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Su Y, Wu Y, Ye M, Zhao C, Li L, Cai J, Chakraborty T, Yang L, Wang D, Zhou L. Star1 gene mutation reveals the essentiality of 11-ketotestosterone and glucocorticoids for male fertility in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2024; 273:110985. [PMID: 38729293 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2024.110985] [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: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (Star) plays an essential role in the biosynthesis of corticosteroids and sex steroids by mediating the transport of cholesterol from the outer to the inner membrane of mitochondria. Two duplicated Star genes, namely star1 and star2, have been identified in non-mammalian vertebrates. To investigate the roles of star genes in fish steriodogenesis, we generated two mutation lines of star1-/- and star1-/-/star2-/- in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Previous studies revealed that deficiency of star2 gene caused delayed spermatogenesis, sperm apoptosis and sterility in male tilapia. Our present data revealed that mutation of star genes impaired male fertility. Disordered seminiferous lobules and spermatic duct obstruction were found in the testis of both types of mutants. Moreover, significant decline in semen volume, sperm abnormality and impaired fertility were also detected in star1-/- and star1-/-/star2-/- males. In star1-/- male fish, lipid accumulation, up-regulation of steroidogenic enzymes, and significant decline of androgens were found. Additionally, hyperplasic interrenal cells, elevated steroidogenic gene expression level and decline of serum glucocorticoids were detected in star1 mutants. Intriguingly, either 11-KT or cortisol supplementation successfully rescued the impaired fertility of the star1-/- mutants. Taken together, these results further indicate that Star1 might play critical roles in the production of both 11-KT and glucocorticoids, which are indispensable for the maintenance of male fertility in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Su
- Fisheries Engineering Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Beijing, PR China; Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, PR China
| | - You Wu
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, PR China
| | - Maolin Ye
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, PR China
| | - Chenhua Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, PR China
| | - Lu Li
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, PR China
| | - Jing Cai
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, PR China
| | | | - Lanying Yang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, PR China
| | - Deshou Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, PR China.
| | - Linyan Zhou
- Fisheries Engineering Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
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Li M, Sun L, Zhou L, Wang D. Tilapia, a good model for studying reproductive endocrinology. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2024; 345:114395. [PMID: 37879418 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114395] [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: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
The Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), with a system of XX/XY sex determination, is a worldwide farmed fish with a shorter sexual maturation time than that of most cultured fish. Tilapia show a spawning cycle of approximately 14 days and can be artificially propagated in the laboratory all year round to obtain genetically all female (XX) and all male (XY) fry. Its genome sequence has been opened, and a perfect gene editing platform has been established. With a moderate body size, it is convenient for taking enough blood to measure hormone level. In recent years, using tilapia as animal model, we have confirmed that estrogen is crucial for female development because 1) mutation of star2, cyp17a1 or cyp19a1a (encoding aromatase, the key enzyme for estrogen synthesis) results in sex reversal (SR) due to estrogen deficiency in XX tilapia, while mutation of star1, cyp11a1, cyp17a2, cyp19a1b or cyp11c1 affects fertility due to abnormal androgen, cortisol and DHP levels in XY tilapia; 2) when the estrogen receptors (esr2a/esr2b) are mutated, the sex is reversed from female to male, while when the androgen receptors are mutated, the sex cannot be reversed; 3) the differentiated ovary can be transdifferentiated into functional testis by inhibition of estrogen synthesis, and the differentiated testis can be transdifferentiated into ovary by simultaneous addition of exogenous estrogen and androgen synthase inhibitor; 4) loss of male pathway genes amhy, dmrt1, gsdf causes SR with upregulation of cyp19a1a in XY tilapia. Disruption of estrogen synthesis rescues the male to female SR of amhy and gsdf but not dmrt1 mutants; 5) mutation of female pathway genes foxl2 and sf-1 causes SR with downregulation of cyp19a1a in XX tilapia; 6) the germ cell SR of foxl3 mutants fails to be rescued by estrogen treatment, indicating that estrogen determines female germ cell fate through foxl3. This review also summarized the effects of deficiency of other steroid hormones, such as androgen, DHP and cortisol, on fish reproduction. Overall, these studies demonstrate that tilapia is an excellent animal model for studying reproductive endocrinology of fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghui Li
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lina Sun
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Linyan Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Deshou Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
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Zhai G, Shu T, Yu G, Tang H, Shi C, Jia J, Lou Q, Dai X, Jin X, He J, Xiao W, Liu X, Yin Z. Augmentation of progestin signaling rescues testis organization and spermatogenesis in zebrafish with the depletion of androgen signaling. eLife 2022; 11:66118. [PMID: 35225789 PMCID: PMC8912926 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Disruption of androgen signaling is known to cause testicular malformation and defective spermatogenesis in zebrafish. However, knockout of cyp17a1, a key enzyme responsible for the androgen synthesis, in ar-/- male zebrafish paradoxically causes testicular hypertrophy and enhanced spermatogenesis. Because Cyp17a1 plays key roles in hydroxylation of pregnenolone and progesterone (P4), and converts 17α-hydroxypregnenolone to dehydroepiandrosterone and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone to androstenedione, we hypothesize that the unexpected phenotype in cyp17a1-/-;androgen receptor (ar)-/- zebrafish may be mediated through an augmentation of progestin/nuclear progestin receptor (nPgr) signaling. In support of this hypothesis, we show that knockout of cyp17a1 leads to accumulation of 17α,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (DHP) and P4. Further, administration of progestin, a synthetic DHP mimetic, is sufficient to rescue testicular development and spermatogenesis in ar-/- zebrafish, whereas knockout of npgr abolishes the rescue effect of cyp17a1-/- in the cyp17a1-/-;ar-/- double mutant. Analyses of the transcriptomes among the mutants with defective testicular organization and spermatogenesis (ar-/-, ar-/-;npgr-/- and cyp17a-/-;ar-/-;npgr-/-), those with normal phenotype (control and cyp17a1-/-), and rescued phenotype (cyp17a1-/-;ar-/-) reveal a common link between a downregulated expression of insl3 and its related downstream genes in cyp17a-/-;ar-/-;npgr-/- zebrafish. Taken together, our data suggest that genetic or pharmacological augmentation of the progestin/nPgr pathway is sufficient to restore testis organization and spermatogenesis in zebrafish with the depletion of androgen signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Zhai
- State key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Tingting Shu
- State key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Guangqing Yu
- State key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Haipei Tang
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chuang Shi
- State key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of hydrobiology, Chinese academy of sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Jingyi Jia
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agriculture University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiyong Lou
- State key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiangyan Dai
- School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xia Jin
- Molecular and Cellular Biology of Aquatic Organisms, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiangyan He
- Molecular and Cellular Biology of Aquatic Organisms, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Wuhan Xiao
- Molecular and Cellular Biology of Aquatic Organisms, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaochun Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhan Yin
- Molecular and Cellular Biology of Aquatic Organisms, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
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Yang L, Wu Y, Su Y, Zhang X, Chakraborty T, Wang D, Zhou L. Cyp17a2 is involved in testicular development and fertility in male Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1074921. [PMID: 36523590 PMCID: PMC9744770 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1074921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Steroid hormones play an essential role in many reproductive processes of vertebrates. Previous studies revealed that teleost-specific Cyp17a2 (cytochrome P450 family 17 subfamily a 2) might be required for the production of cortisol in the head-kidney and 17α,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (DHP) in ovary during oocyte maturation. However, the role of Cyp17a2 in male reproduction remains to be largely unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the essentiality of cyp17a2 gene in male steroidogenesis, spermatogenesis, and male fertility. METHODS A homozygous mutation line of cyp17a2 gene was constructed in tilapia by CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology. The expression level of germ cell and meiosis-related genes and steroidogenic enzymes were detected by qRT-PCR, IHC, and Western blotting. EIA and LC-MS/MS assays were used to measure the steroid production levels. And sperm quality was examined by Sperm Quality Analyzer software. RESULTS In this study, cyp17a2 gene mutation resulted in the significant decline of serum DHP and cortisol levels. On the contrary, significant increases in intermediate products of cortisol and DHP were found in cyp17a2-/- male fish. The deficiency of cyp17a2 led to the arrest of meiotic initiation in male fish revealing as the reduction of the expression of germ cell-related genes (vasa, piwil, oct4) and meiosis-related genes (spo11 and sycp3) by 90 dah. Afterwards, spermatogenesis was gradually recovered with the development of testis in cyp17a2-/- males, but it showed a lower sperm motility and reduced fertility compared to cyp17a2+/+ XY fish. Deletion of cyp17a2 led to the abnormal upregulation of steroidogenic enzymes for cortisol production in the head-kidney. Moreover, unaltered serum androgens and estrogens, as well as unchanged related steroidogenic enzymes were found in the testis of cyp17a2-/- male fish. CONCLUSION This study proved that, for the fist time, Cyp17a2 is indispensable for cortisol and DHP production, and cyp17a2 deficiency associated curtailed meiotic initiation and subfertility suggesting the essentiality of DHP and cortisol in the male fertility of fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanying Yang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Fisheries Engineering Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Beijing, China; College of Fisheries, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - You Wu
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Fisheries Engineering Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Beijing, China; College of Fisheries, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yun Su
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Fisheries Engineering Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Beijing, China; College of Fisheries, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xuefeng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Fisheries Engineering Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Beijing, China; College of Fisheries, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | | | - Deshou Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Fisheries Engineering Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Beijing, China; College of Fisheries, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- *Correspondence: Linyan Zhou, ; Deshou Wang,
| | - Linyan Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Fisheries Engineering Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Beijing, China; College of Fisheries, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- *Correspondence: Linyan Zhou, ; Deshou Wang,
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Li L, Wu Y, Zhao C, Miao Y, Cai J, Song L, Wei J, Chakraborty T, Wu L, Wang D, Zhou L. The role of StAR2 gene in testicular differentiation and spermatogenesis in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2021; 214:105974. [PMID: 34425195 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2021.105974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Sex steroids play critical roles in sex differentiation and gonadal development in teleosts. Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), transporting cholesterol (the substrate for steroidogenesis) from the outer mitochondrial membrane to the inner membrane, is the first rate-limiting factor of steroidogenesis. Interestingly, two StAR genes (named as StAR1 and StAR2) have been isolated from non-mammalian vertebrates. To characterize the functions of the novel StAR2 gene in the gonadal differentiation and fertility, we generated a StAR2 homozygous mutant line in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). StAR2 gene knockout in male tilapia impeded meiotic initiation, associate with the down-regulation of meiosis related gene expressions of vasa, sycp3 and dazl at 90 days after hatching (dah). Meanwhile, cyp11b2 expression and serum 11-KT production significantly declined in StAR2-/- XY fish at 90 dah. From 120-300 dah, spermatogenesis gradually recovered, and so did the expressions of vasa, sycp3 and dazl in StAR2-/- XY fish testes. However, seminiferous lobules arranged disorderly in StAR2-/- XY fish testes at 300 dah. The number of Leydig cells and expressions of downstream steroidogenesis enzymes including cyp11a1, 3β-HSD-I, 3β-HSD-II, cyp17a1 and cyp17a2 decreased in StAR2-/- XY fish testes at 300 dah. Serum testosterone and 11-KT levels were significantly lower in StAR2-/- XY fish than that of their control counterparts. Furthermore, significantly elevated ar, fsh and lh expressions in StAR2-deficient XY fish testes and pituitaries were found when compared with the control XY fish. Testes degeneration and spermatogenic cell apoptosis were observed, while no sperm were squeezed out in StAR2-/- XY fish testes at 540 dah. Taken together, our results suggest that StAR2 has a role in testicular development, spermatogenesis and spermiation by regulating androgen production in tilapia, but may not be essential and could be compensated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Li
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, PR China; Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - You Wu
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, PR China
| | - Chenhua Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, PR China
| | - Yiyang Miao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, PR China
| | - Jing Cai
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, PR China
| | - Lingyun Song
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, PR China
| | - Jing Wei
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, PR China
| | | | - Limin Wu
- College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, Henan, 453007, China.
| | - Deshou Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, PR China.
| | - Linyan Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, PR China.
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Wang F, Qin Z, Li Z, Yang S, Gao T, Sun L, Wang D. Dnmt3aa but Not Dnmt3ab Is Required for Maintenance of Gametogenesis in Nile Tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus). Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221810170. [PMID: 34576333 PMCID: PMC8469005 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221810170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Dnmt3a, a de novo methyltransferase, is essential for mammalian germ line DNA methylation. Only one Dnmt3a is identified in mammals, and homozygous mutants of Dnmt3a are lethal, while two Dnmt3a paralogs, dnmt3aa and dnmt3ab, are identified in teleosts due to the third round of genome duplication, and homozygous mutants of dnmt3aa and dnmt3ab are viable in zebrafish. The expression patterns and roles of dnmt3aa and dnmt3ab in gonadal development remain poorly understood in teleosts. In this study, we elucidated the precise expression patterns of dnmt3aa and dnmt3ab in tilapia gonads. Dnmt3aa was highly expressed in oogonia, phase I and II oocytes and granulosa cells in ovaries and spermatogonia and spermatocytes in testes, while dnmt3ab was mainly expressed in ovarian granulosa cells and testicular spermatocytes. The mutation of dnmt3aa and dnmt3ab was achieved by CRISPR/Cas9 in tilapia. Lower gonadosomatic index (GSI), increased apoptosis of oocytes and spermatocytes and significantly reduced sperm quality were observed in dnmt3aa−/− mutants, while normal gonadal development was observed in dnmt3ab−/− mutants. Consistently, the expression of apoptotic genes was significantly increased in dnmt3aa−/− mutants. In addition, the 5-methylcytosine (5-mC) level in dnmt3aa−/− gonads was decreased significantly, compared with that of dnmt3ab−/− and wild type (WT) gonads. Taken together, our results suggest that dnmt3aa, not dnmt3ab, plays important roles in maintaining gametogenesis in teleosts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Lina Sun
- Correspondence: (L.S.); (D.W.); Tel.: +86-23-6825-3702 (D.W.)
| | - Deshou Wang
- Correspondence: (L.S.); (D.W.); Tel.: +86-23-6825-3702 (D.W.)
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Luo Y, Wang J, Bai X, Xiao H, Tao W, Zhou L, Wang D, Wei J. Differential expression patterns of the two paralogous Rec8 from Nile tilapia and their responsiveness to retinoic acid signaling. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2021; 253:110563. [PMID: 33482354 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2021.110563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
REC8 (meiotic recombination protein 8) is an essential component of meiotic cohesion complexes. Interestingly, two paralogous rec8 genes happen to exist in the stra8 (stimulated by retinoic acid gene 8)-absent fishes but not in stra8-existing fishes. Stra8 is usually considered as the prerequirement during RA (retinoic acid)-mediated meiosis initiation in mammals. However, how RA triggers meiosis in the stra8-absent fishes just like Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) remains elusive. Here we characterized the two paralogous rec8 genes in Nile tilapia (Onrec8a and Onrec8b), and investigated their expression patterns and responsiveness to RA signaling by treatment of ex vivo testicular culture and promoter luciferase reporter assay. OnRec8a and OnRec8b share 36% identity to each other and are true orthologs of REC8. Their expression was predominantly restricted to meiotic germline cells with differential spatiotemporal patterns. During spermatogenesis, OnRec8b predominantly exhibited nuclear expression in spermatocytes from 60 dah (days after hatching), while OnRec8a exhibited cytoplasmic expression from 90 dah. During oogenesis, OnRec8a was expressed from 30 dah, while OnRec8b from 90 dah. Further study shows that RA signaling could upregulate the expression of both Onrec8a and Onrec8b. Collectively, our data implies that OnRec8a and OnRec8b might have differential function during meiosis and be involved in RA-mediated meiosis program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yubing Luo
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, China; Lijia Middle School, Chongqing, 401122 Chongqing, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaoming Bai
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, China
| | - Hesheng Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, China
| | - Wenjing Tao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, China
| | - Linyan Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, China
| | - Deshou Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, China.
| | - Jing Wei
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, China.
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8
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Li M, Liu X, Dai S, Xiao H, Qi S, Li Y, Zheng Q, Jie M, Cheng CHK, Wang D. Regulation of spermatogenesis and reproductive capacity by Igf3 in tilapia. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:4921-4938. [PMID: 31955242 PMCID: PMC11104970 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03439-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
A novel insulin-like growth factor (igf3), which is exclusively expressed in the gonads, has been widely identified in fish species. Recent studies have indicated that Igf3 regulates spermatogonia proliferation and differentiation in zebrafish; however, detailed information on the role of this Igf needs further in vivo investigation. Here, using Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) as an animal model, we report that igf3 is required for spermatogenesis and reproduction. Knockout of igf3 by CRISPR/Cas9 severely inhibited spermatogonial proliferation and differentiation at 90 days after hatching, the time critical for meiosis initiation, and resulted in less spermatocytes in the mutants. Although spermatogenesis continued to occur later, more spermatocytes and less spermatids were observed in the igf3-/- testes when compared with wild type of testes at adults, indicating that Igf3 regulates spermatocyte to spermatid transition. Importantly, a significantly increased occurrence of apoptosis in spermatids was observed after loss of Igf3. Therefore, igf3-/- males were subfertile with drastically reduced semen volume and sperm count. Conversely, the overexpression of Igf3 in XY tilapia enhanced spermatogenesis leading to more spermatids and sperm count. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the absence of Igf3 resulted in dysregulation of many genes involved in cell cycle, meiosis and pluripotency regulators that are critical for spermatogenesis. In addition, in vitro gonadal culture with 17α-methyltetosterone (MT) and 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) administration and in vivo knockout of cyp11c1 demonstrated that igf3 expression is regulated by androgens, suggesting that Igf3 acts downstream of androgens in fish spermatogenesis. Notably, the igf3 knockout did not affect body growth, indicating that this Igf specifically functions in reproduction. Taken together, our data provide genetic evidence for fish igf3 in the regulation of reproductive capacity by controlling spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghui Li
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
| | - Xingyong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Shengfei Dai
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Hesheng Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Shuangshuang Qi
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Yibing Li
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Qiaoyuan Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Mimi Jie
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Christopher H K Cheng
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Deshou Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
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9
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Cai J, Li L, Song L, Xie L, Luo F, Sun S, Chakraborty T, Zhou L, Wang D. Effects of long term antiprogestine mifepristone (RU486) exposure on sexually dimorphic lncRNA expression and gonadal masculinization in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2019; 215:105289. [PMID: 31491707 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2019.105289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Mifepristone (RU486), a clinical abortion agent and potential endocrine disruptor, binds to progestin and glucocorticoid receptors and has multiple functional importance in reproductive physiology. A long-term exposure of RU486 resulted in masculinization of female fish, however, the epigenetic landscape remains elusive. Recent studies demonstrated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) might play potential roles in epigenetic modulation of sex differentiation, ovarian cancer and germline stem cell survival. To further understand the influence of RU486 exposure on epigenetic regulation, we performed a comparative investigation on sex-biased gonadal lncRNAs profiles using control XX/XY and RU486-induced sex reversed XX Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) by RNA-seq. In total, 962 sexually differentially expressed lncRNAs and their target genes were screened from the gonads of control and sex reversed fish. In comparison with the control XX group, sex reversal induced by RU486 treatment led to significant up-regulation of 757 lncRNAs and down-regulation of 221 lncRNAs. Hierarchical clustering analysis revealed that global lncRNA expression profiles in RU486-treated XX group clustered into the same branch with the control XY, whereas XX control group formed a separate branch. The KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that the cis-target genes between RU486-XX and control-XX were concentrated in NOD - like receptor signaling pathway, Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) and Biosynthesis of amino acids. Real-time PCR and in situ hybridization experiments demonstrate that lncRNAs showing intense fluctuation during RU486 treatment are also sexually dimorphic during early sex differentiation, which further proves the intimate relationship between lncRNAs and sex differentiation and sexual transdifferentiation. Taken together, our data strongly indicates that a long-term exposure of RU486 resulted in sex reversal of XX female fish and the altered expression of sexually dimorphic lncRNAs might partially account for the sex reversal via epigenetic modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Cai
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China; High School of Tongnan, Tongnan, Chongqing, 402660, China
| | - Lu Li
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Lingyun Song
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Lang Xie
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Feng Luo
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China; Experimental High School of Fuling, Chongqing, 400800, China
| | - Shaohua Sun
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Tapas Chakraborty
- South Ehime Fisheries Research Center, Ehime University, 798-4206, Japan.
| | - Linyan Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
| | - Deshou Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
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10
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Zhai G, Shu T, Xia Y, Lu Y, Shang G, Jin X, He J, Nie P, Yin Z. Characterization of Sexual Trait Development in cyp17a1-Deficient Zebrafish. Endocrinology 2018; 159:3549-3562. [PMID: 30202919 DOI: 10.1210/en.2018-00551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Cytochrome P450 (Cyp)17A1 has both 17α-hydroxylase and 17,20-lyase activities, which are involved in the steroidogenic pathway that produces androgens and estrogens. Previously, a phenotype of all-male cyp17a1-deficient zebrafish generated by transcription activatorlike effector nuclease has been reported. In the current study, the mechanisms relating to Cyp17a1 that are involved in the development of sexual traits, especially gonadal differentiation and testicular development, were characterized. We found that the cyp17a1-deficient fish at 3 months postfertilization (mpf) were all fertile males with normal testis and spermatogenesis but compromised male-typical mating behaviors and secondary sex characters (SSCs), including breeding tubercles, body pigmentation, and anal fin coloration. These results demonstrate that spermatogenesis and testicular development are not as susceptible to androgen deficiency compared with the formation of male-typical SSCs and mating behaviors in zebrafish. The differentiation of the juvenile ovary into the mature ovary failed during the critical sexual differentiation stage. This all-male phenotype of the cyp17a1-deficient fish could be restored with testosterone or estradiol treatment. For testicular development in cyp17a1-deficient fish, a gradually increasing number of spermatozoa and testis hypertrophy from 3 to 6 mpf were observed, accompanied by constitutively upregulated pituitary gonadotropin FSH subunit β (fshβ). The hypertrophic testis and enhanced spermatogenesis in the cyp17a1-deficient fish at 6 mpf could be effectively rescued by fshβ depletion. These results confirm that adequate estrogen is essential for maintaining ovarian differentiation, and they provide new insight into the role of FSHβ in male testicular development and spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Tingting Shu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuguo Xia
- Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yao Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guohui Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xia Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiangyan He
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Pin Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhan Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
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11
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Fang X, Wu L, Yang L, Song L, Cai J, Luo F, Wei J, Zhou L, Wang D. Nuclear progestin receptor (Pgr) knockouts resulted in subfertility in male tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2018; 182:62-71. [PMID: 29705270 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2018.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Revised: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
It was documented that 17α, 20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (DHP), a fish specific progestin, might play critical roles in spermatogenesis, sperm maturation and spermiation partially through activating nuclear receptor (Pgr). However, no direct evidence is available to demonstrate the functions of DHP in fish spermatogenesis. To further elucidate the roles of DHP in teleosts, we generated a pgr homozygous mutant line in XY Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Pgr gene mutation resulted in the development of a smaller, thinner testis and a lower GSI compared with normal testis. Pgr gene knockout led to irregular arrangement of spermatogenic cysts, decline of sperm count and sperm motility. Significant decrease of spermatocytes and spermatozoa was observed, which was further proved by the PCNA and Ph3 staining. Real-time PCR analysis demonstrated that mutation of pgr gene resulted in a significant up-regulation of steroidogenesis-related genes of cyp17a, cyp11b2, StAR, scc, 20β-HSD, and sf1, and down-regulation of fshb, fshr, oct4, sycp3, cdk1, prm, cyclinB1, cyclinB2 and cdc25 genes. Furthermore, both Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting experiments revealed a remarkable increase of Cyp17a1, Cyp17a2 and Cyp11b2 expressions in the pgr-/- testis. EIA measurement showed that an evident increase of 11-KT level was found in the pgr-/- XY fish. There was a significant increase in the mortality of offspring when crossing pgr-/- XY fish with wild type XX fish. Increased TUNEL staining and enhanced apoptosis maker gene (bax) expressions were also observed. Taken together, our data suggested that DHP-activated physiology via pgr is crucial for the fertility in the XY tilapia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuelian Fang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, PR China
| | - Limin Wu
- College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, HeNan, 453007, PR China
| | - Lanying Yang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, PR China
| | - Lingyun Song
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, PR China
| | - Jing Cai
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, PR China
| | - Feng Luo
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, PR China
| | - Jing Wei
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, PR China
| | - Linyan Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, PR China.
| | - Deshou Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, PR China.
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12
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Sun S, Cai J, Tao W, Wu L, Tapas C, Zhou L, Wang D. Comparative transcriptome profiling and characterization of gene expression for ovarian differentiation under RU486 treatment. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 261:166-173. [PMID: 29510151 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.03.005] [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: 10/26/2017] [Revised: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
17α, 20β-dihydroxypregn-4-en-3-one (17α, 20β-DP, DHP), a teleost specific biologically active progestin, has been proved to play a critical role in oocytes maturation, ovulation and spermiation. RU486 (Mifepristone, an antagonist of progestin receptor) has been applied in contraceptives, abortion and hormone therapy in clinical medicine. To get further insights into the molecular mechanisms of nuclear progestin receptor (Pgr) activated ovarian differentiation and maintenance, we conducted comparative gonadal transcriptome analysis, and investigated histological and transcriptional differences using 4 months after hatching (mah) RU486-treated XX and control XX/XY Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). DESeq analysis identified 7148 DEGs (differentially expressed genes) between RU486-treated and control XX gonads, while merely 442 DEGs were screened between the gonads of RU486-treated XX and control XY fish highlighting that RU486 treatment set forwards masculinity in XX fish. Comprehensive analysis of gene hierarchical clustering revealed that RU486 treatment in XX fish resulted in robust changes of gene expression profiles. In comparison with XX group, female-dominant genes were significantly repressed in RU486 treated XX fish gonads. Moreover, most parts of down-regulated genes in wild type female were evidently up-regulated genes in RU486-treated XX fish gonads. Comparing with control XY group, the majority of male-dominant genes represent a high level of expression. However, RU486-treatment led to an up-regulation of a cluster genes specifically which showed relative lower expression in both control XX and XY group. RU486-treatment mediated global changes of gene expression profiles in steroidogenesis, germ cell differentiation and follicular cell trans-differentiation were verified by quantitative PCR. Both morphological and immunohistochemistry results further proved that RU486 treatment initiates testicular-like gonads development in XX fish via simultaneously enhancing the male responsive genes and suppressing the female-dominant genes. Moreover, RU486 treatment caused significant decline of fshr, lhr and increase of ars. Taken together, our data confirms blocking of DHP physiology by RU486 treatment induces masculinization in XX gonad preferably via repressing of gonadotropin physiology, germ cell differentiation and promoting follicular trans-differentiation in teleosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaohua Sun
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jing Cai
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Wenjing Tao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Limin Wu
- College of Fisheries, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Chakraborty Tapas
- South Ehime Fisheries Research Center, Ehime University, 798-4206, Japan
| | - Linyan Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Deshou Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
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13
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Feng C, Xu S, Liu Y, Wang Y, Wang W, Yang J, Zhao C, Liu Q, Li J. Progestin is important for testicular development of male turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) during the annual reproductive cycle through functionally distinct progestin receptors. FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2018; 44:35-48. [PMID: 28986724 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-017-0411-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In teleost, sex steroid hormones are critical for reproduction. Progestin is known to promote spermiation. To further understand the functions of progestin via its receptors during the annual reproductive cycle in male turbot (Scophthalmus maximus), we observed testicular development, quantified several sex steroid hormones, detected the expression of progestin receptors, and measured various sperm parameters. Results showed that the turbot testicular structure was of the lobular type. During breeding season, a number of spermatocytes (stage III) developed into spermatids (stage IV), then differentiated into sperm during spermiogenesis (stage V), and finally regressed to spermatocytes (stage VI). Concomitant with testicular development, serum progesterone (P4) and 17α,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (DHP) exhibited higher levels from stage IV to V than other stages. Furthermore, males with higher motility sperm showed higher levels of P4 and DHP compared with fish with lower motility sperm. These results indicated that P4 and DHP might induce spermatogenesis due to seasonal changes. Concurrently, in testes, the nuclear progesterone receptor (pgr) was expressed throughout the reproductive cycle and its level peaked during spermiogenesis while expression of membrane progestin receptor alpha (mPRα) did not change significantly. However, in sperm, mPRα expression was higher than in testes and had a significant positive correlation with curvilinear velocities (VCL), sperm motility, and motility duration. In conclusion, progestin appears to exert a direct pgr-mediated effect on spermiogenesis and improve sperm motility characteristics depending on the abundance of mPRα protein in sperm during spermiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengcheng Feng
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao, 266071, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266061, China
| | - Shihong Xu
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao, 266071, People's Republic of China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266061, China
| | - Yifan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao, 266071, People's Republic of China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266061, China
| | - Yanfeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao, 266071, People's Republic of China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266061, China
| | - Wenqi Wang
- Marine Science and Engineering College, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China
| | - Jingkun Yang
- Marine Science and Engineering College, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China
| | - Chunyan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao, 266071, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266061, China
| | - Qinghua Liu
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao, 266071, People's Republic of China.
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266061, China.
| | - Jun Li
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao, 266071, People's Republic of China.
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266061, China.
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14
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Skaftnesmo KO, Edvardsen RB, Furmanek T, Crespo D, Andersson E, Kleppe L, Taranger GL, Bogerd J, Schulz RW, Wargelius A. Integrative testis transcriptome analysis reveals differentially expressed miRNAs and their mRNA targets during early puberty in Atlantic salmon. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:801. [PMID: 29047327 PMCID: PMC5648517 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-4205-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Our understanding of the molecular mechanisms implementing pubertal maturation of the testis in vertebrates is incomplete. This topic is relevant in Atlantic salmon aquaculture, since precocious male puberty negatively impacts animal welfare and growth. We hypothesize that certain miRNAs modulate mRNAs relevant for the initiation of puberty. To explore which miRNAs regulate mRNAs during initiation of puberty in salmon, we performed an integrated transcriptome analysis (miRNA and mRNA-seq) of salmon testis at three stages of development: an immature, long-term quiescent stage, a prepubertal stage just before, and a pubertal stage just after the onset of single cell proliferation activity in the testis. RESULTS Differentially expressed miRNAs clustered into 5 distinct expression profiles related to the immature, prepubertal and pubertal salmon testis. Potential mRNA targets of these miRNAs were predicted with miRmap and filtered for mRNAs displaying negatively correlated expression patterns. In summary, this analysis revealed miRNAs previously known to be regulated in immature vertebrate testis (miR-101, miR-137, miR-92b, miR-18a, miR-20a), but also miRNAs first reported here as regulated in the testis (miR-new289, miR-30c, miR-724, miR-26b, miR-new271, miR-217, miR-216a, miR-135a, miR-new194 and the novel predicted n268). By KEGG enrichment analysis, progesterone signaling and cell cycle pathway genes were found regulated by these differentially expressed miRNAs. During the transition into puberty we found differential expression of miRNAs previously associated (let7a/b/c), or newly associated (miR-15c, miR-2184, miR-145 and the novel predicted n7a and b) with this stage. KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that mRNAs of the Wnt, Hedgehog and Apelin signaling pathways were potential regulated targets during the transition into puberty. Likewise, several regulated miRNAs in the pubertal stage had earlier been associated (miR-20a, miR-25, miR-181a, miR-202, let7c/d/a, miR-125b, miR-222a/b, miR-190a) or have now been found connected (miR-2188, miR-144, miR-731, miR-8157 and the novel n2) to the initiation of puberty. CONCLUSIONS This study has - for the first time - linked testis maturation to specific miRNAs and their inversely correlated expressed targets in Atlantic salmon. The study indicates a broad functional conservation of already known miRNAs and associated pathways involved in the transition into puberty in vertebrates. The analysis also reveals miRNAs not previously associated with testis tissue or its maturation, which calls for further functional studies in the testis.
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Affiliation(s)
- K O Skaftnesmo
- Institute of Marine Research, Postboks 1870 Nordnes, 5817, Bergen, Norway.
| | - R B Edvardsen
- Institute of Marine Research, Postboks 1870 Nordnes, 5817, Bergen, Norway
| | - T Furmanek
- Institute of Marine Research, Postboks 1870 Nordnes, 5817, Bergen, Norway
| | - D Crespo
- Reproductive Biology group, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - E Andersson
- Institute of Marine Research, Postboks 1870 Nordnes, 5817, Bergen, Norway
| | - L Kleppe
- Institute of Marine Research, Postboks 1870 Nordnes, 5817, Bergen, Norway
| | - G L Taranger
- Institute of Marine Research, Postboks 1870 Nordnes, 5817, Bergen, Norway
| | - J Bogerd
- Reproductive Biology group, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - R W Schulz
- Institute of Marine Research, Postboks 1870 Nordnes, 5817, Bergen, Norway.,Reproductive Biology group, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - A Wargelius
- Institute of Marine Research, Postboks 1870 Nordnes, 5817, Bergen, Norway
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15
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Chauvigné F, Parhi J, Ollé J, Cerdà J. Dual estrogenic regulation of the nuclear progestin receptor and spermatogonial renewal during gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) spermatogenesis. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2017; 206:36-46. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2017.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Revised: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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16
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Tao W, Sun L, Chen J, Shi H, Wang D. Genomic identification, rapid evolution, and expression of Argonaute genes in the tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. Dev Genes Evol 2016; 226:339-48. [PMID: 27491892 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-016-0554-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Argonaute proteins are key components of the small RNA-induced silencing complex and have multiple roles in RNA-directed regulatory pathways. Argonaute genes can be divided into two subfamilies: the Ago (interacting with microRNA/small interfering RNA) and Piwi subfamilies (interacting with piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs)). In the present study, genome-wide analyses firstly yielded the identification of different members of Agos and Piwis in the tilapia, coelacanth, spotted gar, and elephant shark. The additional teleost Ago3b was generated following the fish-specific genome duplication event. Selective pressure analysis on Agos and Piwis between cichlids and other teleosts showed an accelerated evolution of Piwil1 in the cichlid lineages, and the positive selected sites were located in the region of PIWI domain, suggesting that these amino acid substitutions are adapt to targeted cleavage of messenger RNA (mRNA) in cichlids. Ago1 and Ago4 were detected at higher levels at 5 days after hatching (dah) in both ovaries and testes compared with other stages, supporting the previously reported requirement of Ago-mediated pathways to clear the maternal mRNAs during the early embryogenesis. The Piwis were abundantly expressed in tilapia testes, indicating their essential roles in male germline, especially in spermatogenesis. Notable expression of Piwis was also detected in skeletal muscle, indicating that piRNA pathway may not only be confined to development and maintenance of the germline but may also play important roles in somatic tissues. The expression of Piwil1 and Piwil2 was examined by quantitative PCR (qPCR) and in situ hybridization (ISH) to validate the spatial and temporal expression profiles. Taken together, these results present a thorough overview of tilapia Argonaute family and provide a new perspective on the evolution and function of this family in teleosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjing Tao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, 400715, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Lina Sun
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, 400715, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinlin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, 400715, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongjuan Shi
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, 400715, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Deshou Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, 400715, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
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Solé M, Mañanós E, Blázquez M. Vitellogenin, sex steroid levels and gonadal biomarkers in wild Solea solea and Solea senegalensis from NW Mediterranean fishing grounds. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2016; 117:63-74. [PMID: 27088613 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2016.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Revised: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Specimens of Solea solea and Solea senegalenesis at different developmental stages were obtained from seven fishing grounds along the NW Mediterranean. Gonad development in males was classified into five stages, from early spermatogenesis to recovery, while four stages were considered in females, from growth to maturation. Vitellogenin (VTG) and sex steroid levels including an estrogen (estradiol, E2), two androgens (testosterone, T and 11-ketotestosterone, 11KT) and a progestin (17,20β-dihydroxy pregn-4-en-3-one, 17,20β-P or maturation inducing steroid, MIS) were analysed in plasma. Their levels were more clearly related to the developmental stage of the gonads than to the sampling site characteristics. In addition, enzyme activities in gonads, such as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and carboxylesterase (CbE) were gender-dependent and higher in males than in females. Gonadal glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity was enhanced in the most anthropogenic impacted sites. VTG was absent in males and very low or undetectable in immature females, while mature females exhibited high VTG levels, clearly related to the gonado-somatic index. Sex steroid levels (ng/ml) varied in males and females regardless of the species. E2 levels in females ranged from 0.22 to 6.98 while in males ranged from 0.11 to 0.27. T varied from 0.12 to 0.93 in females and from 0.56 to 1.36 in males, while 11KT in females fluctuated from 0.03 to 0.57 and from 0.26 to 6.42 in males. Similarly, MIS in females ranged from 0.75 to 3.71 and from 1.12 to 5.61 in males. The lack of endocrine disturbances was confirmed by histological examination of the gonads. This study informs on basal sex hormone levels and enzyme activities during gonadal maturation of wild Solea spp. that can be useful in the identification and further remediation of possible pollution events.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Solé
- Institut de Ciencies del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - E Mañanós
- Instituto de Acuicultura Torre la Sal (IATS-CSIC), Ribera de Cabanes s/n, 12595, Torre de la Sal, Castellón, Spain
| | - M Blázquez
- Institut de Ciencies del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
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Li M, Feng R, Ma H, Dong R, Liu Z, Jiang W, Tao W, Wang D. Retinoic acid triggers meiosis initiation via stra8-dependent pathway in Southern catfish, Silurus meridionalis. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2016; 232:191-8. [PMID: 26764212 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2016.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2015] [Revised: 12/31/2015] [Accepted: 01/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Existing studies demonstrated that retinoic acid (RA) regulates meiotic initiation via stra8-independent pathway in teleosts which lack stra8 in their genomes. However, stra8 was recently identified from several fish species including Southern catfish (Silurus meridionalis). To explore the existence of stra8-dependent pathway in RA mediated meiotic initiation in fishes, in the present study, the genes encoding RA synthase aldh1a2 and catabolic enzyme cyp26a1 and cyp26b1 were cloned from the Southern catfish. By immunohistochemistry, Aldh1a2 signal was observed in gonads of both sexes during the meiotic initiation period. By real-time PCR, differentially expressed gene was observed for cyp26a1, but not for cyp26b1, in gonads during the meiotic initiation. Administration of exogenous RA or inhibition of endogenous RA degradation by either KET (RA catabolic enzyme inhibitor) or cyp26a1 knockdown using CRISPR/Cas9 induced advanced meiotic initiation in the ovaries as demonstrated by increased Stra8/stra8 expression and appearance of oocytes. In contrast, treatment with RA synthase inhibitor DEAB resulted in delayed meiotic initiation and Stra8/stra8 expression in the ovaries, which was rescued by exogenous RA administration. These results indicated that (1) RA triggers the onset of meiosis via stra8-dependent pathway in stra8 existing teleosts, as it does in tetrapods; (2) exogenous RA can rescue the endogenous RA deficiency; (3) Cyp26a1, instead of Cyp26b1, is the key catabolic enzyme involved in meiosis initiation in teleosts. Taken together, RA might trigger meiotic initiation via stra8-dependent and -independent pathway in different teleosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghui Li
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), School of Life Science, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, PR China; Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, PR China
| | - Ruijuan Feng
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, PR China
| | - He Ma
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, PR China
| | - Ranran Dong
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, PR China
| | - Zhilong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, PR China
| | - Wentao Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, PR China
| | - Wenjing Tao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, PR China
| | - Deshou Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, PR China.
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Zhou L, Luo F, Fang X, Charkraborty T, Wu L, Wei J, Wang D. Blockage of progestin physiology disrupts ovarian differentiation in XX Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ). Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2016; 473:29-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.03.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Wang W, Liu W, Liu Q, Li B, An L, Hao R, Zhao J, Liu S, Song J. Coordinated microRNA and messenger RNA expression profiles for understanding sexual dimorphism of gonads and the potential roles of microRNA in the steroidogenesis pathway in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Theriogenology 2015; 85:970-978. [PMID: 26719037 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2015.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2014] [Revised: 11/05/2015] [Accepted: 11/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism is a widespread phenomenon in animals. However, the potential role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating this dimorphism is not fully understood. In our study, we used an integrated approach to identify functional targets of miRNA by combining the paired expression profiles of miRNAs and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in ovaries and testes of young Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. The results revealed that 67 upregulated and nine downregulated miRNAs and 2299 upregulated and 3260 downregulated genes were identified in the ovary compared with those in the testis (P < 0.01). The target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs were predicted and overlapped with the differentially expressed mRNAs. Furthermore, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses were conducted in these coincident genes. By correlating miRNA-mRNA and predicting computational target, two types of negatively regulatory miRNA-mRNA correlations (upregulated or downregulated miRNA and downregulated or upregulated mRNA) were obtained. Seven functional miRNA-target gene pairs, miR-17-5p/DMRT1, miR-20a/DMRT1, miR-138/CYP17A2, miR-338/CYP17A2, miR-200a/CYP17A2, miR-456/AMH, and miR-138/AMH, were predicted at the sequence level and further detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction on the basis of the significantly negative relationships. Our results suggest that the integrated analysis of miRNA and mRNA expression profiling can provide novel insights into the molecular mechanism of sexual dimorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Wang
- Department of Aquiculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China; Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China
| | - Wenzhong Liu
- Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China.
| | - Qing Liu
- Department of Aquiculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China; Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Germplasm Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Baojun Li
- Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China
| | - Lixia An
- Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China
| | - Ruirong Hao
- Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China
| | - Jinliang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Germplasm Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Shaozhen Liu
- Department of Aquiculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China
| | - Jing Song
- Department of Aquiculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China
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Feng R, Fang L, Cheng Y, He X, Jiang W, Dong R, Shi H, Jiang D, Sun L, Wang D. Retinoic acid homeostasis through aldh1a2 and cyp26a1 mediates meiotic entry in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Sci Rep 2015; 5:10131. [PMID: 25976364 PMCID: PMC4432375 DOI: 10.1038/srep10131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2015] [Accepted: 03/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Meiosis is a process unique to the differentiation of germ cells. Retinoic acid (RA) is the key factor controlling the sex-specific timing of meiotic initiation in tetrapods; however, the role of RA in meiotic initiation in teleosts has remained unclear. In this study, the genes encoding RA synthase aldh1a2, and catabolic enzyme cyp26a1 were isolated from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), a species without stra8. The expression of aldh1a2 was up-regulated and expression of cyp26a1 was down-regulated before the meiotic initiation in ovaries and in testes. Treatment with RA synthase inhibitor or disruption of Aldh1a2 by CRISPR/Cas9 resulted in delayed meiotic initiation, with simultaneous down-regulation of cyp26a1 and up-regulation of sycp3. By contrast, treatment with an inhibitor of RA catabolic enzyme and disruption of cyp26a1 resulted in earlier meiotic initiation, with increased expression of aldh1a2 and sycp3. Additionally, treatment of XY fish with estrogen (E2) and XX fish with fadrozole led to sex reversal and reversion of meiotic initiation. These results indicate that RA is indispensable for meiotic initiation in teleosts via a stra8 independent signaling pathway where both aldh1a2 and cyp26a1 are critical. In contrast to mammals, E2 is a major regulator of sex determination and meiotic initiation in teleosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruijuan Feng
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, 400715, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Lingling Fang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, 400715, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Yunying Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, 400715, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Xue He
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, 400715, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Wentao Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, 400715, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Ranran Dong
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, 400715, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Hongjuan Shi
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, 400715, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Dongneng Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, 400715, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Lina Sun
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, 400715, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Deshou Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, 400715, Chongqing, P.R. China
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Qiu Y, Sun S, Charkraborty T, Wu L, Sun L, Wei J, Nagahama Y, Wang D, Zhou L. Figla Favors Ovarian Differentiation by Antagonizing Spermatogenesis in a Teleosts, Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). PLoS One 2015; 10:e0123900. [PMID: 25894586 PMCID: PMC4404364 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Figla (factor in the germ line, alpha), a female germ cell-specific transcription factor, had been shown to activate genetic hierarchies in oocytes. The ectopic expression of Figla was known to repress spermatogenesis-associated genes in male mice. However, the potential role of Figla in other vertebrates remains elusive. The present work was aimed to identify and characterize the functional relevance of Figla in the ovarian development of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Tissue distribution and ontogeny analysis revealed that tilapia Figla gene was dominantly expressed in the ovary from 30 days after hatching. Immunohistochemistry analysis also demonstrated that Figla was expressed in the cytoplasm of early primary oocytes. Intriguingly, over-expression of Figla in XY fish resulted in the disruption of spermatogenesis along with the depletion of meiotic spermatocytes and spermatids in testis. Dramatic decline of sycp3 (synaptonemal complex protein 3) and prm (protamine) expression indicates that meiotic spermatocytes and mature sperm production are impaired. Even though Sertoli cell (dmrt1) and Leydig cell (star and cyp17a1) marker genes remained unaffected, hsd3b1 expression and 11-KT production were enhanced in Figla-transgene testis. Taken together, our data suggest that fish Figla might play an essential role in the ovarian development by antagonizing spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongxiu Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), School of Life Science, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China
| | - Shaohua Sun
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), School of Life Science, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China
| | - Tapas Charkraborty
- South Ehime Fisheries Research Center, Ehime University, Funakoshi, Ainan, Ehime, Japan
| | - Limin Wu
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), School of Life Science, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China
| | - Lina Sun
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), School of Life Science, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China
| | - Jing Wei
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), School of Life Science, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China
| | - Yoshitaka Nagahama
- South Ehime Fisheries Research Center, Ehime University, Funakoshi, Ainan, Ehime, Japan
| | - Deshou Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), School of Life Science, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China
- * E-mail: (DSW); (LYZ)
| | - Linyan Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), School of Life Science, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China
- * E-mail: (DSW); (LYZ)
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