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Moses E, Atlan T, Sun X, Franěk R, Siddiqui A, Marinov GK, Shifman S, Zucker DM, Oron-Gottesman A, Greenleaf WJ, Cohen E, Ram O, Harel I. The killifish germline regulates longevity and somatic repair in a sex-specific manner. NATURE AGING 2024; 4:791-813. [PMID: 38750187 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-024-00632-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Classical evolutionary theories propose tradeoffs among reproduction, damage repair and lifespan. However, the specific role of the germline in shaping vertebrate aging remains largely unknown. In this study, we used the turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) to genetically arrest germline development at discrete stages and examine how different modes of infertility impact life history. We first constructed a comprehensive single-cell gonadal atlas, providing cell-type-specific markers for downstream phenotypic analysis. We show here that germline depletion-but not arresting germline differentiation-enhances damage repair in female killifish. Conversely, germline-depleted males instead showed an extension in lifespan and rejuvenated metabolic functions. Through further transcriptomic analysis, we highlight enrichment of pro-longevity pathways and genes in germline-depleted male killifish and demonstrate functional conservation of how these factors may regulate longevity in germline-depleted Caenorhabditis elegans. Our results, therefore, demonstrate that different germline manipulation paradigms can yield pronounced sexually dimorphic phenotypes, implying alternative responses to classical evolutionary tradeoffs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eitan Moses
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Tehila Atlan
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Xue Sun
- Department of Biochemistry, Silberman Institute, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Roman Franěk
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
- South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Vodnany, Czech Republic
| | - Atif Siddiqui
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Hebrew University School of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | - Sagiv Shifman
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - David M Zucker
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Adi Oron-Gottesman
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - William J Greenleaf
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ehud Cohen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Hebrew University School of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Oren Ram
- Department of Biochemistry, Silberman Institute, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Itamar Harel
- Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel.
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Moses E, Atlan T, Sun X, Franek R, Siddiqui A, Marinov GK, Shifman S, Zucker DM, Oron-Gottesman A, Greenleaf WJ, Cohen E, Ram O, Harel I. The killifish germline regulates longevity and somatic repair in a sex-specific manner. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.18.572041. [PMID: 38187630 PMCID: PMC10769255 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.18.572041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Classical evolutionary theories propose tradeoffs between reproduction, damage repair, and lifespan. However, the specific role of the germline in shaping vertebrate aging remains largely unknown. Here, we use the turquoise killifish ( N. furzeri ) to genetically arrest germline development at discrete stages, and examine how different modes of infertility impact life-history. We first construct a comprehensive single-cell gonadal atlas, providing cell-type-specific markers for downstream phenotypic analysis. Next, we show that germline depletion - but not arresting germline differentiation - enhances damage repair in female killifish. Conversely, germline-depleted males instead showed an extension in lifespan and rejuvenated metabolic functions. Through further transcriptomic analysis, we highlight enrichment of pro-longevity pathways and genes in germline-depleted male killifish and demonstrate functional conservation of how these factors may regulate longevity in germline-depleted C. elegans . Our results therefore demonstrate that different germline manipulation paradigms can yield pronounced sexually dimorphic phenotypes, implying alternative responses to classical evolutionary tradeoffs.
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3
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Fakriadis I, Meiri-Ashkenazi I, Bracha C, Rosenfeld H, Corriero A, Zupa R, Pousis C, Papadaki M, Mylonas CC. Gonadotropin expression, pituitary and plasma levels in the reproductive cycle of wild and captive-reared greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2024; 350:114465. [PMID: 38336122 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2024.114465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
We compared the endocrine status of the pituitary-gonad axis of wild and captive-reared greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) during the reproductive cycle (April - July), reporting on the expression and release of the two gonadotropins for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea. Ovaries from wild females were characterized histologically as DEVELOPING in early May and SPAWNING capable in late May-July, the latter having a 3 to 4-fold higher gonadosomatic index (GSI). SPAWNING capable wild females exhibited an increase in pituitary follicle stimulating hormone (Fsh) content, plasma testosterone (T) and 17,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17,20β-P), while almost a 10-fold increase was observed in pituitary luteinizing hormone (Lh) content. An increasing trend of plasma 17β-estradiol (E2) was also recorded between the two reproductive stages in wild females. Captive-reared females sampled during the reproductive cycle exhibited two additional reproductive categories, with REGRESSED females having extensive follicular atresia and fish in the REGENERATING stage having only primary oocytes in their ovaries. Pituitary content of Fsh and Lh, fshb and lhb expression and plasma levels of Fsh and Lh remained unchanged among the four reproductive stages in captive females, in contrast with plasma E2 and T that decreased in the REGENERATING stage, and 17,20β-P which increased after the DEVELOPING stage. In general, no significant hormonal differences were recorded between captive-reared and wild DEVELOPING females, in contrast to SPAWNING capable females, where pituitary Lh content, plasma Fsh and T were found to be lower in females in captivity. Overall, the captive females lagged behind in reproductive development compared to the wild ones and this was perhaps related to the multiple handling of the sea cages where all the sampled fish were maintained. Between wild males in the DEVELOPING and SPAWNING capable stages, pituitary Lh content, plasma T and 17,20β-P, and GSI exhibited 3 to 4-fold increases, while an increasing trend of pituitary Fsh content, lhb expression levels and plasma 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) was also observed, and an opposite trend was observed in plasma Lh. Captive males were allocated to one more category, with REGRESSED individuals having no spermatogenic capacity. During the SPAWNING capable phase, almost all measured parameters were lower in captive males compared to wild ones. More importantly, captive males showed significant differences from their wild counterparts throughout the reproductive season, starting already from the DEVELOPING stage. Therefore, it appears that captivity already exerted negative effects in males prior to the onset of the study and the multiple handling of the cage where sampled fish were reared. Overall, the present study demonstrated that female greater amberjack do undergo full vitellogenesis in captivity, albeit with some dysfunctions that may be related to the husbandry of the experiment, while males, on the other hand, may be more seriously affected by captivity even before the onset of the study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Fakriadis
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, P.O. Box 2214, Heraklion, Crete 71003, Greece; University of Crete, Department of Biology, P.O. Box 2208, Heraklion 71409, Crete, Greece.
| | - Iris Meiri-Ashkenazi
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Center for Mariculture, Eilat 88112, Israel
| | - Chen Bracha
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Center for Mariculture, Eilat 88112, Israel
| | - Hanna Rosenfeld
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Center for Mariculture, Eilat 88112, Israel
| | - Aldo Corriero
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Valenzano (Bari), Italy
| | - Rosa Zupa
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Valenzano (Bari), Italy
| | | | - Maria Papadaki
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, P.O. Box 2214, Heraklion, Crete 71003, Greece
| | - Constantinos C Mylonas
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, P.O. Box 2214, Heraklion, Crete 71003, Greece
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Cohen-Rothschild N, Mizrahi N, Levavi-Sivan B. Characterization of a novel fast-growing zebrafish: a new approach to growth hormone transgenesis. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1369043. [PMID: 38628583 PMCID: PMC11018968 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1369043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The manipulation of the somatotropic axis, governing growth, has been a focus of numerous transgenic approaches aimed at developing fast-growing fish for research, medicine and aquaculture purposes. However, the excessively high growth hormone (GH) levels in these transgenic fish often result in deformities that impact both fish health and consumer acceptance. In an effort to mitigate these issues and synchronize exogenous GH expression with reproductive processes, we employed a novel transgenic construct driven by a tilapia luteinizing hormone (LH) promoter. This approach was anticipated to induce more localized and lower exogenous GH secretion. In this study, we characterized the growth and reproduction of these transgenic LHp-GH zebrafish using hormonal and physiological parameters. Our findings reveal that LHp-GH fish exhibited accelerated growth in both length and weight, along with a lower feed conversion ratio, indicating more efficient feed utilization, all while maintaining unchanged body proportions. These fish demonstrated higher expression levels of LH and GH in the pituitary and elevated IGF-1 levels in the liver compared to wild-type fish. An examination of reproductive function in LHp-GH fish unveiled lower pituitary LH and FSH contents, smaller follicle diameter in female gonads, and reduced relative fecundity. However, in transgenic males, neither the distribution of spermatogenesis stages nor sperm concentrations differed significantly between the fish lines. These results suggest that coupling exogenous GH expression with endogenous LH expression in females directs resource investment toward somatic growth at the expense of reproductive processes. Consequently, we conclude that incorporating GH under the LH promoter represents a suitable construct for the genetic engineering of commercial fish species, providing accelerated growth while preserving body proportions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Berta Levavi-Sivan
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
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Atre I, Mizrahi N, Hausken K, Levavi-Sivan B. In silico insights into intra- and inter-species interactions of piscine gonadotropin hormones and receptor crosstalk. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 260:129524. [PMID: 38242398 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
In mammals, the gonadotropins follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) are macromolecules secreted during specific reproductive phases and display strict specificity towards their cognate receptors. However, fish gonadotropins (GTH) and their receptors (GTHR) display diverse species-specific expression patterns, secretion patterns, and intra- and interspecies cross-activation. To uncover the molecular basis of this diversity, we generated and analyzed 29 in-silico models of intra- and inter-species combinations of sturgeon, carp, tilapia, and human gonadotropins with piscine receptors and analyzed the resulting receptor activation and signal transduction of these GTHR-GTH complexes in-vitro. Our results suggest that unlike humans, the surface charge on piscine FSH/LH β-seatbelt and N107huLHCGR/K104hFSHR homologs does not necessarily determine binding specificity. Instead, sequence and structural variations allow piscine GTHs significant conformational flexibility when binding to the receptor extracellular domain, thereby enabling cross-activation. The resulting diversity may support various reproductive strategies in different environmental niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishwar Atre
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Naama Mizrahi
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Krist Hausken
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Berta Levavi-Sivan
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
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6
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Nguyen TMD, Klett D, Combarnous Y. Undissociable chemically cross-linked and single-chain gonadotropins. Theriogenology 2023; 198:250-255. [PMID: 36621134 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2022.12.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Undissociable gonadotropins can be obtained either by chemical cross-linking of the natural heterodimeric hormones or by expressing recombinant single-chain molecules through the fusion of their α and β polypeptide sequences. These undissociable hormones are not more active than their natural heterodimeric counterparts indicating that the β-subunit seatbelt embracing the α-subunit ensures the αβ heterodimer stability in physiological conditions. The main interests of single-chain gonadotropins are that 1/only one single plasmid is required to produce an active recombinant hormone, 2/the two subunits' domains are constantly present in equal amounts and 3/they remain in close proximity even at low concentration for forming the hormone bioactive 3D structure. These undissociable gonadotropins have been shown to exhibit excellent stability and activity but they have not yet been commercialized probably because of immunogenicity risks and cost of production. Nevertheless, they might be used as a basis for the development of chemically simpler and cheaper ligands of LH and FSH receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thi Mong Diep Nguyen
- INRAe, CNRS Unit of Reproductive Physiology and Behaviour, 37380, Nouzilly, France; Faculty of Natural Sciences, Quy Nhon University, Quy Nhon, 820000, Viet Nam
| | - Danièle Klett
- INRAe, CNRS Unit of Reproductive Physiology and Behaviour, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Yves Combarnous
- INRAe, CNRS Unit of Reproductive Physiology and Behaviour, 37380, Nouzilly, France.
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Mohammadzadeh S, Ahmadifar E, Masoudi E, Milla S, El-Shall NA, Alagawany M, Emran TB, Michalak I, Dhama K. Applications of recombinant proteins in aquaculture. AQUACULTURE 2022; 561:738701. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2022.738701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
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8
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Nyuji M, Hamaguchi M, Shimizu A, Isu S, Yoneda M, Matsuyama M. Development of sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for chub mackerel Scomber japonicus gonadotropins and regulation of their secretion in female reproduction. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2022; 328:114103. [PMID: 35940318 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.114103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The pituitary gonadotropins (Gths), follicle-stimulating hormone (Fsh) and luteinizing hormone (Lh), play critical roles in regulating gonadal development and sexual maturation in vertebrates. We developed non-competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) to measure Fsh and Lh in chub mackerel Scomber japonicus, which is a commercially important scombrid species. Mouse monoclonal antibodies specific for Fsh and Lh, and a rabbit polyclonal antibody against both Gths were produced by immunization with hormones purified from chub mackerel pituitaries. These monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies were used as capture and detection antibodies in the developed sandwich ELISAs. The ELISAs were reproducible, sensitive, and specific for chub mackerel Fsh and Lh. Parallelism between the standard curve and serial dilutions of chub mackerel serum and pituitary extract was observed for both Fsh and Lh ELISAs. Comparison between vitellogenic and immature females revealed that Fsh is secreted during vitellogenesis and Lh is barely released during immaturity. After gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog (GnRHa) injection, vitellogenic females showed increases in serum Lh, whereas serum levels of Fsh did not vary. Moreover, the serum steroid profiles revealed that estradiol-17β was continuously produced after GnRHa treatment, whereas 17,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one secretion was transiently induced. These results indicate that, in vitellogenic females, GnRHa stimulates the release of Lh, but not Fsh, which results in acceleration of vitellogenesis and induction of oocyte maturation via steroid production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuo Nyuji
- Fisheries Technology Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Nagasaki 851-2213, Japan.
| | - Masami Hamaguchi
- Fisheries Technology Institute, Hatsukaichi Field Station, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Hiroshima 739-0452, Japan
| | - Akio Shimizu
- Fisheries Resources Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Yokohama 236-8648, Japan
| | - Sayoko Isu
- Fisheries Resources Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Yokohama 236-8648, Japan
| | - Michio Yoneda
- Fisheries Technology Institute, Hakatajima Field Station, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Imabari 794-2305, Japan
| | - Michiya Matsuyama
- Aqua-Bioresource Innovation Center, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
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Tanaka S, Zmora N, Levavi-Sivan B, Zohar Y. Chemogenetic Depletion of Hypophysiotropic GnRH Neurons Does Not Affect Fertility in Mature Female Zebrafish. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23105596. [PMID: 35628411 PMCID: PMC9143870 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The hypophysiotropic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and its neurons are crucial for vertebrate reproduction, primarily in regulating luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion and ovulation. However, in zebrafish, which lack GnRH1, and instead possess GnRH3 as the hypophysiotropic form, GnRH3 gene knockout did not affect reproduction. However, early-stage ablation of all GnRH3 neurons causes infertility in females, implicating GnRH3 neurons, rather than GnRH3 peptides in female reproduction. To determine the role of GnRH3 neurons in the reproduction of adult females, a Tg(gnrh3:Gal4ff; UAS:nfsb-mCherry) line was generated to facilitate a chemogenetic conditional ablation of GnRH3 neurons. Following ablation, there was a reduction of preoptic area GnRH3 neurons by an average of 85.3%, which was associated with reduced pituitary projections and gnrh3 mRNA levels. However, plasma LH levels were unaffected, and the ablated females displayed normal reproductive capacity. There was no correlation between the number of remaining GnRH3 neurons and reproductive performance. Though it is possible that the few remaining GnRH3 neurons can still induce an LH surge, our findings are consistent with the idea that GnRH and its neurons are likely dispensable for LH surge in zebrafish. Altogether, our results resurrected questions regarding the functional homology of the hypophysiotropic GnRH1 and GnRH3 in controlling ovulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sakura Tanaka
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA; (S.T.); (N.Z.)
| | - Nilli Zmora
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA; (S.T.); (N.Z.)
| | - Berta Levavi-Sivan
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel;
| | - Yonathan Zohar
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA; (S.T.); (N.Z.)
- Correspondence:
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Tanaka S, Zmora N, Levavi-Sivan B, Zohar Y. Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide Indirectly Elicits Pituitary LH Secretion Independent of GnRH in Female Zebrafish. Endocrinology 2022; 163:6492622. [PMID: 34978328 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqab264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Vasoactive intestinal peptide (Vip) regulates luteinizing hormone (LH) release through the direct regulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons at the level of the brain in female rodents. However, little is known regarding the roles of Vip in teleost reproduction. Although GnRH is critical for fertility through the regulation of LH secretion in vertebrates, the exact role of the hypophysiotropic GnRH (GnRH3) in zebrafish is unclear since GnRH3 null fish are reproductively fertile. This phenomenon raises the possibility of a redundant regulatory pathway(s) for LH secretion in zebrafish. Here, we demonstrate that VipA (homologues of mammalian Vip) both inhibits and induces LH secretion in zebrafish. Despite the observation that VipA axons may reach the pituitary proximal pars distalis including LH cells, pituitary incubation with VipA in vitro, and intraperitoneal injection of VipA, did not induce LH secretion and lhβ mRNA expression in sexually mature females, respectively. On the other hand, intracerebroventricular administration of VipA augmented plasma LH levels in both wild-type and gnrh3-/- females at 1 hour posttreatment, with no observed changes in pituitary GnRH2 and GnRH3 contents and gnrh3 mRNA levels in the brains. While VipA's manner of inhibition of LH secretion has yet to be explored, the stimulation seems to occur via a different pathway than GnRH3, dopamine, and 17β-estradiol in regulating LH secretion. The results indicate that VipA induces LH release possibly by acting with or through a non-GnRH factor(s), providing proof for the existence of functional redundancy of LH release in sexually mature female zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sakura Tanaka
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, Department of Marine Biotechnology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA
| | - Nilli Zmora
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, Department of Marine Biotechnology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA
| | - Berta Levavi-Sivan
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 76100, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yonathan Zohar
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, Department of Marine Biotechnology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA
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Differential Regulation of Gonadotropins as Revealed by Transcriptomes of Distinct LH and FSH Cells of Fish Pituitary. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22126478. [PMID: 34204216 PMCID: PMC8234412 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22126478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
From mammals to fish, reproduction is driven by luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) temporally secreted from the pituitary gland. Teleost fish are an excellent model for addressing the unique regulation and function of each gonadotropin cell since, unlike mammals, they synthesize and secrete LH and FSH from distinct cells. Only very distant vertebrate classes (such as fish and birds) demonstrate the mono-hormonal strategy, suggesting a potential convergent evolution. Cell-specific transcriptome analysis of double-labeled transgenic tilapia expressing GFP and RFP in LH or FSH cells, respectively, yielded genes specifically enriched in each cell type, revealing differences in hormone regulation, receptor expression, cell signaling, and electrical properties. Each cell type expresses a unique GPCR signature that reveals the direct regulation of metabolic and homeostatic hormones. Comparing these novel transcriptomes to that of rat gonadotrophs revealed conserved genes that might specifically contribute to each gonadotropin activity in mammals, suggesting conserved mechanisms controlling the differential regulation of gonadotropins in vertebrates.
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12
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Marvel M, Levavi-Sivan B, Wong TT, Zmora N, Zohar Y. Gnrh2 maintains reproduction in fasting zebrafish through dynamic neuronal projection changes and regulation of gonadotropin synthesis, oogenesis, and reproductive behaviors. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6657. [PMID: 33758252 PMCID: PMC7987954 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86018-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Restricted food intake, either from lack of food sources or endogenous fasting, during reproductive periods is a widespread phenomenon across the animal kingdom. Considering previous studies show the canonical upstream regulator of reproduction in vertebrates, the hypothalamic Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gnrh), is inhibited in some fasting animals, we sought to understand the neuroendocrine control of reproduction in fasted states. Here, we explore the roles of the midbrain neuropeptide, Gnrh2, in inducing reproduction via its pituitary prevalence, gonadotropin synthesis, gametogenesis, and reproductive outputs in the zebrafish model undergoing different feeding regimes. We discovered a fasting-induced four-fold increase in length and abundance of Gnrh2 neuronal projections to the pituitary and in close proximity to gonadotropes, whereas the hypothalamic Gnrh3 neurons are reduced by six-fold in length. Subsequently, we analyzed the functional roles of Gnrh2 by comparing reproductive parameters of a Gnrh2-depleted model, gnrh2-/-, to wild-type zebrafish undergoing different feeding conditions. We found that Gnrh2 depletion in fasted states compromises spawning success, with associated decreases in gonadotropin production, oogenesis, fecundity, and male courting behavior. Gnrh2 neurons do not compensate in other circumstances by which Gnrh3 is depleted, such as in gnrh3-/- zebrafish, implying that Gnrh2 acts to induce reproduction specifically in fasted zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda Marvel
- grid.266673.00000 0001 2177 1144Department of Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21202 USA
| | - Berta Levavi-Sivan
- grid.9619.70000 0004 1937 0538Department of Animal Sciences, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 76100 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ten-Tsao Wong
- grid.266673.00000 0001 2177 1144Department of Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21202 USA
| | - Nilli Zmora
- grid.266673.00000 0001 2177 1144Department of Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21202 USA
| | - Yonathan Zohar
- grid.266673.00000 0001 2177 1144Department of Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21202 USA
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Oliveira MA, Martinez ERM, Butzge AJ, Doretto LB, Ricci JMB, Rodrigues MS, Vigoya AAA, Gómez-González NE, Stewart AB, Nóbrega RH. Molecular characterization and expression analysis of anti-Müllerian hormone in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) adult testes. Gene Expr Patterns 2021; 40:119169. [PMID: 33667682 DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2021.119169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Anti-Müllerian hormone (Amh) is a member of the transforming growth factor-β (Tgf-β) superfamily required in the regression of Müllerian ducts during gonadal sex differentiation of higher vertebrates. Teleost fish lack Müllerian ducts, but identified Amh orthologs have been shown to exert crucial functions during sex determination and differentiation of several species of teleosts. However, the function of Amh during gametogenesis in adult fish remains poorly investigated. Therefore, to expand present knowledge on the role of Amh in teleosts, the present study aimed to isolate and clone full-length amh cDNA in the common carp, Cyprinus carpio, and examine its expression levels throughout the male reproductive cycle and in response to different hormone treatments of testicular explants. Molecular cloning and characterization showed that the common carp Amh precursor amino acid sequence shared common features to other fish Amh precursors, including a conserved C-terminus (Tgf-β domain) and a double proteolytic cleavage site (R-X-X-R-X-X-R) upstream to the Tgf-β domain. Expression analysis showed amh dimorphic expression in the adult gonads with higher expression in the testes than ovaries. In testes, amh mRNA was detected in Sertoli cells contacting different types of germ cells, although the expression was greatest in Sertoli cells associated with type A undifferentiated spermatogonia. Expression analysis during the reproductive cycle showed that amh transcripts were down-regulated during the developing phase, which is characterized by an increased proliferation of type A undifferentiated spermatogonia and Sertoli cells and appearance of spermatocytes (meiosis) in the testes. Furthermore, ex vivo experiments showed that a 7 day exposure to Fsh or estrogens was required to decrease amh mRNA levels in common carp testicular explants. In summary, this study provided information on the molecular characterization and transcript abundance of amh in common carp adult testes. Altogether, these data will be useful for further investigations on sex determination and differentiation in this species, and also to improved strategies for improved carp aquaculture, such as inhibiting precocious maturation of males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos A Oliveira
- Aquaculture Program (CAUNESP), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil; Reproductive and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Emanuel R M Martinez
- Aquaculture Program (CAUNESP), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil; Reproductive and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Arno J Butzge
- Reproductive and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lucas B Doretto
- Reproductive and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana M B Ricci
- Reproductive and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maira S Rodrigues
- Aquaculture Program (CAUNESP), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil; Reproductive and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Angel A A Vigoya
- Reproductive and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, San Martín University Foundation (FUSM), Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Núria E Gómez-González
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Biology, Universidad de Murcia, IMIB-Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain
| | - Amanda B Stewart
- Department of Orthopaedics Muscle skeletal Research, West Virginia University, USA
| | - Rafael H Nóbrega
- Reproductive and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.
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14
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Molés G, Hausken K, Carrillo M, Zanuy S, Levavi-Sivan B, Gómez A. Generation and use of recombinant gonadotropins in fish. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 299:113555. [PMID: 32687933 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Revised: 07/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the differential roles of the pituitary gonadotropins Fsh and Lh in gonad maturation is crucial for a successful manipulation of the reproductive process in fish, and requires species-specific tools and appropriate active hormones. With the increasing availability of fish cDNAs coding for gonadotropin subunits, the production of recombinant hormones in heterologous systems has gradually substituted the approach of isolating native hormones. These recombinant hormones can be continually produced without depending on the fish as starting material and no cross-contamination with other pituitary glycoproteins is assured. Recombinant gonadotropins should be produced in eukaryotic cells, which have glycosylation capacity, but this post-translational modification varies greatly depending on the cell system, influencing hormone activity and stability. The production of recombinant gonadotropin beta-subunits to be used as antigens for antibody production has allowed the development of immunoassays for quantification of gonadotropins in some fish species. The administration in vivo of dimeric homologous recombinant gonadotropins has been used in basic studies and as a biotechnological approach to induce gametogenesis. In addition, gene-based therapies using somatic transfer of the gonadotropin genes have been tested as an alternative for hormone delivery in vivo. In summary, the use of homologous hormonal treatments can open new strategies in aquaculture to solve reproductive problems or develop out-of-season breeding programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Molés
- Instituto de Acuicultura Torre de la Sal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Ribera de Cabanes s/n, 12595 Castelló, Spain
| | - K Hausken
- The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Department of Animal Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - M Carrillo
- Instituto de Acuicultura Torre de la Sal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Ribera de Cabanes s/n, 12595 Castelló, Spain
| | - S Zanuy
- Instituto de Acuicultura Torre de la Sal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Ribera de Cabanes s/n, 12595 Castelló, Spain
| | - B Levavi-Sivan
- The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Department of Animal Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
| | - A Gómez
- Instituto de Acuicultura Torre de la Sal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Ribera de Cabanes s/n, 12595 Castelló, Spain.
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15
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Zhong H, Hu J, Zhou Y. Transcriptomic evidence of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist (LHRH-A) regulation on lipid metabolism in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). Genomics 2020; 113:1265-1271. [PMID: 32971214 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2020.09.043] [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: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
In this study, RNA sequencing was used to identify the hepatic gene expression profile in grass carp associated with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist (LHRH-A) treatment. A total of 93,912,172 reads were generated by HiSeq 4000 sequencing platform. After filtering, 83,450,860 clean reads were mapped to the reference genome. By calculating the FPKM of genes, 1475 differentially expressed genes were identified. PPAR signaling pathway was enriched with upregulated genes in LHRH-A injection group showing the regulation of the lipid metabolism by LHRH-A. The expression of eight key genes in PPAR signaling pathway was confirmed by qPCR and the results suggested that ACSL4A, ACSL4B, ANGPTL4, LPL, RXRBA and SLC27A1B were significantly stimulated by LHRH-A injection. This investigation provides the evidence that LHRH-A could play a role in lipid metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Zhong
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agriculture University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Jie Hu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fisheries Resource Application & Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510385, China.
| | - Yi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; Life Science College, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China.
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16
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Peter Dennis L, Nocillado J, Palma P, Amagai T, Soyano K, Elizur A. Development of a giant grouper Luteinizing Hormone (LH) Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and its use towards understanding sexual development in grouper. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 296:113542. [PMID: 32585213 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
A recombinant giant grouper Luteinizing Hormone (LH) consisting of tethered beta and alpha subunits was produced in a yeast expression system. The giant grouper LH β-subunit was also produced and administered to rabbits for antibody development. The recombinant LH and its antibody were used to develop an Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). This ELISA enabled detection of plasma LH levels in groupers at a sensitivity between 391 pg/ml and 200 ng/ml. Different species of grouper were assayed with this ELISA in conjunction with gonadal histology and body condition data to identify links between circulating LH levels and sexual development. We found that circulating levels of LH decreased when oocytes began to degenerate, and sex-transition gonadal characteristics were apparent when LH levels decreased further. When circulating LH levels were related to body condition (body weight/ body length), transitioning-stage fish had relatively high body condition but low plasma LH levels. This observation was similar across multiple grouper species and indicates that plasma LH levels combined with body condition may be a marker for early male identification in the protogynous hermaphrodite groupers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lachlan Peter Dennis
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Locked Bag 4, Maroochydore DC 4558, Queensland, Australia
| | - Josephine Nocillado
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Locked Bag 4, Maroochydore DC 4558, Queensland, Australia
| | - Peter Palma
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Locked Bag 4, Maroochydore DC 4558, Queensland, Australia; Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, Tigbauan 5021, Iloilo, Philippines
| | - Takafumi Amagai
- Institute for East China Sea Research, Nagasaki University, Bunkyomachi 852-8131, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Soyano
- Institute for East China Sea Research, Nagasaki University, Bunkyomachi 852-8131, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Abigail Elizur
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Locked Bag 4, Maroochydore DC 4558, Queensland, Australia.
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17
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Thönnes M, Vogt M, Steinborn K, Hausken KN, Levavi-Sivan B, Froschauer A, Pfennig F. An ex vivo Approach to Study Hormonal Control of Spermatogenesis in the Teleost Oreochromis niloticus. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2020; 11:443. [PMID: 32793114 PMCID: PMC7366826 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As the male reproductive organ, the main task of the testis is the production of fertile, haploid spermatozoa. This process, named spermatogenesis, starts with spermatogonial stem cells, which undergo a species-specific number of mitotic divisions until starting meiosis and further morphological maturation. The pituitary gonadotropins, luteinizing hormone, and follicle stimulating hormone, are indispensable for vertebrate spermatogenesis, but we are still far from fully understanding the complex regulatory networks involved in this process. Therefore, we developed an ex vivo testis cultivation system which allows evaluating the occurring changes in histology and gene expression. The experimental circulatory flow-through setup described in this work provides the possibility to study the function of the male tilapia gonads on a cellular and transcriptional level for at least 7 days. After 1 week of culture, tilapia testis slices kept their structure and all stages of spermatogenesis could be detected histologically. Without pituitary extract (tilPE) however, fibrotic structures appeared, whereas addition of tilPE preserved spermatogenic cysts and somatic interstitium completely. We could show that tilPE has a stimulatory effect on spermatogonia proliferation in our culture system. In the presence of tilPE or hCG, the gene expression of steroidogenesis related genes (cyp11b2 and stAR2) were notably increased. Other testicular genes like piwil1, amh, or dmrt1 were not expressed differentially in the presence or absence of gonadotropins or gonadotropin containing tilPE. We established a suitable system for studying tilapia spermatogenesis ex vivo with promise for future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Thönnes
- Faculty of Biology, School of Science, Institute of Zoology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Marlen Vogt
- Faculty of Biology, School of Science, Institute of Zoology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Katja Steinborn
- Faculty of Biology, School of Science, Institute of Zoology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Krist N. Hausken
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Berta Levavi-Sivan
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Alexander Froschauer
- Faculty of Biology, School of Science, Institute of Zoology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Frank Pfennig
- Faculty of Biology, School of Science, Institute of Zoology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- *Correspondence: Frank Pfennig
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18
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Burow S, Mizrahi N, Maugars G, von Krogh K, Nourizadeh-Lillabadi R, Hollander-Cohen L, Shpilman M, Atre I, Weltzien FA, Levavi-Sivan B. Characterization of gonadotropin receptors Fshr and Lhr in Japanese medaka, Oryzias latipes. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 285:113276. [PMID: 31536722 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.113276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2018] [Revised: 09/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/14/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Reproduction in vertebrates is controlled by the brain-pituitary-gonad axis, where the two gonadotropins follicle-stimulating hormone (Fsh) and luteinizing hormone (Lh) play vital parts by activating their cognate receptors in the gonads. The main purpose of this work was to study intra- and interspecies ligand promiscuity of teleost gonadotropin receptors, since teleost receptor specificity is unclear, in contrast to mammalian receptors. Receptor activation was investigated by transfecting COS-7 cells with either Fsh receptor (mdFshr, tiFshr) or Lh receptor (mdLhr, tiLhr), and tested for activation by recombinant homologous and heterologous ligands (mdFshβα, mdLhβα, tiFshβα, tiLhβα) from two representative fish orders, Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes, Beloniformes) and Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, Cichliformes). Results showed that each gonadotropin preferentially activates its own cognate receptor. Cross-reactivity was detected to some extent as mdFshβα was able to activate the mdLhr, and mdLhβα the mdFshr. Medaka pituitary extract (MPE) stimulated CRE-LUC activity in COS-7 cells expressing mdlhr, but could not stimulate cells expressing mdfshr. Recombinant tiLhβα, tiFshβα and tilapia pituitary extract (TPE) could activate the mdLhr, suggesting cross-species reactivity for mdLhr. Cross-species reactivity was also detected for mdFshr due to activation by tiFshβα, tiLhβα, and TPE, as well as for tiFshr and tiLhr due to stimulation by mdFshβα, mdLhβα, and MPE. Tissue distribution analysis of gene expression revealed that medaka receptors, fshr and lhr, are highly expressed in both ovary and testis. High expression levels were found for lhr also in brain, while fshr was expressed at low levels. Both fshr and lhr mRNA levels increased significantly during testis development. Amino acid sequence alignment and three-dimensional modelling of ligands and receptors highlighted conserved beta sheet domains of both Fsh and Lh between Japanese medaka and Nile tilapia. It also showed a higher structural homology and similarity of transmembrane regions of Lhr between both species, in contrast to Fshr, possibly related to the substitution of the conserved cysteine residue in the transmembrane domain 6 in medaka Fshr with glycine. Taken together, this is the first characterization of medaka Fshr and Lhr using homologous ligands, enabling to better understand teleost hormone-receptor interactions and specificities. The data suggest partial ligand promiscuity and cross-species reactivity between gonadotropins and their receptors in medaka and tilapia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susann Burow
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 0454 Oslo, Norway
| | - Naama Mizrahi
- Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Gersende Maugars
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 0454 Oslo, Norway
| | - Kristine von Krogh
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 0454 Oslo, Norway
| | - Rasoul Nourizadeh-Lillabadi
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 0454 Oslo, Norway
| | - Lian Hollander-Cohen
- Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Michal Shpilman
- Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Ishwar Atre
- Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Finn-Arne Weltzien
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 0454 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Berta Levavi-Sivan
- Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
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19
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Hollander-Cohen L, Böhm B, Hausken K, Levavi-Sivan B. Ontogeny of the specificity of gonadotropin receptors and gene expression in carp. Endocr Connect 2019; 8:1433-1446. [PMID: 31581128 PMCID: PMC6826172 DOI: 10.1530/ec-19-0389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The pituitary gonadotropins, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), are the principle endocrine drivers of reproductive processes in the gonads of jawed vertebrates. Canonically, FSH recruits and maintains selected ovarian follicles for maturation and LH induces the stages of germinal vesicle breakdown and ovulation. In mammals, LH and FSH specifically activate cognate G-protein-coupled receptors that affect the proteins involved in steroidogenesis, protein hormone synthesis, and gametogenesis. This dual-gonadotropin model also exists in some fish species, but not in all. In fact, due to their diverse number of species, extended number of ecological niches, and remarkably flexible reproductive strategies, fish are appropriate as models to understand the co-evolution of gonadotropins and their receptors. In this study, we cloned and characterized the expression profile over the final stages of ovarian maturation of carp (Cyprinus carpio) LHCGR and FSHR. Expression of both gonadotropin receptors increased in the later stage of early vitellogenesis, suggesting that both LH and FSH play a role in the development of mature follicles. We additionally tested the activation of cLHCGR and cFSHR using homologous and heterologous recombinant gonadotropins in order to gain insight into an evolutionary model of permissive gonadotropin receptor function. These data suggest that carp (Cyprinus carpio) gonad development and maturation depends on a specific gonadotropin profile that does not reflect the temporally distinct dual-gonadotropin model observed in salmonids or mammals, and that permissive gonadotropin receptor activation is a specific feature of Ostariophysi, not all teleosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lian Hollander-Cohen
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Benjamin Böhm
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Krist Hausken
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Berta Levavi-Sivan
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
- Correspondence should be addressed to B Levavi-Sivan:
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20
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Nocillado J, Palma P, Fielder S, Zanardini M, Dennis LP, Elizur A. Development of specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) follicle stimulating hormone using recombinant gonadotropins. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 282:113208. [PMID: 31226255 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.113208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2019] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
We developed a specific competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). We previously produced a full-length single chain recombinant yellowtail kingfish FSH using the Pichia pastoris expression system. We used the same method to produce the β subunit of the hormone, against which polyclonal antibodies were raised in rabbits. We first confirmed immunoreactivity of the polyclonal antibodies with the recombinant full length FSH and FSHβ as well as plasma and pituitary FSH of sexually immature and mature yellowtail kingfish by Western blot analysis. We then developed a precise and reproducible ELISA for yellowtail kingfish FSH and validated the assay in plasma and pituitary extracts. The intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation was <2.2% and 10.2%, respectively. The sensitivity of the assay was 78 pg/ml. For further validation of the assay, we measured the plasma FSH in immature yellowtail kingfish treated with increasing doses (blank, 50, 100 and 150 µg/kg) of kisseptin2-10 peptide from a previous study. The dose response observed in treated females was not significant, however the increased plasma FSH levels coincided with the significantly higher estradiol levels we previously reported in the treated groups. We assessed the applicability of the assay in measuring circulating FSH in other species. We observed parallelism between the linearized FSH standard curve and displacement curves of serially diluted plasma from Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) and tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). We also observed similar parallelism with full length recombinant giant grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus) FSH. The ELISA we developed for yellowtail kingfish FSH will be useful in understanding the reproductive biology of the species as well as enhancing its aquaculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine Nocillado
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Locked Bag 4, Maroochydore DC 4558, Queensland, Australia
| | - Peter Palma
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Locked Bag 4, Maroochydore DC 4558, Queensland, Australia; Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, Tigbauan 5021, Iloilo, Philippines
| | - Stewart Fielder
- Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Locked Bag 1, Nelson Bay 2315, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Maya Zanardini
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Locked Bag 4, Maroochydore DC 4558, Queensland, Australia
| | - Lachlan P Dennis
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Locked Bag 4, Maroochydore DC 4558, Queensland, Australia
| | - Abigail Elizur
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Locked Bag 4, Maroochydore DC 4558, Queensland, Australia.
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21
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Burow S, Fontaine R, von Krogh K, Mayer I, Nourizadeh-Lillabadi R, Hollander-Cohen L, Cohen Y, Shpilman M, Levavi-Sivan B, Weltzien FA. Medaka follicle-stimulating hormone (Fsh) and luteinizing hormone (Lh): Developmental profiles of pituitary protein and gene expression levels. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 272:93-108. [PMID: 30576646 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The two gonadotropins follicle-stimulating hormone (Fsh) and luteinizing hormone (Lh) are of particular importance within the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis of vertebrates. In the current study, we demonstrate the production and validation of Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) recombinant (md) gonadotropins Fshβ (mdFshβ), Lhβ (mdLhβ), Fshβα (mdFshβα), and Lhβα (mdLhβα) by Pichia pastoris, the generation of specific rabbit antibodies against their respective β subunits, and their use within the development and validation of competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for quantification of medaka Fsh and Lh. mdFsh and mdLh were produced as single-chain polypeptides by linking the α subunit with mdFshβ or mdLhβ mature protein coding sequences to produce a "tethered" polypeptide with the β-chain at the N-terminal and the α-chain at the C-terminal. The specificity of the antibodies raised against mdFshβ and mdLhβ was determined by immunofluorescence (IF) for Fshβ and Lhβ on medaka pituitary tissue, while comparison with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for fshb and lhb mRNA was used for validation. Competitive ELISAs were developed using antibodies against mdFshβ or mdLhβ, and the tethered proteins mdFshβα or mdLhβα for standard curves. The standard curve for the Fsh ELISA ranged from 97.6 pg/ml to 50 ng/ml, and for the Lh ELISA from 12.21 pg/ml to 6.25 ng/ml. The sensitivity of the assays for Fsh and Lh was 44.7 and 70.8 pg/ml, respectively. A profile of pituitary protein levels of medaka Fsh and Lh comparing juveniles with adults showed significant increase of protein amount from juvenile group (body length from 12 mm to 16.5 mm) to adult group (body length from 21 mm to 26.5 mm) for both hormones in male medaka. Comparing these data to a developmental profile of pituitary mRNA expression of medaka fshb and lhb, the mRNA expression of lhb also increased during male maturation and a linear regression analysis revealed a significant increase of lhb expression with increased body length that proposes a linear model. However, fshb mRNA expression did not change significantly during male development and therefore was not correlated with body length. In summary, we have developed and validated homologous ELISA assays for medaka Fsh and Lh based on proteins produced in P. pastoris, assays that will be used to study the functions and regulations of Fsh and Lh in more detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susann Burow
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 0454 Oslo, Norway
| | - Romain Fontaine
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 0454 Oslo, Norway
| | - Kristine von Krogh
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 0454 Oslo, Norway
| | - Ian Mayer
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 0454 Oslo, Norway
| | - Rasoul Nourizadeh-Lillabadi
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 0454 Oslo, Norway
| | - Lian Hollander-Cohen
- Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Yaron Cohen
- Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Michal Shpilman
- Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Berta Levavi-Sivan
- Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Finn-Arne Weltzien
- Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 0454 Oslo, Norway.
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Nyuji M, Hamada K, Kazeto Y, Mekuchi M, Gen K, Soyano K, Okuzawa K. Photoperiodic regulation of plasma gonadotropin levels in previtellogenic greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 269:149-155. [PMID: 30236970 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Revised: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
In Seriola species, exposure to a long photoperiod regime is known to induce ovarian development. This study examined photoperiodic effects on pituitary gene expression and plasma levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (Fsh) and luteinizing hormone (Lh) in previtellogenic greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili). The fish were exposed to short (8L:16D) or long (18L:6D) photoperiod. The water temperature was maintained at 22 °C. Compared with the short-photoperiod group, plasma Fsh levels were higher on days 10 and 30 in the long-photoperiod group, but plasma Lh levels did not significantly differ. On day 30, pituitary Fsh- and Lh-β subunit gene expressions were also higher in the long-photoperiod group than the short-photoperiod group, whereas α-subunit gene expressions were higher on days 20 and 30. Throughout the experiment, average gonadosomatic index and plasma E2 levels did not significantly differ between the two groups. This study clearly demonstrated that a long photoperiod induced Fsh release in the previtellogenic fish followed by upregulation of pituitary Fsh and Lh subunit gene expressions. An increase in plasma Fsh levels may be a key factor that mediates the photoperiodic effect on the initiation of ovarian development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuo Nyuji
- National Research Institute of Fisheries Science, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Yokohama 236-8648, Japan.
| | - Kazuhisa Hamada
- Marine Farm Laboratory Limited Company, 309 Takahiro, Tachibaura, Otsuki-cho, Hata-gun, Kochi 788-0352 Japan
| | - Yukinori Kazeto
- Kamiura Laboratory, National Research Institute of Aquaculture, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Saiki 879-2602, Japan
| | - Miyuki Mekuchi
- National Research Institute of Fisheries Science, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Yokohama 236-8648, Japan
| | - Koichiro Gen
- Seikai National Fisheries Research Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Nagasaki 851-2231, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Soyano
- Institute for East China Sea Research, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 851-2213, Japan
| | - Koichi Okuzawa
- Kamiura Laboratory, National Research Institute of Aquaculture, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Saiki 879-2602, Japan
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