, NL-3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Embrapa Western Amazon, Rodovia AM-10, Km 29, PO Box 319, Manaus, AM-Brazil-69010-970, Brazil
| | - Eva Andersson
- Institute of Marine Research, Nordnes, P.O. Box 1870, N-5817, Bergen, Norway
| | - Jan Bogerd
- Utrecht University, Science Faculty, Department of Biology, Padualaan 8, NL-3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rune Male
- University of Bergen, Department of Molecular Biology, HiB, Thormøllensgt. 55, N-5020, Bergen, Norway
| | - Katrine S Skaar
- University of Bergen, Department of Molecular Biology, HiB, Thormøllensgt. 55, N-5020, Bergen, Norway
| | - Rüdiger W Schulz
- Utrecht University, Science Faculty, Department of Biology, Padualaan 8, NL-3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Elin Sørhus
- Institute of Marine Research, Nordnes, P.O. Box 1870, N-5817, Bergen, Norway
| | - Tim Wijgerde
- Utrecht University, Science Faculty, Department of Biology, Padualaan 8, NL-3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Geir L Taranger
- Institute of Marine Research, Nordnes, P.O. Box 1870, N-5817, Bergen, Norway
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Nagler JJ, Cavileer T, Hunter S, Drew R, Okutsu T, Sakamoto T, Yoshizaki G. Non-sex specific genes associated with the secondary mitotic period of primordial germ cell proliferation in the gonads of embryonic rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss
). Mol Reprod Dev 2011; 78:181-7. [DOI: 10.1002/mrd.21277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2010] [Accepted: 12/25/2010] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Guiguen Y, Fostier A, Piferrer F, Chang CF. Ovarian aromatase and estrogens: a pivotal role for gonadal sex differentiation and sex change in fish. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2010; 165:352-66. [PMID: 19289125 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2009.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 408] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2008] [Revised: 02/23/2009] [Accepted: 03/03/2009] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The present review focuses on the roles of estrogens and aromatase (Cyp19a1a), the enzyme needed for their synthesis, in fish gonadal sex differentiation. Based on the recent literature, we extend the already well accepted hypothesis of an implication of estrogens and Cyp19a1a in ovarian differentiation to a broader hypothesis that would place estrogens and Cyp19a1a in a pivotal position to control not only ovarian, but also testicular differentiation, in both gonochoristic and hermaphrodite fish species. This working hypothesis states that cyp19a1a up-regulation is needed not only for triggering but also for maintaining ovarian differentiation and that cyp19a1a down-regulation is the only necessary step for inducing a testicular differentiation pathway. When considering arguments for and against, most of the information available for fish supports this hypothesis since either suppression of cyp19a1a gene expression, inhibition of Cyp19a1a enzymatic activity, or blockage of estrogen receptivity are invariably associated with masculinization. This is also consistent with reports on normal gonadal differentiation, and steroid-modulated masculinization with either androgens, aromatase inhibitors or estrogen receptor antagonists, temperature-induced masculinization and protogynous sex change in hermaphrodite species. Concerning the regulation of fish cyp19a1a during gonadal differentiation, the transcription factor foxl2 has been characterized as an ovarian specific upstream regulator of a cyp19a1a promoter that would co-activate cyp19a1a expression, along with some additional partners such as nr5a1 (sf1) or cAMP. In contrast, upstream factors potentially down-regulating cyp19a1a during testicular differentiation are still hypothetical, such as the dmrt1 gene, but their definitive characterization as testicular repressors of cyp19a1a would strongly strengthen the hypothesis that early testicular differentiation would need active repression of cyp19a1a expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann Guiguen
- INRA, UR1037 SCRIBE, IFR140, Ouest-Genopole, F-35000 Rennes, France.
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