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Liu M, Zhu Q, Li H, Chen R, Hu W, Liu S, Xu D. Characterization of Early Gonadal Differentiation and Induction of Sex Reversal in the Rock Bream Oplegnathus fasciatus. Mar Biotechnol (NY) 2023; 25:403-414. [PMID: 37162621 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-023-10213-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Rock bream (Oplegnathus fasciatus) is a typical fish that has a unique multiple sex chromosome system (♀X1X1X2X2/♂X1X2Y). We examined the early gonadal development in rock bream via continuous histological observations of the gonads at 40-120 days post hatching (dph). The fish was identified as a typical gonochorist, and female gonads were found to differentiate earlier than male gonads. The ovarian cavity of the female was initially observed at 80 dph, whereas the efferent duct of the male was not observed until 100 dph. Immunofluorescence with the vasa-antibody revealed that germ cells were predominantly distributed around the ovarian cavity in females and on the edge of the gonad in males during the early stages of sex differentiation. Sex reversal was induced via the oral administration of letrozole (LTZ), 17α-methyltestosterone (MT), and 17β-estradiol (E2), respectively, during the labile period of gonadal development. LTZ and MT induced 100% masculinization of genotype-females, whereas E2 induced only 50-60% feminization of genotype-males. Such findings suggest that the fish retained high sexual plasticity despite the existence of the neo-Y chromosome. MT and E2 had negative effect on fish growth, whereas LTZ did not exert such side effect. LTZ and MT could accelerate gonadal development in sex-reversed genotype-males, whereas E2 inhibited gonadal development in genotype-females of rock bream. These findings provide a basis for further research on the mechanisms of sex determination and differentiation in fishes with X1X2Y sex chromosome system and provide a sex reversal protocol for rock bream.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingtao Liu
- School of Fisheries, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
- Key Lab of Mariculture and Enhancement of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Zhoushan, China
| | - Qihui Zhu
- Key Lab of Mariculture and Enhancement of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Zhoushan, China
- Ocean and Fisheries Research Institute, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Huan Li
- School of Fisheries, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
- Key Lab of Mariculture and Enhancement of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Zhoushan, China
| | - Ruiyi Chen
- Key Lab of Mariculture and Enhancement of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Zhoushan, China
- Ocean and Fisheries Research Institute, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Weihua Hu
- Key Lab of Mariculture and Enhancement of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Zhoushan, China
- Ocean and Fisheries Research Institute, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Simiao Liu
- Key Lab of Mariculture and Enhancement of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Zhoushan, China
- School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Dongdong Xu
- Key Lab of Mariculture and Enhancement of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Zhoushan, China.
- Ocean and Fisheries Research Institute, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, China.
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