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Wilson AB, Whittington CM, Meyer A, Scobell SK, Gauthier ME. Prolactin and the evolution of male pregnancy. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 334:114210. [PMID: 36646326 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114210] [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: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Prolactin (PRL) is a multifunctional hormone of broad physiological importance, and is involved in many aspects of fish reproduction, including the regulation of live birth (viviparity) and both male and female parental care. Previous research suggests that PRL also plays an important reproductive role in syngnathid fishes (seahorses, pipefish and seadragons), a group with a highly derived reproductive strategy, male pregnancy - how the PRL axis has come to be co-opted for male pregnancy remains unclear. We investigated the molecular evolution and expression of the genes for prolactin and its receptor (PRLR) in an evolutionarily diverse sampling of syngnathid fishes to explore how the co-option of PRL for male pregnancy has impacted its evolution, and to clarify whether the PRL axis is also involved in regulating reproductive function in species with more rudimentary forms of male pregnancy. In contrast to the majority of teleost fishes, all syngnathid fishes tested carry single copies of PRL and PRLR that cluster genetically within the PRL1 and PRLRa lineages of teleosts, respectively. PRL1 gene expression in seahorses and pipefish is restricted to the pituitary, while PRLRa is expressed in all tissues, including the brood pouch of species with both rudimentary and complex brooding structures. Pituitary PRL1 expression remains stable throughout pregnancy, but PRLRa expression is specifically upregulated in the male brood pouch during pregnancy, consistent with the higher affinity of pouch tissues for PRL hormone during embryonic incubation. Finally, immunohistochemistry of brood pouch tissues reveals that both PRL1 protein and PRLRa and Na+/K+ ATPase-positive cells line the inner pouch epithelium, suggesting that pituitary-derived PRL1 may be involved in brood pouch osmoregulation during pregnancy. Our data provide a unique molecular perspective on the evolution and expression of prolactin and its receptor during male pregnancy, and provide the foundation for further manipulative experiments exploring the role of PRL in this unique form of reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony B Wilson
- Department of Biology, Brooklyn College, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210, United States; The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States; Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Germany.
| | - Camilla M Whittington
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
| | - Axel Meyer
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457, Germany
| | - Sunny K Scobell
- Department of Biology, Brooklyn College, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210, United States
| | - Marie-Emilie Gauthier
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
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Bellodi A, Benvenuto A, Melis R, Mulas A, Barone M, Barría C, Cariani A, Carugati L, Chatzispyrou A, Desrochers M, Ferrari A, Guallart J, Hemida F, Mancusi C, Mazzoldi C, Ramírez-Amaro S, Rey J, Scannella D, Serena F, Tinti F, Vella A, Follesa MC, Cannas R. Call me by my name: unravelling the taxonomy of the gulper shark genus Centrophorus in the Mediterranean Sea through an integrated taxonomic approach. Zool J Linn Soc 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The current shift of fishery efforts towards the deep sea is raising concern about the vulnerability of deep-water sharks, which are often poorly studied and characterized by problematic taxonomy. For instance, in the Mediterranean Sea the taxonomy of genus Centrophorus has not been clearly unravelled yet. Since proper identification of the species is fundamental for their correct assessment and management, this study aims at clarifying the taxonomy of this genus in the Mediterranean Basin through an integrated taxonomic approach. We analysed a total of 281 gulper sharks (Centrophorus spp.) collected from various Mediterranean, Atlantic and Indian Ocean waters. Molecular data obtained from cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), 16S ribosomal RNA (16S), NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2) and a portion of a nuclear 28S ribosomal DNA gene region (28S) have highlighted the presence of a unique mitochondrial clade in the Mediterranean Sea. The morphometric results confirmed these findings, supporting the presence of a unique and distinct morphological group comprising all Mediterranean individuals. The data strongly indicate the occurrence of a single Centrophorus species in the Mediterranean, ascribable to C. cf. uyato, and suggest the need for a revision of the systematics of the genus in the area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Bellodi
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences – University of Cagliari, Via T. Via Fiorelli 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy
- CoNISMa Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze Mare, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196 Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Benvenuto
- CoNISMa Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze Mare, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196 Rome, Italy
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences – Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Via Sant’alberto 163, 48123 Ravenna, Italy
| | - Riccardo Melis
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences – University of Cagliari, Via T. Via Fiorelli 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy
- CoNISMa Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze Mare, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonello Mulas
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences – University of Cagliari, Via T. Via Fiorelli 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy
- CoNISMa Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze Mare, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196 Rome, Italy
| | - Monica Barone
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – Fisheries Division, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Barría
- Institut de Ciències del Mar, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alessia Cariani
- CoNISMa Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze Mare, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196 Rome, Italy
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences – Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Via Sant’alberto 163, 48123 Ravenna, Italy
| | - Laura Carugati
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences – University of Cagliari, Via T. Via Fiorelli 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy
- CoNISMa Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze Mare, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196 Rome, Italy
| | - Archontia Chatzispyrou
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, 576A Vouliagmenis Ave., 16452 Argyroupoli, Greece
| | - Monique Desrochers
- Northeastern University College of Science, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Alice Ferrari
- CoNISMa Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze Mare, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196 Rome, Italy
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences – Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Via Sant’alberto 163, 48123 Ravenna, Italy
| | - Javier Guallart
- Marine Biology Laboratory, Zoology Department, Universitat de València, Burjassot E-46100 València, Spain
| | - Farid Hemida
- Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Sciences de la Mer et de l’Amenagement du Littoral, Dely Ibrahim 16320, Algiers, Algeria
| | - Cecilia Mancusi
- Environmental Protection Agency of Tuscany Region, Marine Division, Operational Unit Fisheries Resources and Marine Biodiversity, Via Marradi 114, 56127 Livorno, Italy
| | - Carlotta Mazzoldi
- University of Padova, Department of Biology, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Sergio Ramírez-Amaro
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centre Oceanogràfic de les Balears, Moll de Ponent s/n, 07015 Palma, Spain
| | - Javier Rey
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Malaga, Muelle Pesquero s/n, 29640 Fuengirola, Spain
| | - Danilo Scannella
- Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnologies, National Research Council, Via Vaccara, 61, 91026, Mazara del Vallo, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Serena
- Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnologies, National Research Council, Via Vaccara, 61, 91026, Mazara del Vallo, Italy
| | - Fausto Tinti
- CoNISMa Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze Mare, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196 Rome, Italy
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences – Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Via Sant’alberto 163, 48123 Ravenna, Italy
| | - Adriana Vella
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Department of Biology, University of Malta, Msida, MSD2080, Malta
| | - Maria Cristina Follesa
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences – University of Cagliari, Via T. Via Fiorelli 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy
- CoNISMa Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze Mare, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196 Rome, Italy
| | - Rita Cannas
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences – University of Cagliari, Via T. Via Fiorelli 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy
- CoNISMa Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze Mare, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196 Rome, Italy
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Goehlich H, Sartoris L, Wagner KS, Wendling CC, Roth O. Pipefish Locally Adapted to Low Salinity in the Baltic Sea Retain Phenotypic Plasticity to Cope With Ancestral Salinity Levels. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.626442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic adaptation and phenotypic plasticity facilitate the migration into new habitats and enable organisms to cope with a rapidly changing environment. In contrast to genetic adaptation that spans multiple generations as an evolutionary process, phenotypic plasticity allows acclimation within the life-time of an organism. Genetic adaptation and phenotypic plasticity are usually studied in isolation, however, only by including their interactive impact, we can understand acclimation and adaptation in nature. We aimed to explore the contribution of adaptation and plasticity in coping with an abiotic (salinity) and a biotic (Vibriobacteria) stressor using six different populations of the broad-nosed pipefishSyngnathus typhlethat originated from either high [14–17 Practical Salinity Unit (PSU)] or low (7–11 PSU) saline environments along the German coastline of the Baltic Sea. We exposed wild caught animals, to either high (15 PSU) or low (7 PSU) salinity, representing native and novel salinity conditions and allowed animals to mate. After male pregnancy, offspring was split and each half was exposed to one of the two salinities and infected withVibrio alginolyticusbacteria that were evolved at either of the two salinities in a fully reciprocal design. We investigated life-history traits of fathers and expression of 47 target genes in mothers and offspring. Pregnant males originating from high salinity exposed to low salinity were highly susceptible to opportunistic fungi infections resulting in decreased offspring size and number. In contrast, no signs of fungal infection were identified in fathers originating from low saline conditions suggesting that genetic adaptation has the potential to overcome the challenges encountered at low salinity. Offspring from parents with low saline origin survived better at low salinity suggesting genetic adaptation to low salinity. In addition, gene expression analyses of juveniles indicated patterns of local adaptation,trans-generational plasticity and developmental plasticity. In conclusion, our study suggests that pipefish are locally adapted to the low salinity in their environment, however, they are retaining phenotypic plasticity, which allows them to also cope with ancestral salinity levels and prevailing pathogens.
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