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Barany A, Fuentes J, Valderrama V, Broz-Ruiz A, Martínez-Rodríguez G, Mancera JM. Oral cortisol and dexamethasone intake: Differential physiology and transcriptional responses in the marine juvenile Sparus aurata. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 344:114371. [PMID: 37640145 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114371] [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: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
This study approached the long-term oral administration of cortisol (F) and dexamethasone (DEX), two synthetic glucocorticoids, compared to a control group (CT) in the juveniles of a marine teleost, the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata). Physiologically, DEX treatment impaired growth, which appears to be linked to carbohydrate allocation in muscle and liver, hepatic triglycerides depletion, and reduced hematocrit. Hypophyseal gh mRNA expression was 2-fold higher in DEX than in CT or F groups. Similarly, hypothalamic trh and hypophyseal pomcb followed this pattern. Plasma cortisol levels were significantly lower in DEX than in CT, while F presented intermediate levels. In the posterior intestine, measured short circuit-current (Isc) was more anion absorptive in CT and F compared to the DEX group, whereas Isc remained unaffected in the anterior intestine. The derived transepithelial electric resistance (TEER) significantly differed between intestinal regions in the DEX group. These results provide new insights to understand better potential targeted biomarkers indicative of the differential glucocorticoid or mineralocorticoid-receptors activation in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Barany
- Department of Biology, Morrill Science Center, University of Massachusetts, 01003 Amherst, MA, USA; Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Instituto Universitario de Investigación Marina (INMAR), Campus de Excelencia Internacional del Mar (CEI·MAR), Universidad de Cádiz, E-11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
| | - J Fuentes
- Centro de Ciências do Mar (CCMAR), Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - V Valderrama
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Instituto Universitario de Investigación Marina (INMAR), Campus de Excelencia Internacional del Mar (CEI·MAR), Universidad de Cádiz, E-11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
| | - A Broz-Ruiz
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Instituto Universitario de Investigación Marina (INMAR), Campus de Excelencia Internacional del Mar (CEI·MAR), Universidad de Cádiz, E-11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
| | - G Martínez-Rodríguez
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía, Spanish National Research Council (ICMAN-CSIC), E-11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
| | - J M Mancera
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Instituto Universitario de Investigación Marina (INMAR), Campus de Excelencia Internacional del Mar (CEI·MAR), Universidad de Cádiz, E-11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
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Shaughnessy CA, Myhre VD, Hall DJ, McCormick SD, Dores RM. Hypothalamus-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis signaling in Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) and sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 339:114290. [PMID: 37088167 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
In vertebrates, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal/interrenal (HPA/HPI) axis is a highly conserved endocrine axis that regulates glucocorticoid production via signaling by corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Once activated by ACTH, Gs protein-coupled melanocortin 2 receptors (Mc2r) present in corticosteroidogenic cells stimulate expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (Star), which initiates steroid biosynthesis. In the present study, we examined the tissue distribution of genes involved in HPI axis signaling and steroidogenesis in the Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) and provided the first functional characterization of Mc2r in sturgeon. Mc2r of A. oxyrinchus and the sterlet sturgeon (Acipenser ruthenus) are co-dependent on interaction with the melanocortin receptor accessory protein 1 (Mrap1) and highly selective for human (h) ACTH over other melanocortin ligands. A. oxyrinchus expresses key genes involved in HPI axis signaling in a tissue-specific manner that is indicative of the presence of a complete HPI axis in sturgeon. Importantly, we co-localized mc2r, mrap1, and star mRNA expression to the head kidney, indicating that this is possibly a site of ACTH-mediated corticosteroidogenesis in sturgeon. Our results are discussed in the context of other studies on the HPI axis of basal bony vertebrates, which, when taken together, demonstrate a need to better resolve the evolution of HPI axis signaling in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciaran A Shaughnessy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States.
| | - Valorie D Myhre
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States
| | - Daniel J Hall
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, S. O. Conte Anadromous Fish Research Laboratory, Turners Falls, MA, USA
| | - Stephen D McCormick
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, S. O. Conte Anadromous Fish Research Laboratory, Turners Falls, MA, USA; Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Robert M Dores
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States
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Feng LL, Dai YW, Lu XJ, Lu JF, Yang GJ, Zhang H, Zhang L, Chen J. Two ACTH analogs exert differential effects on monocytes/macrophages function regulation in ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2022; 315:113796. [PMID: 33901496 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113796] [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: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), a bioactive peptide of the family of melanocortins, is generated from pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC). So far, the research on the specific functions of ACTH in the immune system of teleosts is limited. We determined two complementary DNA (cDNA) sequences of POMC in ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis), termed PaPOMC-A and PaPOMC-B. PaPOMCs transcripts occurred in all examined tissues, and their expression in immune tissues changed following experimental infection with Vibrio anguillarum. PaACTH-B, but not PaACTH-A, suppressed the phagocytosis of monocytes/macrophages (MO/MФ). Two isoforms of PaACTH increased the bactericidal capacity of MO/MФ. PaACTH-A increased anti-inflammatory cytokine expression, while PaACTH-B decreased pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in MO/MФ. Compared with PaACTH-B treatment, the PaACTH-A treatment improved survival rate and reduced the bacterial load in V. anguillarum-infected ayu through interleukin (IL)-10. Our results indicate that the two PaACTH isoforms exert different effects in the host defense against bacterial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin-Lin Feng
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - You-Wu Dai
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Xin-Jiang Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), China.
| | - Jian-Fei Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Guan-Jun Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Li Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Jiong Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China; Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China.
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Rousseau K, Dufour S, Sachs LM. Interdependence of Thyroid and Corticosteroid Signaling in Vertebrate Developmental Transitions. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.735487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Post-embryonic acute developmental processes mainly allow the transition from one life stage in a specific ecological niche to the next life stage in a different ecological niche. Metamorphosis, an emblematic type of these post-embryonic developmental processes, has occurred repeatedly and independently in various phylogenetic groups throughout metazoan evolution, such as in cnidarian, insects, molluscs, tunicates, or vertebrates. This review will focus on metamorphoses and developmental transitions in vertebrates, including typical larval metamorphosis in anuran amphibians, larval and secondary metamorphoses in teleost fishes, egg hatching in sauropsids and birth in mammals. Two neuroendocrine axes, the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal/interrenal axes, are central players in the regulation of these life transitions. The review will address the molecular and functional evolution of these axes and their interactions. Mechanisms of integration of internal and environmental cues, and activation of these neuroendocrine axes represent key questions in an “eco-evo-devo” perspective of metamorphosis. The roles played by developmental transitions in the innovation, adaptation, and plasticity of life cycles throughout vertebrates will be discussed. In the current context of global climate change and habitat destruction, the review will also address the impact of environmental factors, such as global warming and endocrine disruptors on hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal/interrenal axes, and regulation of developmental transitions.
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Mateus AP, Mourad M, Power DM. Skin damage caused by scale loss modifies the intestine of chronically stressed gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata, L.). DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2021; 118:103989. [PMID: 33385418 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2020.103989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The present study was designed to test if the damage caused by scale loss provokes a change in other innate immune barriers such as the intestine and how chronic stress affects this response. Sea bream (Sparus aurata) were kept in tanks at low density (16 kg m-3, LD) or exposed to a chronic high density (45 kg m-3, HD) stress for 4 weeks. Scales were then removed (approximately 50%) from the left flank in the LD and HD fish. Intestine samples (n = 8/group) were examined before and at 12 h, 3 days and 7 days after scale removal. Changes in the morphology of the intestine revealed that chronic stress and scale loss was associated with intestinal inflammation. Specifically, enterocyte height and the width of the lamina propria, submucosa and muscle layer were significantly increased (p < 0.05) 3 days after skin damage in fish under chronic stress (HD) compared to other treatments (LDWgut3d or HDgut0h). This was associated with a significant up-regulation (p < 0.05) in the intestine of gene transcripts for cell proliferation (pcna) and anti-inflammatory cytokine tgfβ1 and down-regulation of gene transcripts for the pro-inflammatory cytokines tnf-α and il1β (p < 0.05) in HD and LD fish 3 days after scale removal compared to the undamaged control (LDgut0h). Furthermore, a significant up-regulation of kit, a marker of mast cells, in the intestine of HDWgut3d and LDWgut3d fish suggests they may mediate the crosstalk between immune barriers. Skin damage induced an increase in cortisol levels in the anterior intestine in HDWgut12 h fish and significant (p < 0.05) down-regulation of mr expression, irrespective of stress. These results suggest glucocorticoid levels and signalling in the intestine of fish are modified by superficial cutaneous wounds and it likely modulates intestine inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Patrícia Mateus
- Centro de Ciências Do Mar (CCMAR), Comparative Endocrinology and Integrative Biology, Universidade Do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal; Escola Superior de Saúde, Universidade Do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal.
| | - Mona Mourad
- Laboratory of Fish Reproduction and Spawning, Aquaculture Division, National Institute of Oceanography & Fisheries, Kayet-bey, Al-Anfoushy, 21556, Alexandria, Egypt.
| | - Deborah M Power
- Centro de Ciências Do Mar (CCMAR), Comparative Endocrinology and Integrative Biology, Universidade Do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal.
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Barany A, Fuentes J, Martínez-Rodríguez G, Mancera JM. Aflatoxicosis Dysregulates the Physiological Responses to Crowding Densities in the Marine Teleost Gilthead Seabream ( Sparus aurata). Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11030753. [PMID: 33803392 PMCID: PMC7999881 DOI: 10.3390/ani11030753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies in fish have shown that aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) causes a disparity of species-dependent physiological disorders without compromising survival. We studied the effect of dietary administration of AFB1 (2 mg AFB1 kg-1 diet) in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) juveniles in combination with a challenge by stocking density (4 vs. 40 g L-1). The experimental period duration was ten days, and the diet with AFB1 was administered to the fish for 85 days prior to the stocking density challenge. Our results indicated an alteration in the carbohydrate and lipid metabolites mobilization in the AFB1 fed group, which was intensified at high stocking density (HSD). The CT group at HSD increased plasma cortisol levels, as expected, whereas the AFB1-HSD group did not. The star mRNA expression, an enzyme involved in cortisol synthesis in the head kidney, presented a ninefold increase in the AFB1 group at low stocking density (LSD) compared to the CT-LSD group. Adenohypophyseal gh mRNA expression increased in the AFB1-HSD but not in the CT-HSD group. Overall, these results confirmed that chronic AFB1 dietary exposure alters the adequate endocrinological physiological cascade response in S. aurata, compromising the expected stress response to an additional stressor, such as overcrowding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andre Barany
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Instituto Universitario de Investigación Marina (INMAR), Campus de Excelencia Internacional del Mar (CEI MAR), University of Cádiz, Puerto Real, 11519 Cádiz, Spain;
- Correspondence:
| | - Juan Fuentes
- Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMar), Universidade do Algarve, Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal;
| | - Gonzalo Martínez-Rodríguez
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ICMAN-CSIC), Puerto Real, 11519 Cádiz, Spain;
| | - Juan Miguel Mancera
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Instituto Universitario de Investigación Marina (INMAR), Campus de Excelencia Internacional del Mar (CEI MAR), University of Cádiz, Puerto Real, 11519 Cádiz, Spain;
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Rousseau K, Prunet P, Dufour S. Special features of neuroendocrine interactions between stress and reproduction in teleosts. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 300:113634. [PMID: 33045232 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Stress and reproduction are both essential functions for vertebrate survival, ensuring on one side adaptative responses to environmental changes and potential life threats, and on the other side production of progeny. With more than 25,000 species, teleosts constitute the largest group of extant vertebrates, and exhibit a large diversity of life cycles, environmental conditions and regulatory processes. Interactions between stress and reproduction are a growing concern both for conservation of fish biodiversity in the frame of global changes and for the development of sustainability of aquaculture including fish welfare. In teleosts, as in other vertebrates, adverse effects of stress on reproduction have been largely documented and will be shortly overviewed. Unexpectedly, stress notably via cortisol, may also facilitate reproductive function in some teleost species in relation to their peculiar life cyles and this review will provide some examples. Our review will then mainly address the neuroendocrine axes involved in the control of stress and reproduction, namely the corticotropic and gonadotropic axes, as well as their interactions. After reporting some anatomo-functional specificities of the neuroendocrine systems in teleosts, we will describe the major actors of the corticotropic and gonadotropic axes at the brain-pituitary-peripheral glands (interrenals and gonads) levels, with a special focus on the impact of teleost-specific whole genome duplication (3R) on the number of paralogs and their potential differential functions. We will finally review the current knowledge on the neuroendocrine mechanisms of the various interactions between stress and reproduction at different levels of the two axes in teleosts in a comparative and evolutionary perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Rousseau
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Research Unit BOREA, Biology of Aquatic Organisms and Ecosystems, CNRS, IRD, SU, UCN, UA, Paris, France
| | - Patrick Prunet
- INRAE, UR1037, Laboratoire de Physiologie et de Génomique des Poissons (LPGP), Rennes, France
| | - Sylvie Dufour
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Research Unit BOREA, Biology of Aquatic Organisms and Ecosystems, CNRS, IRD, SU, UCN, UA, Paris, France.
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Melanocortin Receptor 4 (MC4R) Signaling System in Nile Tilapia. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21197036. [PMID: 32987823 PMCID: PMC7582737 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21197036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The melanocortin receptor 4 (MC4R) signaling system consists of MC4R, MC4R ligands [melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH), adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), agouti-related protein (AgRP)], and melanocortin-2 receptor accessory protein 2 (MRAP2), and it has been proposed to play important roles in feeding and growth in vertebrates. However, the expression and functionality of this system have not been fully characterized in teleosts. Here, we cloned tilapia MC4R, MRAP2b, AgRPs (AgRP, AgRP2), and POMCs (POMCa1, POMCb) genes and characterized the interaction of tilapia MC4R with MRAP2b, AgRP, α-MSH, and ACTH in vitro. The results indicate the following. (1) Tilapia MC4R, MRAP2b, AgRPs, and POMCs share high amino acid identity with their mammalian counterparts. (2) Tilapia MRAP2b could interact with MC4R expressed in CHO cells, as demonstrated by Co-IP assay, and thus decrease MC4R constitutive activity and enhance its sensitivity to ACTH1-40. (3) As in mammals, AgRP can function as an inverse agonist and antagonist of MC4R, either in the presence or absence of MRAP2b. These data, together with the co-expression of MC4R, MRAP2b, AgRPs, and POMCs in tilapia hypothalamus, suggest that as in mammals, ACTH/α-MSH, AgRP, and MRAP2 can interact with MC4R to control energy balance and thus play conserved roles in the feeding and growth of teleosts.
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Modulation of Pituitary Response by Dietary Lipids and Throughout a Temperature Fluctuation Challenge in Gilthead Sea Bream. FISHES 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/fishes4040055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Low temperatures provoke drastic reductions in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) activity and nourishment, leading to growth arrest and a halt in production. However, scarce data exist concerning the implications of central core control during the cold season. The aim of this work was to study the effects of low temperature and recovery from such exposure on the pituitary activity of sea bream juveniles fed 18% or 14% dietary lipid. A controlled indoor trial was performed to simulate natural temperature fluctuation (22 °C to 14 °C to 22 °C). Meanwhile, we determined the regulatory role of the pituitary by analyzing the gene expression of some pituitary hormones and hormone receptors via qPCR, as well as plasma levels of thyroidal hormones. In response to higher dietary lipids, hormone pituitary expressions were up-regulated. Induced low temperatures and lower ingesta modulated pituitary function up-regulating GH and TSH and thyroid and glucocorticoid receptors. All these findings demonstrate the capacity of the pituitary to recognize both external conditions and to modulate its response accordingly. However, growth, peripheral tissues and metabolism were not linked or connected to pituitary function at low temperatures, which opens an interesting field of study to interpret the hypothalamus–pituitary–target axis during temperature fluctuations in fish.
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Herrera M, Mancera JM, Costas B. The Use of Dietary Additives in Fish Stress Mitigation: Comparative Endocrine and Physiological Responses. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2019; 10:447. [PMID: 31354625 PMCID: PMC6636386 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last years, studies on stress attenuation in fish have progressively grown. This is mainly due to the interest of institutions, producers, aquarists and consumers in improving the welfare of farmed fish. In addition to the development of new technologies to improve environmental conditions of cultured fish, the inclusion of beneficial additives in the daily meal in order to mitigate the stress response to typical stressors (netting, overcrowding, handling, etc.) has been an important research topic. Fish are a highly diverse paraphyletic group (over 27,000 species) though teleost infraclass include around 96% of fish species. Since those species are distributed world-wide, a high number of different habitats and vital requirements exist, including a wide range of environmental conditions determining specifically the stress response. Although the generalized endocrine response to stress (based on the release of catecholamines and corticosteroids) is detectable and therefore provides essential information, a high diversity of physiological effects have been described depending on species. Moreover, recent omics techniques have provided a powerful tool for detecting specific differences regarding the stress response. For instance, for transcriptomic approaches, the gene expression of neuropeptides and other proteins acting as hormonal precursors during stress has been assessed in some fish species. The use of different additives in fish diets to mitigate stress responses has been deeply studied. Besides the species factor, the additive type also plays a pivotal role in the differentiation of the stress response. In the literature, several types of feed supplements in different species have been assayed, deriving in a series of physiological responses which have not focused exclusively on the stress system. Immunological, nutritional and metabolic changes have been reported in these experiments, always associated to endocrine processes. The biochemical nature and physiological functionality of those feed additives strongly affect the stress response and, in fact, these can act as neurotransmitters or hormone precursors, energy substrates, cofactors and other essential elements, implying multi-systematic and multi-organic responses. In this review, the different physiological responses among fish species fed stress-attenuating diets based on biomolecules and minerals have been assessed, focusing on the endocrine regulation and its physiological effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelino Herrera
- IFAPA Centro Agua del Pino, Huelva, Spain
- *Correspondence: Marcelino Herrera
| | - Juan Miguel Mancera
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Campus de Excelencia Internacional del Mar (CEI·MAR), Instituto Universitario de Investigación Marina (INMAR), Universidad de Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Benjamín Costas
- Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIIMAR), Matosinhos, Portugal
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS-UP), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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Tsalafouta A, Sarropoulou E, Papandroulakis N, Pavlidis M. Characterization and Expression Dynamics of Key Genes Involved in the Gilthead Sea Bream (Sparus aurata) Cortisol Stress Response during Early Ontogeny. MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2018; 20:611-622. [PMID: 29948235 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-018-9833-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The present study identified and characterized six key genes involved in the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata), a commercially important European aquaculture species. The key genes involved in the HPI axis for which gene structure and synteny analysis was carried out, comprised of two functional forms of glucocorticoid receptors (GR), as well as three forms of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) genes and one form of mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) gene. To explore their functional roles during development but also in the stress response, the expression profiles of gr1, gr2, mr, pomc_aI, pomc_aII, and pomc_β were examined during early ontogeny and after an acute stress challenge. The acute stress challenge was applied at the stage of full formation of all fins, where whole body cortisol was also measured. Both the cortisol and the molecular data implied that sea bream larvae at the stage of the full formation of all fins at 45 dph are capable of a response to stress of a similar profile as observed in adult fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Tsalafouta
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, P.O. Box 2208, 714 09, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
| | - E Sarropoulou
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Center for Marine Research, P.O. Box 2214, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - N Papandroulakis
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Center for Marine Research, P.O. Box 2214, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - M Pavlidis
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, P.O. Box 2208, 714 09, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
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Myrcia sylvatica essential oil mitigates molecular, biochemical and physiological alterations in Rhamdia quelen under different stress events associated to transport. Res Vet Sci 2018; 117:150-160. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2017.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Skrzynska AK, Maiorano E, Bastaroli M, Naderi F, Míguez JM, Martínez-Rodríguez G, Mancera JM, Martos-Sitcha JA. Impact of Air Exposure on Vasotocinergic and Isotocinergic Systems in Gilthead Sea Bream ( Sparus aurata): New Insights on Fish Stress Response. Front Physiol 2018; 9:96. [PMID: 29487539 PMCID: PMC5816901 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The hypothalamus-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) and hypothalamus-sympathetic-chromaffin cell (HSC) axes are involved in the regulation of the stress response in teleost. In this regard, the activation of a complex network of endocrine players is needed, including corticotrophin-releasing hormone (Crh), Crh binding protein (Crhbp), proopiomelanocortin (Pomc), thyrotropin-releasing hormone (Trh), arginine vasotocin (Avt), and isotocin (It) to finally produce pleiotropic functions. We aimed to investigate, using the gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) as a biological model, the transcriptomic response of different endocrine factors (crh, crhbp, pomcs, trh), neuropeptides (avt and it), and their specific receptors (avtrv1a, avtrv2, and itr) in four important target tissues (hypothalamus, pituitary, kidney and liver), after an acute stress situation. We also investigated several stress hormones (catecholamines and cortisol). The stress condition was induced by air exposure for 3 min, and hormonal, metabolic and transcriptomic parameters were analyzed in a time course response (15 and 30 min, and 1, 2, 4, and 8 h post-stress) in a total of 64 fish (n = 8 fish per experimental group; p = 0.05; statistical power = 95%). Our results showed that plasma noradrenaline, adrenaline and cortisol values increased few minutes after stress exposure. At hypothalamic and hypophyseal levels, acute stress affected mRNA expression of all measured precursors and hormonal factors, as well as their receptors (avtrs and itr), showing the activation, at central level, of HPI, HSC, and Avt/It axes in the acute stress response. In addition, stress response also affected mRNA levels of avtrs and itr in the head kidney, as well as the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (star) and tyrosine hydroxylase (th) expression, suggesting their participation in the HPI and HSC axes activation. Moreover, the pattern of changes in hepatic avtrs and itr gene expression also highlights an important role of vasotocinergic and isotocinergic pathways in liver metabolic organization after acute stress events. Our results demonstrate, both at transcriptional and circulating levels of several hormones, the existence of a complex activation of different endocrine pathways in S. aurata related to the stress pathways, where vasotocinergic and isotocinergic systems can also be considered key players of the acute stress response orchestration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arleta K Skrzynska
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Elisabetta Maiorano
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Marco Bastaroli
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Fatemeh Naderi
- Laboratorio de Fisiología animal, Departamento de Biología Funcional y CC. de la Salud, Facultad de Biología, Universidade de Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain
| | - Jesús M Míguez
- Laboratorio de Fisiología animal, Departamento de Biología Funcional y CC. de la Salud, Facultad de Biología, Universidade de Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Martínez-Rodríguez
- Department of Marine Biology and Aquacuture, Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Juan M Mancera
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Juan A Martos-Sitcha
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain.,Department of Marine Biology and Aquacuture, Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Cádiz, Spain.,Nutrigenomics and Fish Growth Endocrinology Group, Institute of Aquaculture Torre de la Sal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Castellón, Spain
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Mateus AP, Costa RA, Cardoso JCR, Andree KB, Estévez A, Gisbert E, Power DM. Thermal imprinting modifies adult stress and innate immune responsiveness in the teleost sea bream. J Endocrinol 2017; 233:381-394. [PMID: 28420709 DOI: 10.1530/joe-16-0610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The impact of thermal imprinting on the plasticity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis and stress response in an adult ectotherm, the gilthead sea bream (Sparusaurata, L.), during its development was assessed. Fish were reared under 4 thermal regimes, and the resulting adults exposed to acute confinement stress and plasma cortisol levels and genes of the HPI axis were monitored. Changes in immune function, a common result of stress, were also evaluated using histomorphometric measurements of melanomacrophages centers (MMCs) in the head kidney and by monitoring macrophage-related transcripts. Thermal history significantly modified the HPI responsiveness in adult sea bream when eggs and larvae were reared at a higher than optimal temperature (HT, 22°C), and they had a reduced amplitude in their cortisol response and significantly upregulated pituitary pomc and head kidney star transcripts. Additionally, after an acute stress challenge, immune function was modified and the head kidney of adult fish reared during development at high temperatures (HT and LHT, 18-22°C) had a decreased number of MMCs and a significant downregulation of dopachrome tautomerase. Thermal imprinting during development influenced adult sea bream physiology and increased plasma levels of glucose and sodium even in the absence of an acute stress in fish reared under a high-low thermal regime (HLT, 22-18°C). Overall, the results demonstrate that temperature during early development influences the adult HPI axis and immune function in a teleost fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Patrícia Mateus
- Comparative Molecular and Integrative BiologyCentro de Ciências do Mar, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Escola Superior de SaúdeUniversidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Rita A Costa
- Comparative Molecular and Integrative BiologyCentro de Ciências do Mar, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - João C R Cardoso
- Comparative Molecular and Integrative BiologyCentro de Ciências do Mar, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Karl B Andree
- IRTA-SCRUnitat de Cultius Aqüicoles, Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Spain
| | - Alicia Estévez
- IRTA-SCRUnitat de Cultius Aqüicoles, Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Spain
| | - Enric Gisbert
- IRTA-SCRUnitat de Cultius Aqüicoles, Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Spain
| | - Deborah M Power
- Comparative Molecular and Integrative BiologyCentro de Ciências do Mar, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
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15
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Mateus AP, Anjos L, Cardoso JR, Power DM. Chronic stress impairs the local immune response during cutaneous repair in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata, L.). Mol Immunol 2017; 87:267-283. [PMID: 28521279 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2017.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Revised: 04/02/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Scale removal in fish triggers a damage-repair program to re-establish the lost epidermis and scale and an associated local immune response. In mammals, chronic stress is known to delay wound healing and to modulate the cutaneous stress axis, but this is unstudied in teleost fish the most successful extant vertebrates. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that chronic stress impairs cutaneous repair in teleost fish as a consequence of suppression of the immune response. The hypothesis was tested by removing the scales and damaging the skin on one side of the body of fish previously exposed for 4 weeks to a chronic crowding stress and then evaluating cutaneous repair for 1 week. Scale removal caused the loss of the epidermis although at 3days it was re-established. At this stage the basement membrane was significantly thicker (p=0.038) and the hypodermis was significantly thinner (p=0.016) in the regenerating skin of stressed fish relative to the control fish. At 3days, stressed fish also had a significantly lower plasma osmolality (p=0.015) than control fish indicative of reduced barrier function. Chronic stress caused a significant down-regulation of the glucocorticoid receptor (gr) in skin before damage (time 0, p=0.005) and of star at 3 and 7days (p<0.05) after regeneration relative to control fish. In regenerating skin key transcripts of cutaneous repair, pcna, colivα1 and mmp9, and the inflammatory response, tgfβ1, csf-1r, mpo and crtac2, were down-regulated (p<0.05) by chronic stress. Irrespective of chronic stress and in contrast to intact skin many hyper pigmented masses, putative melanomacrophages, infiltrated the epidermis of regenerating skin. This study reveals that chronic stress suppresses the local immune response to scale removal and impairs the expression of key transcripts of wound healing. Elements of the stress axis were identified and modulated by chronic stress during cutaneous repair in gilthead seabream skin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Patrícia Mateus
- Comparative Molecular and Integrative Biology, Centro de Ciências do Mar, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; Escola Superior de Saúde, Universidade do Algarve, Av. Dr. Adelino da Palma Carlos, 8000-510 Faro, Portugal.
| | - Liliana Anjos
- Comparative Molecular and Integrative Biology, Centro de Ciências do Mar, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal.
| | - João R Cardoso
- Comparative Molecular and Integrative Biology, Centro de Ciências do Mar, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal.
| | - Deborah M Power
- Comparative Molecular and Integrative Biology, Centro de Ciências do Mar, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal.
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Rønnestad I, Gomes AS, Murashita K, Angotzi R, Jönsson E, Volkoff H. Appetite-Controlling Endocrine Systems in Teleosts. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2017; 8:73. [PMID: 28458653 PMCID: PMC5394176 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2017.00073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian studies have shaped our understanding of the endocrine control of appetite and body weight in vertebrates and provided the basic vertebrate model that involves central (brain) and peripheral signaling pathways as well as environmental cues. The hypothalamus has a crucial function in the control of food intake, but other parts of the brain are also involved. The description of a range of key neuropeptides and hormones as well as more details of their specific roles in appetite control continues to be in progress. Endocrine signals are based on hormones that can be divided into two groups: those that induce (orexigenic), and those that inhibit (anorexigenic) appetite and food consumption. Peripheral signals originate in the gastrointestinal tract, liver, adipose tissue, and other tissues and reach the hypothalamus through both endocrine and neuroendocrine actions. While many mammalian-like endocrine appetite-controlling networks and mechanisms have been described for some key model teleosts, mainly zebrafish and goldfish, very little knowledge exists on these systems in fishes as a group. Fishes represent over 30,000 species, and there is a large variability in their ecological niches and habitats as well as life history adaptations, transitions between life stages and feeding behaviors. In the context of food intake and appetite control, common adaptations to extended periods of starvation or periods of abundant food availability are of particular interest. This review summarizes the recent findings on endocrine appetite-controlling systems in fish, highlights their impact on growth and survival, and discusses the perspectives in this research field to shed light on the intriguing adaptations that exist in fish and their underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivar Rønnestad
- Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ana S. Gomes
- Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Koji Murashita
- Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Research Center for Aquaculture Systems, National Research Institute of Aquaculture, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Tamaki, Mie, Japan
| | - Rita Angotzi
- Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Elisabeth Jönsson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Hélène Volkoff
- Departments of Biology and Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John’s, NL, Canada
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Sarropoulou E, Tsalafouta A, Sundaram AYM, Gilfillan GD, Kotoulas G, Papandroulakis N, Pavlidis M. Transcriptomic changes in relation to early-life events in the gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata). BMC Genomics 2016; 17:506. [PMID: 27461489 PMCID: PMC4962366 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-2874-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Teleosts are exposed to a broad range of external stimuli, which may be either of acute or chronic nature. The larval phase of certain fish species offer a unique opportunity to study the interactions between genes and environmental factors during early life. The present study investigates the effects of early-life events, applied at different time points of early ontogeny (first feeding, flexion and development of all fins; Phase 1) as well as on the subsequent juvenile stage after the application of an additional acute stressor (Phase 2) in the gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata), a commercially important European aquaculture species. Animal performance, the cortisol response and gene expression patterns during early development as well as on the subsequent phases (juveniles) after the application of additional acute stressors were investigated. RESULTS Significant differences on fish performance were found only for juveniles exposed to early-life events at the phase of the formation of all fins. On the transcriptome level distinct expression patterns were obtained for larvae as well as for juveniles with the most divergent expression pattern found to be again at the phase of the development of all fins, which showed to have also an impact later on in the acute stress response of juveniles. CONCLUSIONS The present study showed that applying an early-life protocol, characterized by the unpredictable, variable and moderate intensity of the applied stimuli provides a relative realistic model to evaluate the impact of daily aquaculture practices on fish performance. In addition, the power of investigating global gene expression patterns is shown, providing significant insights regarding the response of early-life events during development and as juveniles after the application of extra acute stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Sarropoulou
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Gournes Pediados, Heraklion, Crete 71003 Greece
| | - A. Tsalafouta
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete 70013 Greece
| | - A. Y. M. Sundaram
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - G. D. Gilfillan
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - G. Kotoulas
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Gournes Pediados, Heraklion, Crete 71003 Greece
| | - N. Papandroulakis
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Gournes Pediados, Heraklion, Crete 71003 Greece
| | - M. Pavlidis
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete 70013 Greece
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18
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Toni C, Martos-Sitcha JA, Baldisserotto B, Heinzmann BM, de Lima Silva L, Martínez-Rodríguez G, Mancera JM. Sedative effect of 2-phenoxyethanol and essential oil of Lippia alba on stress response in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata). Res Vet Sci 2015; 103:20-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2015.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2015] [Revised: 09/04/2015] [Accepted: 09/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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19
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Boonanuntanasarn S, Jangprai A, Yoshizaki G. Characterization of proopiomelanocortin in the snakeskin gourami (Trichopodus pectoralis) and its expression in relation to food intake. Domest Anim Endocrinol 2015; 50:1-13. [PMID: 25240229 DOI: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2014.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [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: 04/09/2014] [Revised: 06/17/2014] [Accepted: 06/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) is the precursor of several hormones involved in physiological systems including feed intake. The snakeskin gourami (Trichopodus pectoralis) POMC complementary DNA (TpPOMC) was cloned and characterized. Phylogenetic analysis showed that TpPOMC was clustered in a major POMC lineage in fish. Analysis of the Ka to Ks ratios for the entire POMC sequence and for each hormonal segment suggested that different POMC-derived peptide segments were subject to different evolutionary pressures. High expression level of TpPOMC was observed in all brain regions, with the highest levels in the diencephalon and pituitary gland. In situ hybridization also revealed that TpPOMC-expressing cells were distributed in discrete brain regions. The transcription level of TpPOMC was also found at moderate levels in several peripheral tissues, including gills, liver, head kidney, trunk kidney, stomach, intestine, spleen, ovary and testis, and at a low level in muscle. The expression level of TpPOMC was evaluated in each brain region (telencephalon, mesencephalon, metencephalon, and diencephalon together with the pituitary gland) at 1 h before the first and the last meals of the day and compared with expression levels at a time interval between the first and the last meals of the day. Low expression levels of TpPOMC were found at 1 h before the last meal of the day (P < 0.05). These finding suggest that decreased POMC expression level may lead to reduced melanocyte-stimulating hormones, which may in part be responsible for stimulating food intake. The effect of short-term fasting (24 h) on TpPOMC expression level in each brain region was also investigated. In telencephalon and diencephalon together with the pituitary gland, TpPOMC messenger RNA reached a nadir at 12 h of fasting, whereas TpPOMC transcript showed a nadir at 6 h of fasting in metencephalon and mesencephalon. A peak of TpPOMC level was observed at 18 h of fasting in metencephalon and diencephalon together with the pituitary gland. These findings suggest that TpPOMC expression is affected by nutritional status.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Boonanuntanasarn
- School of Animal Production Technology, Institute of Agricultural Technology, Suranaree University of Technology, 111 University Avenue, Tambon Suranaree, Muang, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand.
| | - A Jangprai
- School of Animal Production Technology, Institute of Agricultural Technology, Suranaree University of Technology, 111 University Avenue, Tambon Suranaree, Muang, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand
| | - G Yoshizaki
- Department of Marine Biosciences, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Minato-Ku, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan
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20
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Harris RM, Dijkstra PD, Hofmann HA. Complex structural and regulatory evolution of the pro-opiomelanocortin gene family. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2014; 195:107-15. [PMID: 24188887 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2013.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2013] [Revised: 10/08/2013] [Accepted: 10/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The melanocortin system is a neuroendocrine machinery that has been associated with phenotypic diversification in a number of vertebrate lineages. Central to the highly pleiotropic melanocortin system is the pro-opiomelanocortin (pomc) gene family, a family of pre-prohormones that each give rise to melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH), adrenocorticotropic releasing hormone (ACTH), β-lipotropin hormone, and β-endorphin. Here we examine the structure, tissue expression profile, and pattern of cis transcriptional regulation of the three pomc paralogs (α1, α2, and β) in the model cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni and other cichlids, teleosts, and mammals. We found that the hormone-encoding regions of pomc α1, pomc α2 and pomc β are highly conserved, with a few notable exceptions. Surprisingly, the pomc β gene of cichlids and pomacentrids (damselfish) encodes a novel melanocortin peptide, ε-MSH, as a result of a tandem duplication of the segment encoding ACTH. All three genes are expressed in the brain and peripheral tissues, but pomc α1 and α2 show a more spatially restricted expression profile than pomc β. In addition, the promoters of each pomc gene have diverged in nucleotide sequence, which may have facilitated the diverse tissue-specific expression profiles of these paralogs across species. Increased understanding of the mechanisms regulating pomc gene expression will be invaluable to the study of pomc in the context of phenotypic evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rayna M Harris
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States; Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Peter D Dijkstra
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States; Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States.
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21
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Wunderink YS, de Vrieze E, Metz JR, Halm S, Martínez-Rodríguez G, Flik G, Klaren PHM, Mancera JM. Subfunctionalization of POMC paralogues in Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2012; 175:407-15. [PMID: 22142534 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2011.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2011] [Revised: 11/15/2011] [Accepted: 11/16/2011] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The precursor protein proopiomelanocortin (POMC) gives rise to a variety of biologically active peptides through cell-specific posttranslational processing. Two transcripts of pomc were found in the flatfish Solea senegalensis (ssePOMC-A and ssePOMC-B), that most likely represent subfunctionalized paralogues: ssePOMC-A lacks the N-terminal cleavage site for β-MSH, whereas ssePOMC-B cannot yield ACTH and completely lacks the opioid consensus sequence in the β-END region. An analysis of nucleotide substitution rates shows that the POMC-derived peptides possess well-conserved regions under purifying selection, except the β-END derived from POMC-B, which has undergone positive selection. The calculated K(s) values for ssePOMC-A versus ssePOMC-B and zebrafish POMCαversus zebrafish POMCβ are 0.40 and 0.72, respectively, indicating that the zebrafish POMC paralogues started to evolve almost twice as early in evolution, and that the Solea POMC paralogues arose independently from the whole genome duplication event that gave rise to the zebrafish paralogues. This makes ssePOMC-B the first identified POMCα orthologue that lacks the opioid consensus. Furthermore, pomc-a expression is down-regulated in chronic stressed S. senegalensis juveniles, whereas pomc-b expression levels remain unaffected, indicating different physiological roles for both POMC paralogues. The distribution of functional POMC-derived peptide hormones over two pomc genes in S. senegalensis suggests subfunctionalization of the paralogues, a relevant notion when studying POMC function in endocrine responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvette S Wunderink
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cádiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
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