Robust gdf9 and bmp15 expression in the oocytes of ovotestes through the Figla-independent pathway in the hermaphroditic black porgy, Acanthopagrus schlegelii

Loss of bmp15 function in the seasonal spawner Atlantic salmon results in ovulatory failure

Bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) is an oocyte-specific growth factor important for successful female reproduction in mammals. While mutations in BMP15/Bmp15 cause ovulatory deficiency and/or infertility in certain mammalian species, loss of bmp15 in zebrafish, a continuous spawner and the only bmp15 knockout model in fish to date, results in complete arrest of follicle development and later female-to-male sex reversal, preventing to examine effects on ovulation/fertilization. Here, we used Atlantic salmon, a seasonal spawner, and generated bmp15 mutants to investigate ovarian development and fertility. Histological and morphometric analyses revealed that in biallelic frameshift (bmp15 fs/fs) mutant ovaries, folliculogenesis started earlier, resulting in an advanced development compared to wild-type (WT) controls, accompanied by a weaker expression of the (early) oocyte-specific factor figla. This precocious ovarian development was followed in bmp15 fs/fs females by enhanced follicle atresia during vitellogenic stages. Although genes involved in steroid synthesis and signaling (star, cyp11b, cyp17a1 and esr1) were dramatically higher in late vitellogenic bmp15 fs/fs mutant ovaries, estradiol-17β plasma levels were lower than in WT counterparts, potentially reflecting compensatory changes at the level of ovarian gene expression. At spawning, bmp15 fs/fs females displayed lower gonado-somatic index values and reduced oocyte diameter, and the majority (71.4%), showed mature non-ovulating ovaries with a high degree of atresia. The remaining (28.6%) females spawned eggs but they either could not be fertilized or, upon fertilization, showed severe malformations and embryonic mortality. Our results show that Bmp15 is required for proper follicle recruitment and growth and later ovulatory success in Atlantic salmon, providing an alternative candidate target to induce sterility in farmed salmon. Moreover, since loss of bmp15 in salmon, in contrast to zebrafish, does not result in female-to-male sex change, this is the first mutant model in fish allowing further investigations on Bmp15-mediated functions in the ovulatory period.

The Ovarian Transcriptome at the Early Stage of Testis Removal-Induced Male-To-Female Sex Change in the Protandrous Black Porgy Acanthopagrus schlegelii

Unlike gonochoristic fishes, sex is fixed after gonadal differentiation (primary sex determination), and sex can be altered in adults (secondary sex determination) of hermaphroditic fish species. The secondary sex determination of hermaphroditic fish has focused on the differences between testicular tissue and ovarian tissue during the sex change process. However, comprehensive studies analyzing ovarian tissue or testicular tissue independently have not been performed. Hermaphroditic black porgy shows a digonic gonad (ovarian tissue with testicular tissue separated by connective tissue). Protandrous black porgy has stable maleness during the first two reproductive cycles (<2 years old), and approximately 50% enter femaleness (natural sex change) during the third reproductive cycle. Precocious femaleness is rarely observed in the estradiol-17β (E2)-induced female phase (oocytes maintained at the primary oocyte stage), and a reversible female-to-male sex change is found after E2 is withdrawn in <2-year-old fish. However, precocious femaleness (oocytes entering the vitellogenic oocyte stage) is observed in testis-removed fish in <2-year-old fish. We used this characteristic to study secondary sex determination (femaleness) in ovarian tissue via transcriptomic analysis. Cell proliferation analysis showed that BrdU (5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine)-incorporated germline cells were significantly increased in the testis-removed fish (female) compared to the control (sham) fish (male) during the nonspawning season (2 months after surgery). qPCR analysis showed that there were no differences in pituitary-releasing hormones (lhb and gtha) in pituitary and ovarian steroidogenesis-related factors (star, cyp11a1, hsd3b1, and cyp19a1a) or female-related genes (wnt4a, bmp15, gdf9, figla, and foxl2) in ovarian tissues between intact and testis-removed fish (2 months after surgery). Low expression of pituitary fshb and ovarian cyp17a1 was found after 2 months of surgery. However, we did find small numbers of genes (289 genes) showing sexual fate dimorphic expression in both groups by transcriptomic analysis (1 month after surgery). The expression profiles of these differentially expressed genes were further examined by qPCR. Our present work identified several candidate genes in ovarian tissue that may be involved in the early period of secondary sex determination (femaleness) in black porgy. The data confirmed our previous suggestion that testicular tissue plays an important role in secondary sex determination in protandrous black porgy.

Spatiotemporal expression of activin receptor-like kinase-5 and bone morphogenetic protein receptor type II in the ovary of shortfinned eel, Anguilla australis

In the eel ovary, the expression of growth differentiation factor-9 (Gdf9) appears to be largely confined to the germ cell in early stages of oogenesis. However, both the target tissue and the function of Gdf9 in fish remain unknown. This study aimed to describe the abundance and localization of activin receptor-like kinase-5 (Alk5) and bone morphogenetic protein receptor type II (Bmpr2), which together mediate the Gdf9 signal, in the ovary of a basal teleost, the shortfinned eel, Anguilla australis, during early folliculogenesis. The cDNA encoding eel alk5 and bmpr2 genes were cloned, characterized and the transcript abundances of these receptors quantified by quantitative real-time PCR. Ovarian transcript abundance for both receptors, along with that of gdf9 and of its paralogue bmp15, increased from the previtellogenic to early vitellogenic stage. Localization of receptor mRNAs by in situ hybridization revealed that these receptors are located in the somatic cells surrounding the oocyte. Furthermore, tissue distribution analysis showed that the expression of alk5 and bmpr2 were highest in ovary and thyroid, respectively. Unexpectedly, however, bmpr2 mRNA levels were lower in the ovary than in any of the other 17 tissues examined, and indeed, lower than ovarian gdf9 transcript abundance. These findings, together with the ovarian expression pattern of Gdf9, suggest that Gdf9, and conceivably, Bmp15, from the oocyte can signal through receptors that are located on the somatic cells surrounding the oocyte; this, in turn, facilitates elucidation of the function of these growth factors during oogenesis in teleost fish.

Expression patterns and oestradiol regulation of growth differentiation factor 9 in Schizothorax prenanti

Growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) plays pivotal roles in regulating follicular development in many mammalian species. In the present study, the full-length Schizothorax prenanti gdf9 cDNA sequence was isolated and characterized, and its expression pattern in developing gonads and in the gonads of exogenous oestradiol (E₂)-fed fish were analysed. The S. prenanti gdf9 cDNA sequence consisted of 1958 base pairs (bp), encoded a 413 amino acid, and showed high sequence similarity with Carassius gibelio and Cyprinus carpio. The quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that gdf9 was mainly expressed in the gonads, with particularly high expression in the cortical alveoli stage ovary and late-spermatogenic stage testis. Immunohistochemical signals for Gdf9 were mainly detected in chromatin nucleolar oocytes, spermatogonia and spermatocytes. Furthermore, the gonadal expression of gdf9 induced by exogenous E₂ was related to the feeding time and dose. Taken together, these findings were helpful to gain a better understanding of the role of Gdf9 in both folliculogenesis and spermatogenesis in S. prenanti.

Two distinct vitellogenin genes are similar in function and expression in the bigfin reef squid Sepioteuthis lessoniana

Unlike vitellogenin, which is the sole major precursor of yolk protein in all oviparous vertebrates, a variety of major precursor of yolk proteins are found among oviparous invertebrates. Sea urchins have a transferrin-like yolk protein, while all other major precursors of yolk proteins in oviparous invertebrates belong to the superfamily of large lipid transfer proteins (LLTPs). However, a comprehensive understanding of vitellogenesis is absent in cephalopods. To understand control of vitellogenesis by the LLTPs gene, two vitellogenins (VTG1 and VTG2), two apolipophorins (APOLP2A and APOLP2B), and a cytosolic large subunit of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTTP) found in the bigfin reef squid. Only the two VTGs showed high levels of expression in mature females compared to males. We further analyzed the expression profile and localization of both VTGs/VTGs during ovarian development. Our data showed that VTGs/VTGs expressions were correlated to the female reproductive cycle. Ovarian VTG1 and VTG2 were localized in the follicle cells but not in oocytes. In addition, VTG1 and VTG2 were represented in follicle cells and oocytes. Thus, our results showed that both VTGs were synthesized by follicle cells and are then delivered to oocytes. In addition, we demonstrated that VTGs were the major precursor of yolk protein in bigfin reef squid. We also found differential proteolytic cleavage processes of VTG1 and VTG2 during VTGs accumulation in oocytes. Therefore, our data shed light on the molecular mechanism of the yolk accumulation pathway in cephalopods.

The germline-specific expression of Foxl3a and its paralogous Foxl3b are associated with male gonadal differentiation in the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica

Unlike its paralog Foxl2, which is well known for its role in ovarian development in vertebrates, the function of Foxl3 is still unclear. Foxl3 is an ancient duplicated copy of Foxl2. It is present as a single copy in ray-finned fish. But, due to repeated losses, it is absent in most tetrapods. Our transcriptomic data, however, show that two Foxl3s (Foxl3a and its paralog Foxl3b) are present in Japanese eel. Foxl3a is predominantly expressed in the pituitary, and Foxl3b is predominantly expressed in the gills. Both Foxl3s show a sex-dimorphic expression, being higher expression in testes than in ovaries. Moreover, Foxl3a and Foxl3b were exclusively expressed during gonadal differentiation in control eels (100% male). Conversely, Foxl3a and Foxl3b significantly decreased after gonadal differentiation in E2-treated eels (100% female). Furthermore, in accordance the difference in adhesive ability between somatic cells and germline cells in testes, Foxl3s showed a high expression in suspension cells (putative germline cells) and low expression in adhesive cells (putative somatic cells). In situ hybridization further showed that Foxl3a and Foxl3b were expressed in the testicular germline cells. In addition, Foxl3s expression was not changed by sex steroids in in vitro testes culture. Taken together, our results suggest that the teleost-specific Foxl3 paralog was repeatedly lost in most fish after the third round of whole genome duplication. The two germline-expressed Foxl3s had higher expression levels in males than in females during gonadal differentiation in Japanese eel. These results demonstrated that Foxl3s might play an important role in germline sexual fate determination from ancient fish to modern fish.