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Monthony AS, de Ronne M, Torkamaneh D. Exploring ethylene-related genes in Cannabis sativa: implications for sexual plasticity. PLANT REPRODUCTION 2024; 37:321-339. [PMID: 38218931 DOI: 10.1007/s00497-023-00492-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE Presented here are model Yang cycle, ethylene biosynthesis and signaling pathways in Cannabis sativa. C. sativa floral transcriptomes were used to predict putative ethylene-related genes involved in sexual plasticity in the species. Sexual plasticity is a phenomenon, wherein organisms possess the ability to alter their phenotypic sex in response to environmental and physiological stimuli, without modifying their sex chromosomes. Cannabis sativa L., a medically valuable plant species, exhibits sexual plasticity when subjected to specific chemicals that influence ethylene biosynthesis and signaling. Nevertheless, the precise contribution of ethylene-related genes (ERGs) to sexual plasticity in cannabis remains unexplored. The current study employed Arabidopsis thaliana L. as a model organism to conduct gene orthology analysis and reconstruct the Yang Cycle, ethylene biosynthesis, and ethylene signaling pathways in C. sativa. Additionally, two transcriptomic datasets comprising male, female, and chemically induced male flowers were examined to identify expression patterns in ERGs associated with sexual determination and sexual plasticity. These ERGs involved in sexual plasticity were categorized into two distinct expression patterns: floral organ concordant (FOC) and unique (uERG). Furthermore, a third expression pattern, termed karyotype concordant (KC) expression, was proposed, which plays a role in sex determination. The study revealed that CsERGs associated with sexual plasticity are dispersed throughout the genome and are not limited to the sex chromosomes, indicating a widespread regulation of sexual plasticity in C. sativa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian S Monthony
- Département de Phytologie, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
- Centre de Recherche et d'innovation sur les végétaux (CRIV), Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
- Institut intelligence et données (IID), Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Maxime de Ronne
- Département de Phytologie, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
- Centre de Recherche et d'innovation sur les végétaux (CRIV), Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
- Institut intelligence et données (IID), Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Davoud Torkamaneh
- Département de Phytologie, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada.
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada.
- Centre de Recherche et d'innovation sur les végétaux (CRIV), Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada.
- Institut intelligence et données (IID), Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada.
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2
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Shima JS, Alonzo SH, Osenberg CW, Noonburg EG, Swearer SE. Lunar rhythms and their carry-over effects may shape environmental sex determination in a coral reef fish. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240613. [PMID: 39106960 PMCID: PMC11303037 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Lunar rhythms shape spawning phenology and subsequent risks and rewards for early life-history stages in the sea. Here, we consider a perplexing spawning phenology of the sixbar wrasse (Thalassoma hardwicke), in which parents spawn disproportionately around the new moon, despite the low survival of these larvae. Because primary sex determination in this system is highly plastic and sensitive to social environments experienced early in development, we ask whether this puzzling pattern of spawning is explained by fitness trade-offs associated with primary sexual maturation. We used otoliths from 871 fish to explore how spawning on different phases of the moon shapes the environments and phenotypes of settling larvae. Offspring that were born at the new moon were more likely to settle (i) before other larvae, (ii) at a larger body size, (iii) at an older age, (iv) to the best quality sites, and (v) as part of a social group-all increasing the likelihood of primary maturation to male. Selection of birthdates across life stage transitions suggests that the perplexing spawning phenology of adults may reflect an evolutionarily stable strategy that includes new moon spawning for compensatory benefits later in life, including preferential production of primary males at certain times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey S. Shima
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Suzanne H. Alonzo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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3
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Ziegelbecker A, Sefc KM. Family resemblance in color-patch size is not affected by stress experience in a cichlid fish. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70009. [PMID: 39035042 PMCID: PMC11260441 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Animal body coloration is often linked to social dominance and mating success. This is because it can carry information on an animal's body condition and competitive ability by reflecting the genetic quality of individuals or by responding to their current or past living conditions. The present study investigates genetic and environmental effects on a conspicuous color pattern of the cichlid fish Tropheus sp. black "Ikola," in which the size of a carotenoid-based yellow area on the body co-varies with social dominance. To examine environmental plasticity of the color pattern, we tested for effects of early-life stress, induced by reduced feeding of juveniles prior to color pattern formation, as well as effects of a stress treatment administered to fully colored adult fish. None of the stress treatments affected the color pattern as quantified by the width of the yellow bar. However, offspring bar width was correlated to parental values in mid-parent-mid-offspring regression analyses, and animal models estimated significant additive genetic effects on bar width, indicating heritability of the trait. Depending on the random effects structure of the animal models (i.e., whether including or excluding maternal and brood effects), narrow-sense heritability estimates for bar width ranged between 0.2 and 0.8, with the strongest statistical support for the highest estimate. In each of the alternative models, a large proportion of the total variance in bar width was explained by the included random effects, suggesting that bar width is strongly determined by genetic factors or shared maternal and brood environments, with limited scope for environmental influences later in life.
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4
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Landsittel JA, Ermentrout GB, Stiefel KM. A Theoretical Comparison of Alternative Male Mating Strategies in Cephalopods and Fishes. Bull Math Biol 2024; 86:98. [PMID: 38937322 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-024-01330-z] [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: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
We used computer simulations of growth, mating and death of cephalopods and fishes to explore the effect of different life-history strategies on the relative prevalence of alternative male mating strategies. Specifically, we investigated the consequences of single or multiple matings per lifetime, mating strategy switching, cannibalism, resource stochasticity, and altruism towards relatives. We found that a combination of single (semelparous) matings, cannibalism and an absence of mating strategy changes in one lifetime led to a more strictly partitioned parameter space, with a reduced region where the two mating strategies co-exist in similar numbers. Explicitly including Hamilton's rule in simulations of the social system of a Cichlid led to an increase of dominant males, at the expense of both sneakers and dwarf males ("super-sneakers"). Our predictions provide general bounds on the viable ratios of alternative male mating strategies with different life-histories, and under possibly rapidly changing ecological situations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - G Bard Ermentrout
- Department of Mathematics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Klaus M Stiefel
- Neurolinx Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Silliman University Angelo King Center for Research & Environmental Management, Hibbard Avenue, 6200, Dumaguete City, Philippines.
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5
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Stennette KA, Godwin JR. Estrogenic influences on agonistic behavior in teleost fishes. Horm Behav 2024; 161:105519. [PMID: 38452611 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Teleost fishes show an extraordinary diversity of sexual patterns, social structures, and sociosexual behaviors. Sex steroid hormones are key modulators of social behaviors in teleosts as in other vertebrates and act on sex steroid receptor-containing brain nuclei that form the evolutionarily conserved vertebrate social behavior network (SBN). Fishes also display important differences relative to tetrapod vertebrates that make them particularly well-suited to study the physiological mechanisms modulating social behavior. Specifically, fishes exhibit high levels of brain aromatization and have what has been proposed to be a lifelong, steroid hormone dependent plasticity in the neural substrates mediating sociosexual behavior. In this review, we examine how estrogenic signaling modulates sociosexual behaviors in teleosts with a particular focus on agonistic behavior. Estrogens have been shown to mediate agonistic behaviors in a broad range of fishes, from sexually monomorphic gonochoristic species to highly dimorphic sex changers with alternate reproductive phenotypes. These similarities across such diverse taxa contribute to a growing body of evidence that estrogens play a crucial role in the modulation of aggression in vertebrates. As analytical techniques and genomic tools rapidly advance, methods such as LC-MS/MS, snRNAseq, and CRISPR-based mutagenesis show great promise to further elucidate the mechanistic basis of estrogenic effects on social behavior in the diverse teleost lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A Stennette
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - John R Godwin
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
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6
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Muñoz-Arroyo S, Guerrero-Tortolero DA, Hernández-Olalde L, Balart EF. Bidirectional sex-change behavior and physiological aspects in the Gorgeous goby Lythrypnus pulchellus (Gobiidae). JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2024; 104:184-205. [PMID: 37779354 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
The Gorgeous goby Lythrypnus pulchellus shows extreme sexual plasticity with the bidirectional sex-change ability socially controlled in adults. Therefore, this study describes how the hierarchical status affects hormone synthesis through newborn hormone waste products in water and tests the influence of body size and social dominance establishment in sex reversal duration and direction. The associated changes in behavior and hormone levels are described under laboratory conditions in male-male and female-female pairs of similar and different body sizes, recording the changes until spawning. The status establishment occurred in a relatively shorter time period in male and female pairs of different sizes (1-3 days) compared to those of similar size (3-5 days), but the earlier one did not significantly affect the overall time of sex change (verified by pair spawning). The changes in gonads, hormones, and papilla occurred in sex-changer individuals, but the first one was observed in behavior. Courtship started at 3-5 days in male pairs and from 2 h to 1 day in female pairs of both groups of different and similar sizes. Hormones did not gradually move in the new sexual phenotype direction during the sex-change time course. Nonetheless, estradiol regulated sex change and 11-ketotestosterone enabled bidirectional sex change and was modulated by agonistic interactions. Cortisol is associated with status and gonadal sex change. In general, similar mechanisms underlie sex change in both directions with a temporal change sequence in phases. These results shed new light on sex-change mechanisms. Further studies should be performed to determine whether these localized changes exist in the steroid hormone synthesis along the brain-pituitary gonad axis during social and bidirectional sex changes in L. pulchellus.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Eduardo F Balart
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C. (CIBNOR), La Paz, Mexico
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7
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Smiley KO, Munley KM, Aghi K, Lipshutz SE, Patton TM, Pradhan DS, Solomon-Lane TK, Sun SED. Sex diversity in the 21st century: Concepts, frameworks, and approaches for the future of neuroendocrinology. Horm Behav 2024; 157:105445. [PMID: 37979209 PMCID: PMC10842816 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Sex is ubiquitous and variable throughout the animal kingdom. Historically, scientists have used reductionist methodologies that rely on a priori sex categorizations, in which two discrete sexes are inextricably linked with gamete type. However, this binarized operationalization does not adequately reflect the diversity of sex observed in nature. This is due, in part, to the fact that sex exists across many levels of biological analysis, including genetic, molecular, cellular, morphological, behavioral, and population levels. Furthermore, the biological mechanisms governing sex are embedded in complex networks that dynamically interact with other systems. To produce the most accurate and scientifically rigorous work examining sex in neuroendocrinology and to capture the full range of sex variability and diversity present in animal systems, we must critically assess the frameworks, experimental designs, and analytical methods used in our research. In this perspective piece, we first propose a new conceptual framework to guide the integrative study of sex. Then, we provide practical guidance on research approaches for studying sex-associated variables, including factors to consider in study design, selection of model organisms, experimental methodologies, and statistical analyses. We invite fellow scientists to conscientiously apply these modernized approaches to advance our biological understanding of sex and to encourage academically and socially responsible outcomes of our work. By expanding our conceptual frameworks and methodological approaches to the study of sex, we will gain insight into the unique ways that sex exists across levels of biological organization to produce the vast array of variability and diversity observed in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina O Smiley
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 639 North Pleasant Street, Morrill IVN Neuroscience, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
| | - Kathleen M Munley
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, 3695 Cullen Boulevard, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - Krisha Aghi
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Sara E Lipshutz
- Department of Biology, Duke University, 130 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
| | - Tessa M Patton
- Bioinformatics Program, Loyola University Chicago, 1032 West Sheridan Road, LSB 317, Chicago, IL 60660, USA.
| | - Devaleena S Pradhan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, 921 South 8th Avenue, Mail Stop 8007, Pocatello, ID 83209, USA.
| | - Tessa K Solomon-Lane
- Scripps, Pitzer, Claremont McKenna Colleges, 925 North Mills Avenue, Claremont, CA 91711, USA.
| | - Simón E D Sun
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA.
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8
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Luong K, Bernardo MF, Lindstrom M, Alluri RK, Rose GJ. Brain regions controlling courtship behavior in the bluehead wrasse. Curr Biol 2023; 33:4937-4949.e3. [PMID: 37898122 PMCID: PMC10764105 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
Bluehead wrasses (Thalassoma bifasciatum) follow a socially controlled mechanism of sex determination. A socially dominant initial-phase (IP) female is able to transform into a new terminal-phase (TP) male if the resident TP male is no longer present. TP males display an elaborate array of courtship behaviors, including both color changes and motor behaviors. Little is known concerning the neural circuits that control male-typical courtship behaviors. This study used glutamate iontophoresis to identify regions that may be involved in courtship. Stimulation of the following brain regions elicited diverse types of color change responses, many of which appear similar to courtship color changes: the ventral telencephalon (supracommissural nucleus of the ventral telencephalon [Vs], lateral nucleus of the ventral telencephalon [Vl], ventral nucleus of the ventral telencephalon [Vv], and dorsal nucleus of the ventral telencephalon [Vd]), parts of the preoptic area (NPOmg and NPOpc), entopeduncular nucleus, habenular nucleus, and pretectal nuclei (PSi and PSm). Stimulation of two regions in the posterior thalamus (central posterior thalamic [CP] and dorsal posterior thalamic [DP]) caused movements of the pectoral fins that are similar to courtship fluttering and vibrations. Furthermore, these responses were elicited in female IP fish, indicating that circuits for sexual behaviors typical of TP males exist in females. Immunohistochemistry results revealed regions that are more active in fish that are not courting: interpeduncular nucleus, red nucleus, and ventrolateral thalamus (VL). Taken together, we propose that the telencephalic-habenular-interpeduncular pathway plays an important role in controlling and regulating courtship behaviors in TP males; in this model, in response to telencephalic input, the habenular nucleus inhibits the interpeduncular nucleus, thereby dis-inhibiting forebrain regions and promoting the expression of courtship behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyphuong Luong
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 S 1400 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
| | - Madeline F Bernardo
- School of Medicine, University of Utah, 30 N 1900 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Michael Lindstrom
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York Institute of Technology, 101 Northern Blvd, Glen Head, NY 11545, USA
| | - Rishi K Alluri
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 S 1400 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Gary J Rose
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 S 1400 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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9
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White KJ, Rivas MG, Pradhan DS. Sex differences in aggressive intensities and brain steroids during status resolution in a sex changing fish, Lythrypnus dalli. Horm Behav 2023; 153:105373. [PMID: 37182511 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
For vertebrates living in social hierarchies, the neuroendocrine system regulates temporal aspects of aggressive interactions during status establishment. In teleost fishes, the sex steroids 17β-estradiol (E2) and 11-ketotestosterone (KT), and the glucocorticoid, cortisol (CORT) are associated with aggression in distinct phases of their life history. Bluebanded gobies, Lythrypnus dalli, exhibit bidirectional sexual plasticity by responding to changes in their social structure by escalating aggression associated with neural changes that precede gonadal reorganization to the opposite sex. Here, we used a novel experimental design to investigate systemic (waterborne) and neural steroids associated with the earliest behavioral changes associated with feminization and masculinization during protandrous and protogynous sex change respectively. In stable social groups of wild-caught L. dalli comprising of one male and two females, we disrupted hierarchy by adding or removing a male, providing a social context for intrasexual aggression. Within only 30 min, males exhibited high rates of physical aggression inside the nest to maintain their territory, while females exhibited high rates of chases outside the nest to reestablish social status. During this period of instability, while waterborne steroids were not affected, brain E2 was higher in all fish and CORT was lower in male brains. Brain KT was higher in males who emerged as dominant compared to dominant females. Overall, a combination of differences in brain E2, CORT, and KT were important in the regulation of hierarchy re-establishment and maintenance. Rapid responses during conspecific aggressive encounters are likely mediated by neural steroid synthesis that precede changes in systemic steroids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina J White
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID 83209, United States of America.
| | - Melissa G Rivas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID 83209, United States of America
| | - Devaleena S Pradhan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID 83209, United States of America
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10
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Zhang X, Li J, Chen S, Yang N, Zheng J. Overview of Avian Sex Reversal. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24098284. [PMID: 37175998 PMCID: PMC10179413 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24098284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex determination and differentiation are processes by which a bipotential gonad adopts either a testicular or ovarian cell fate, and secondary sexual characteristics adopt either male or female developmental patterns. In birds, although genetic factors control the sex determination program, sex differentiation is sensitive to hormones, which can induce sex reversal when disturbed. Although these sex-reversed birds can form phenotypes opposite to their genotypes, none can experience complete sex reversal or produce offspring under natural conditions. Promising evidence indicates that the incomplete sex reversal is associated with cell autonomous sex identity (CASI) of avian cells, which is controlled by genetic factors. However, studies cannot clearly describe the regulatory mechanism of avian CASI and sex development at present, and these factors require further exploration. In spite of this, the abundant findings of avian sex research have provided theoretical bases for the progress of gender control technologies, which are being improved through interdisciplinary co-operation and will ultimately be employed in poultry production. In this review, we provide an overview of avian sex determination and differentiation and comprehensively summarize the research progress on sex reversal in birds, especially chickens. Importantly, we describe key issues faced by applying gender control systems in poultry production and chronologically summarize the development of avian sex control methods. In conclusion, this review provides unique perspectives for avian sex studies and helps scientists develop more advanced systems for sex regulation in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuan Zhang
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding and Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jianbo Li
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding and Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Sirui Chen
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding and Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Ning Yang
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding and Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jiangxia Zheng
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding and Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
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11
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Parker CG, Craig SE, Histed AR, Lee JS, Ibanez E, Pronitcheva V, Rhodes JS. New cells added to the preoptic area during sex change in the common clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 333:114185. [PMID: 36509136 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.114185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [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: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in cell number in the preoptic area of the hypothalamus (POA) are documented across all major vertebrate lineages and contribute to differential regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonad axis and reproductive behavior between the sexes. Sex-changing fishes provide a unique opportunity to study mechanisms underlying sexual differentiation of the POA. In anemonefish (clownfish), which change sex from male to female, females have approximately twice the number of medium-sized cells in the anterior POA compared to males. This sex difference transitions from male-like to female-like during sex change. However, it is not known how this sex difference in POA cell number is established. This study tests the hypothesis that new cell addition plays a role. We initiated adult male-to-female sex change in 30 anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris) and administered BrdU to label new cells added to the POA at regular intervals throughout sex change. Sex-changing fish added more new cells to the anterior POA than non-changing fish, supporting the hypothesis. The observed effects could be accounted for by differences in POA volume, but they are also consistent with a steady trickle of new cells being gradually accumulated in the anterior POA before vitellogenic oocytes develop in the gonads. These results provide insight into the unique characteristics of protandrous sex change in anemonefish relative to other modes of sex change, and support the potential for future research in sex-changing fishes to provide a richer understanding of the mechanisms for sexual differentiation of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coltan G Parker
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 405 N Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Sarah E Craig
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 405 N Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Abigail R Histed
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 405 N Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Joanne S Lee
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 405 N Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Emma Ibanez
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 405 N Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Veronica Pronitcheva
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 405 N Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Justin S Rhodes
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 405 N Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 405 N Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 603 E Daniel St, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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12
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Li S, Li W, Jiang S, Jing Y, Xiao L, Yu Y, Liu Y, Li Y, Wang D, Li J, Peng C, Chen J, Lu D, Wu B, Guang X, Ma J, You X, Yang Y, Liu S, Fang X, Gao Q, Shi Q, Lin H, Schartl M, Yue Z, Zhang Y. Mechanisms of sex differentiation and sex reversal in hermaphrodite fish as revealed by the Epinephelus coioides genome. Mol Ecol Resour 2023; 23:920-932. [PMID: 36631404 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Most grouper species are functional protogynous hermaphrodites, but the genetic basis and the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of this unique reproductive strategy remain enigmatic. In this study, we report a high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of the representative orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides). No duplication or deletion of sex differentiation-related genes was found in the genome, suggesting that sex development in this grouper may be related to changes in regulatory sequences or environmental factors. Transcriptomic analyses showed that aromatase and retinoic acid are probably critical to promoting ovarian fate determination, and follicle-stimulating hormone triggers the female-to-male sex change. Socially controlled sex-change studies revealed that, in sex-changing fish, the brain's response to the social environment may be mediated by activation of the phototransduction cascade and the melatonin synthesis pathway. In summary, our genomic and experimental results provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of sex differentiation and sex change in the protogynous groupers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuisheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | | | - Shoujia Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Shenzhen Key Lab of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI Academy of Marine Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yi Jing
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.,BGI-Sanya, BGI-Shenzhen, Sanya, China
| | - Ling Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | | | - Yun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanhong Li
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dengdong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiang Li
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Cheng Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiaxing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Danqi Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bin Wu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | | | - Junping Ma
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xinxin You
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI Academy of Marine Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuqing Yang
- Marine Fisheries Development Center of Guangdong Province, Huizhou, China
| | - Su Liu
- Marine Fisheries Development Center of Guangdong Province, Huizhou, China
| | | | - Qiang Gao
- BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qiong Shi
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI Academy of Marine Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Haoran Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Manfred Schartl
- Developmental Biochemistry, University of Würzburg, Biozentrum, Am Hubland, Würzburg, and Comprehensive Cancer Center, University Clinic Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.,Hagler Institute for Advanced Study and Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Zhen Yue
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.,BGI-Sanya, BGI-Shenzhen, Sanya, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
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13
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Jarvis GC, White CR, Marshall DJ. Macroevolutionary patterns in marine hermaphroditism. Evolution 2022; 76:3014-3025. [PMID: 36199199 PMCID: PMC10091813 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Most plants and many animals are hermaphroditic; whether the same forces are responsible for hermaphroditism in both groups is unclear. The well-established drivers of hermaphroditism in plants (e.g., seed dispersal potential, pollination mode) have analogues in animals (e.g., larval dispersal potential, fertilization mode), allowing us to test the generality of the proposed drivers of hermaphroditism across both groups. Here, we test these theories for 1153 species of marine invertebrates, from three phyla. Species with either internal fertilization, restricted offspring dispersal, or small body sizes are more likely to be hermaphroditic than species that are external fertilizers, planktonic developers, or larger. Plants and animals show different biogeographical patterns, however: animals are less likely to be hermaphroditic at higher latitudes-the opposite to the trend in plants. Overall, our results suggest that similar forces, namely, competition among offspring or gametes, shape the evolution of hermaphroditism across plants and three invertebrate phyla.
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Affiliation(s)
- George C Jarvis
- School of Biological Sciences/Centre for Geometric Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Craig R White
- School of Biological Sciences/Centre for Geometric Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Dustin J Marshall
- School of Biological Sciences/Centre for Geometric Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
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14
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Parker CG, Lee JS, Histed AR, Craig SE, Rhodes JS. Stable and persistent male-like behavior during male-to-female sex change in the common clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris. Horm Behav 2022; 145:105239. [PMID: 35926412 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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: 11/20/2021] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Many fish species exhibit natural sex change as part of their life, providing unique opportunities to study sexually-differentiated social behaviors and their plasticity. Past research has shown that behavioral sex change in the female-to-male (protogynous) direction occurs rapidly and well before gonadal sex change. However, little is known about the timecourse of behavioral sex change in male-to-female (protandrous) sex-changing species, limiting our ability to compare patterns of behavioral sex change across species and identify conserved or divergent underlying mechanisms. Using the protandrous sex changing anemonefish Amphiprion ocellaris, we assessed behavior (aggression and parental care) and hormones (estradiol and 11-ketotestosterone) in fish over six months of sex change, and compared those fish against their non-changing partners as well as control males and females. Contrary to expectations, we found that sex-changing fish displayed behavior that was persistently male-like, and that their behavior did not become progressively female-like as sex change progressed. Hormones shifted to an intermediate profile between males and females and remained stable until gonads changed. These results support a new perspective that the timecourse for protandrous sex change in anemonefish is completely distinct from other well-established models, such that behavioral sex change does not occur until after gonadal sex change is complete, and that sex-changing fish have a stable and unique behavioral and hormonal phenotype that is distinct from a male-typical or female-typical phenotype. The results also identify aspects of sex change that may fundamentally differ between protandrous and protogynous modes, motivating further research into these remarkable examples of phenotypic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coltan G Parker
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Joanne S Lee
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Abigail R Histed
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Sarah E Craig
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Justin S Rhodes
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA.
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15
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Li XY, Mei J, Ge CT, Liu XL, Gui JF. Sex determination mechanisms and sex control approaches in aquaculture animals. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2022; 65:1091-1122. [PMID: 35583710 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-021-2075-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Aquaculture is one of the most efficient modes of animal protein production and plays an important role in global food security. Aquaculture animals exhibit extraordinarily diverse sexual phenotypes and underlying mechanisms, providing an ideal system to perform sex determination research, one of the important areas in life science. Moreover, sex is also one of the most valuable traits because sexual dimorphism in growth, size, and other economic characteristics commonly exist in aquaculture animals. Here, we synthesize current knowledge of sex determination mechanisms, sex chromosome evolution, reproduction strategies, and sexual dimorphism, and also review several approaches for sex control in aquaculture animals, including artificial gynogenesis, application of sex-specific or sex chromosome-linked markers, artificial sex reversal, as well as gene editing. We anticipate that better understanding of sex determination mechanisms and innovation of sex control approaches will facilitate sustainable development of aquaculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi-Yin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Jie Mei
- College of Fisheries, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Chu-Tian Ge
- College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo, 315100, China
| | - Xiao-Li Liu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, 510380, China
| | - Jian-Fang Gui
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China.
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16
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Tseng PW, Wu GC, Kuo WL, Tseng YC, Chang CF. The Ovarian Transcriptome at the Early Stage of Testis Removal-Induced Male-To-Female Sex Change in the Protandrous Black Porgy Acanthopagrus schlegelii. Front Genet 2022; 13:816955. [PMID: 35401660 PMCID: PMC8986339 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.816955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Unlike gonochoristic fishes, sex is fixed after gonadal differentiation (primary sex determination), and sex can be altered in adults (secondary sex determination) of hermaphroditic fish species. The secondary sex determination of hermaphroditic fish has focused on the differences between testicular tissue and ovarian tissue during the sex change process. However, comprehensive studies analyzing ovarian tissue or testicular tissue independently have not been performed. Hermaphroditic black porgy shows a digonic gonad (ovarian tissue with testicular tissue separated by connective tissue). Protandrous black porgy has stable maleness during the first two reproductive cycles (<2 years old), and approximately 50% enter femaleness (natural sex change) during the third reproductive cycle. Precocious femaleness is rarely observed in the estradiol-17β (E2)-induced female phase (oocytes maintained at the primary oocyte stage), and a reversible female-to-male sex change is found after E2 is withdrawn in <2-year-old fish. However, precocious femaleness (oocytes entering the vitellogenic oocyte stage) is observed in testis-removed fish in <2-year-old fish. We used this characteristic to study secondary sex determination (femaleness) in ovarian tissue via transcriptomic analysis. Cell proliferation analysis showed that BrdU (5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine)-incorporated germline cells were significantly increased in the testis-removed fish (female) compared to the control (sham) fish (male) during the nonspawning season (2 months after surgery). qPCR analysis showed that there were no differences in pituitary-releasing hormones (lhb and gtha) in pituitary and ovarian steroidogenesis-related factors (star, cyp11a1, hsd3b1, and cyp19a1a) or female-related genes (wnt4a, bmp15, gdf9, figla, and foxl2) in ovarian tissues between intact and testis-removed fish (2 months after surgery). Low expression of pituitary fshb and ovarian cyp17a1 was found after 2 months of surgery. However, we did find small numbers of genes (289 genes) showing sexual fate dimorphic expression in both groups by transcriptomic analysis (1 month after surgery). The expression profiles of these differentially expressed genes were further examined by qPCR. Our present work identified several candidate genes in ovarian tissue that may be involved in the early period of secondary sex determination (femaleness) in black porgy. The data confirmed our previous suggestion that testicular tissue plays an important role in secondary sex determination in protandrous black porgy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng-Wei Tseng
- Doctoral Degree Program in Marine Biotechnology, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
- Doctoral Degree Program in Marine Biotechnology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Guan-Chung Wu
- Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
- Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
- *Correspondence: Guan-Chung Wu, ; Yung-Che Tseng, ; Ching-Fong Chang,
| | - Wei-Lun Kuo
- Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Che Tseng
- Marine Research Station, Institute of Cellular and Organism Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- *Correspondence: Guan-Chung Wu, ; Yung-Che Tseng, ; Ching-Fong Chang,
| | - Ching-Fong Chang
- Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
- Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
- *Correspondence: Guan-Chung Wu, ; Yung-Che Tseng, ; Ching-Fong Chang,
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17
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Cryptic bachelor sex change in haremic colonial groups of the coral-dwelling damselfish Dascyllus reticulatus. J ETHOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-022-00748-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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18
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Characterization and Distribution of Kisspeptins, Kisspeptin Receptors, GnIH, and GnRH1 in the Brain of the Protogynous Bluehead Wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum). J Chem Neuroanat 2022; 121:102087. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2022.102087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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19
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Prim JH, Phillips MC, Lamm MS, Brady J, Cabral I, Durden S, Dustin E, Hazellief A, Klapheke B, Lamb AD, Lukowsky A, May D, Sanchez SG, Thompson KC, Tyler WA, Godwin J. Estrogenic signaling and sociosexual behavior in wild sex-changing bluehead wrasses, Thalassoma bifasciatum. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 337:24-34. [PMID: 34752686 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Estrogenic signaling is an important focus in studies of gonadal and brain sexual differentiation in fishes and vertebrates generally. This study examined variation in estrogenic signaling (1) across three sexual phenotypes (female, female-mimic initial phase [IP] male, and terminal phase [TP] male), (2) during socially-controlled female-to-male sex change, and (3) during tidally-driven spawning cycles in the protogynous bluehead wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum). We analyzed relative abundances of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) for the brain form of aromatase (cyp19a1b) and the three nuclear estrogen receptors (ER) (ERα, ERβa, and ERβb) by qPCR. Consistent with previous reports, forebrain/midbrain cyp19a1b was highest in females, significantly lower in TP males, and lowest in IP males. By contrast, ERα and ERβb mRNA abundances were highest in TP males and increased during sex change. ERβa mRNA did not vary significantly. Across the tidally-driven spawning cycle, cyp19a1b abundances were higher in females than TP males. Interestingly, cyp19a1b levels were higher in TP males close (~1 h) to the daily spawning period when sexual and aggressive behaviors rise than males far from spawning (~10-12 h). Together with earlier findings, our results suggest alterations in neural estrogen signaling are key regulators of socially-controlled sex change and sexual phenotype differences. Additionally, these patterns suggest TP male-typical sociosexual behaviors may depend on intermediate rather than low estrogenic signaling. We discuss these results and the possibility that an inverted-U shaped relationship between neural estrogen and male-typical behaviors is more common than presently appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julianna H Prim
- Department of Biological Sciences and W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Marshall C Phillips
- Department of Biological Sciences and W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Melissa S Lamm
- Department of Biological Sciences and W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jeannie Brady
- Department of Biology, Indian River State College, Fort Pierce, Florida, USA
| | - Itze Cabral
- Department of Biology, Indian River State College, Fort Pierce, Florida, USA
| | - Shelby Durden
- Department of Biology, Indian River State College, Fort Pierce, Florida, USA
| | - Elizabeth Dustin
- Department of Biological Sciences and W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Allison Hazellief
- Department of Biology, Indian River State College, Fort Pierce, Florida, USA
| | - Brandon Klapheke
- Department of Biological Sciences and W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - April D Lamb
- Department of Biological Sciences and W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Alison Lukowsky
- Department of Biology, Indian River State College, Fort Pierce, Florida, USA
| | - Dianna May
- Department of Biology, Indian River State College, Fort Pierce, Florida, USA
| | - Sidney G Sanchez
- Department of Biological Sciences and W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kelly C Thompson
- Department of Biological Sciences and W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - William A Tyler
- Department of Biology, Indian River State College, Fort Pierce, Florida, USA
| | - John Godwin
- Department of Biological Sciences and W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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20
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Lowe JR, Russ GR, Bucol AA, Abesamis RA, Choat JH. Geographic variability in the gonadal development and sexual ontogeny of Hemigymnus, Cheilinus and Oxycheilinus wrasses among Indo-Pacific coral reefs. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2021; 99:1348-1363. [PMID: 34228351 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Patterns of reproductive ontogeny in four species of coral reef wrasses (F: Labridae) Hemigymnus melapterus, Hemigymnus fasciatus, Cheilinus fasciatus and Oxycheilinus digramma were investigated. Populations of each species were sampled from two island groups of the central Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia, and from coral reefs in the central Philippines. These three sampling locations span 30° of latitude. The GBR and Philippine reefs experience biologically significant differences in water temperature, geography and human activity. The studied wrasses are effectively unfished in Australia but heavily fished in the Philippines. Gonad weights, histology and demographic data were obtained across the entire size and age range of H. melapterus, C. fasciatus and O. digramma from all locations. Analysis identified three processes of male recruitment: functional gonochorism and both forms of protogynous hermaphroditism, monandry and diandry. The expression of these distinct sexual ontogenies was locality dependent. Populations of H. melapterus, H. fasciatus, C. fasciatus and O. digramma on the GBR showed consistently uniform patterns of sexual ontogeny, with all species being exclusively monandric. H. melapterus, C. fasciatus and O. digramma in the Philippines displayed complex sexual ontogenies, with all species showing histological evidence of both diandry and functional gonochorism. Reproductive investment in gonadal tissue, and population sex structure, also differed between GBR and Philippine coral reefs. Philippine populations had substantially lower gonado-somatic indices than populations on the GBR. Nonetheless, Philippine populations matured more rapidly and displayed a protracted timing of sex change over a large size and age range. Thus, mature females appeared earlier and persisted later into ontogeny in the Philippines than on GBR reefs. Protracted timing of sex change on Philippine reefs is likely linked to the presence of primary males in the population, which is known to reduce the strength of selection for mature females to undergo sex change and become male. Hypotheses based on social structure of fish populations, environmental factors and evolutionary history were developed to account for the different patterns of sexual ontogeny in the focal wrasses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake R Lowe
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Garry R Russ
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Abner A Bucol
- Silliman University-Angelo King Centre for Research and Environmental Management (SUAKCREM), Dumaguete City, Philippines
| | - Rene A Abesamis
- Silliman University-Angelo King Centre for Research and Environmental Management (SUAKCREM), Dumaguete City, Philippines
| | - John H Choat
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
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21
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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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22
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Edgecombe J, Urban L, Todd EV, Gemmell NJ. Might Gene Duplication and Neofunctionalization Contribute to the Sexual Lability Observed in Fish? Sex Dev 2021; 15:122-133. [PMID: 34167118 DOI: 10.1159/000515425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex determination and differentiation varies widely across vertebrates, but is most dramatically diverse in fishes. Among fishes sex reversal and sex change are observed in 41 teleost families spanning 7 orders. These sex-changing fish perhaps highlight better than any other system that sex determination is not the narrow and fixed construct we once thought, but a plastic trait that is better viewed as a reaction norm. However, while this stunning transformation is increasingly understood, a fundamental question arises, which is why some fish species have retained this inherent plasticity in sexual fate, while others have not? Here, we explore our current understanding of sex change in fish, some of the factors that permit and constrain sex reversal, and posit that gene duplication and neofunctionalization contribute to the sexual lability observed in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonika Edgecombe
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Lara Urban
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Erica V Todd
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Queenscliff, Victoria, Australia
| | - Neil J Gemmell
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Casas L, Saborido-Rey F. Environmental Cues and Mechanisms Underpinning Sex Change in Fish. Sex Dev 2021; 15:108-121. [PMID: 34111868 DOI: 10.1159/000515274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fishes are the only vertebrates that undergo sex change during their lifetime, but even within this group, a unique reproductive strategy is displayed by only 1.5% of the teleosts. This lability in alternating sexual fate is the result of the simultaneous suppression and activation of opposing male and female networks. Here, we provide a brief review summarizing recent advances in our understanding of the environmental cues that trigger sex change and their perception, integration, and translation into molecular cascades that convert the sex of an individual. We particularly focus on molecular events underpinning the complex behavioral and morphological transformation involved in sex change, dissecting the main molecular players and regulatory networks that shape the transformation of one sex into the opposite. We show that histological changes and molecular pathways governing gonadal reorganization are better described than the neuroendocrine basis of sex change and that, despite important advances, information is lacking for the majority of hermaphrodite species. We highlight significant gaps in our knowledge of how sex change takes place and suggest future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Casas
- Ecology and Marine Resources, Institute of Marine Research (IIM-CSIC), Vigo, Spain
| | - Fran Saborido-Rey
- Ecology and Marine Resources, Institute of Marine Research (IIM-CSIC), Vigo, Spain
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Chen J, Peng C, Huang J, Shi H, Xiao L, Tang L, Lin H, Li S, Zhang Y. Physical interactions facilitate sex change in the protogynous orange-spotted grouper, Epinephelus coioides. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2021; 98:1308-1320. [PMID: 33377528 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Sex change in teleost fishes is commonly regulated by social factors. In species that exhibit protogynous sex change, such as the orange-spotted grouper Epinephelus coioides, when the dominant males are removed from the social group, the most dominant female initiates sex change. The aim of this study was to determine the regulatory mechanisms of socially controlled sex change in E. coioides. We investigated the seasonal variation in social behaviours and sex change throughout the reproductive cycle of E. coioides, and defined the behaviour pattern of this fish during the establishment of a dominance hierarchy. The social behaviours and sex change in this fish were affected by season, and only occurred during the prebreeding season and breeding season. Therefore, a series of sensory isolation experiments was conducted during the breeding season to determine the role of physical, visual and olfactory cues in mediating socially controlled sex change. The results demonstrated that physical interactions between individuals in the social groups were crucial for the initiation and completion of sex change, whereas visual and olfactory cues alone were insufficient in stimulating sex change in dominant females. In addition, we propose that the steroid hormones 11-ketotestosterone and cortisol are involved in regulating the initiation of socially controlled sex change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxing Chen
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhanjiang, China
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cheng Peng
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingjun Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, China
| | - Herong Shi
- Marine Fisheries Development Center of Guangdong Province, Huizhou, China
| | - Ling Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lin Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haoran Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shuisheng Li
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhanjiang, China
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhanjiang, China
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Marine Fisheries Development Center of Guangdong Province, Huizhou, China
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25
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Ogawa S, Pfaff DW, Parhar IS. Fish as a model in social neuroscience: conservation and diversity in the social brain network. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:999-1020. [PMID: 33559323 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Mechanisms for fish social behaviours involve a social brain network (SBN) which is evolutionarily conserved among vertebrates. However, considerable diversity is observed in the actual behaviour patterns amongst nearly 30000 fish species. The huge variation found in socio-sexual behaviours and strategies is likely generated by a morphologically and genetically well-conserved small forebrain system. Hence, teleost fish provide a useful model to study the fundamental mechanisms underlying social brain functions. Herein we review the foundations underlying fish social behaviours including sensory, hormonal, molecular and neuroanatomical features. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons clearly play important roles, but the participation of vasotocin and isotocin is also highlighted. Genetic investigations of developing fish brain have revealed the molecular complexity of neural development of the SBN. In addition to straightforward social behaviours such as sex and aggression, new experiments have revealed higher order and unique phenomena such as social eavesdropping and social buffering in fish. Finally, observations interpreted as 'collective cognition' in fish can likely be explained by careful observation of sensory determinants and analyses using the dynamics of quantitative scaling. Understanding of the functions of the SBN in fish provide clues for understanding the origin and evolution of higher social functions in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Ogawa
- Brain Research Institute, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, 47500, Malaysia
| | - Donald W Pfaff
- Laboratory of Neurobiology and Behavior, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065, U.S.A
| | - Ishwar S Parhar
- Brain Research Institute, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, 47500, Malaysia
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Roberts BH, Morrongiello JR, Morgan DL, King AJ, Saunders TM, Crook DA. Faster juvenile growth promotes earlier sex change in a protandrous hermaphrodite (barramundi Lates calcarifer). Sci Rep 2021; 11:2276. [PMID: 33500452 PMCID: PMC7838401 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81727-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between growth and sexual maturation is central to understanding the dynamics of animal populations which exhibit indeterminate growth. In sequential hermaphrodites, which undergo post-maturation sex change, the size and age at which sex change occurs directly affects reproductive output and hence population productivity. However, these traits are often labile, and may be strongly influenced by heterogenous growth and mortality rates. We analysed otolith microstructure of a protandrous (i.e., male-to-female) fish (barramundi Lates calcarifer) to examine growth in relation to individual variation in the timing of sex change. Growth trajectories of individuals with contrasting life histories were examined to elucidate the direction and extent to which growth rate influences the size and age individuals change sex. Then, the relationships between growth rate, maturation schedules and asymptotic maximum size were explored to identify potential trade-offs between age at female maturity and growth potential. Rapid growth was strongly associated with decreased age at sex change, but this was not accompanied by a decrease in size at sex change. Individuals that were caught as large females grew faster than those caught as males, suggesting that fast-growing individuals ultimately obtain higher fitness and therefore make a disproportionate contribution to population fecundity. These results indicate that individual-level variation in maturation schedules is not reflective of trade-offs between growth and reproduction. Rather, we suggest that conditions experienced during the juvenile phase are likely to be a key determinant of post-maturation fitness. These findings highlight the vulnerability of sex-changing species to future environmental change and harvest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brien H Roberts
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia.
| | - John R Morrongiello
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - David L Morgan
- Freshwater Fish Group & Fish Health Unit, Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Australia
| | - Alison J King
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
- Centre for Freshwater Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Albury-Wodonga, VIC, Australia
| | - Thor M Saunders
- Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Fisheries Research, Berrimah, NT, Australia
| | - David A Crook
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
- Centre for Freshwater Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Albury-Wodonga, VIC, Australia
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27
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Wu GC, Dufour S, Chang CF. Molecular and cellular regulation on sex change in hermaphroditic fish, with a special focus on protandrous black porgy, Acanthopagrus schlegelii. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2021; 520:111069. [PMID: 33127483 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2020.111069] [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: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In teleost fish, sex can be determined by genetic factors, environmental factors, or both. Unlike in gonochoristic fish, in which sex is fixed in adults, sex can change in adults of hermaphroditic fish species. Thus, sex is generated during the initial gonadal differentiation stage (primary sex differentiation) and later during sexual fate alternation (secondary sex differentiation) in hermaphroditic fish species. Depending on the species, sex phase alternation can be induced by endogenous cues (such as individual age and body size) or by social cues (such as sex ratio or relative body size within the population). In general, the fluctuation in plasma estradiol-17β (E2) levels is correlated with the sexual fate alternation in hermaphroditic fish. Hormonal treatments can artificially induce sexual phase alternation in sequential hermaphroditic fishes, but in a transient and reversible manner. This is the case for the E2-induced female phase in protandrous black porgy and the methyltestosterone (MT)- or aromatase inhibitor (AI)-induced male phase in protogynous grouper. Recent reviews have focused on the different forms of sex change in fish who undergo sequential sex change, especially in terms of gene expression and the role of hormones. In this review, we use the protandrous black porgy, a nonsocial cue-influenced hermaphroditic species, with digonic gonads (ovarian and testis separated by a connective tissue), as a model to describe our findings and discuss the molecular and cellular regulation of sexual fate determination in hermaphroditic fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guan-Chung Wu
- Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, 20224, Taiwan; Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, 20224, Taiwan
| | - Sylvie Dufour
- Laboratory Biology of Aquatic Organisms and Ecosystems (BOREA), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, IRD, Sorbonne Université, Université de Caen Normandie, Université des Antilles, 75231, Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Ching-Fong Chang
- Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, 20224, Taiwan; Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, 20224, Taiwan.
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28
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Young JM, Yeiser BG, Whittington JA, Dutka-Gianelli J. Maturation of female common snook Centropomus undecimalis: implications for managing protandrous fishes. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2020; 97:1317-1331. [PMID: 32725619 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The assumption for hermaphroditic fish species that mature individuals of the terminal sex arise directly from mature individuals of the primary sex has led to the use of sex ratios as a proxy for age at maturity (A50 ). The timing of transition and deficient energy reserves, however, can result in a delay between transition and spawning. To test the assumption of female maturity and investigate the relationship between maturation and energy reserves, common snook, Centropomus undecimalis, a protandrous hermaphrodite, were collected from rivers, estuaries, inlets and offshore habitats on the east coast of Florida during 2010-2015. Immature females were observed every month, with lowest proportions during the peak spawning months of July and August. When calculated based on sex ratio, A50 (8.1 years) overestimated the age at which 50% of the female population was, in fact, mature (4.1-4.9 years). Best-fit models indicate that mesenteric fat index (IF ) and hepato-somatic index (IH ) were significantly affected by gonad phase, month and size and weakly by habitat. In post hoc analysis, immature female IF did not differ significantly from developing and regenerating females, but immature female IH was significantly lower than that for all mature phases except animals in the regressing phase. Although immature females may have sufficient energy in terms of fat, it appears that energy is not allocated to reproductive processes, as evidenced by lower IH . Nonetheless, approximately 95% of females were spawning-capable during peak spawning months, suggesting that the energy threshold at which immature females reach maturity is met by most females each spawning cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joy M Young
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Tequesta Field Laboratory, Tequesta, Florida, USA
| | - Beau G Yeiser
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, South Regional Office, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA
| | - James A Whittington
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Tequesta Field Laboratory, Tequesta, Florida, USA
| | - Jynessa Dutka-Gianelli
- Gloucester Marine Station, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA
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29
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Peng C, Wang Q, Shi H, Chen J, Li S, Zhao H, Lin H, Yang J, Zhang Y. Natural sex change in mature protogynous orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides): gonadal restructuring, sex hormone shifts and gene profiles. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2020; 97:785-793. [PMID: 32535923 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Sexual patterns of teleosts are extremely diverse and include both gonochorism and hermaphroditism. As a protogynous hermaphroditic fish, all orange-spotted groupers (Epinephelus coioides) develop directly into females, and some individuals change sex to become functional males later in life. This study investigated gonadal restructuring, shifts in sex hormone levels and gene profiles of cultured mature female groupers during the first (main) breeding season of 2019 in Huizhou, China (22° 42' 02.6″ N, 114° 32' 10.1″ E). Analysis of gonadal restructuring revealed that females with pre-vitellogenic ovaries underwent vitellogenesis, spawning and regression and then returned to the pre-vitellogenic stage in the late breeding season, at which point some changed sex to become males via the intersex gonad stage. A significant decrease in the level of serum 17β-estradiol (E2) was observed during ovary regression but not during sex change, whereas serum 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) concentrations increased significantly during sex change with the highest concentration in newly developed males. Consistent with serum hormone changes, a significant decrease in cyp19a1a expression was observed during ovary regression but not during sex change, whereas the expression of cyp11c1 and hsd11b2 increased significantly during sex change. Interestingly, hsd11b2 but not cyp11c1 was significantly upregulated from the pre-vitellogenic ovary stage to the early intersex gonad stage. These results suggest that a decrease in serum E2 concentration and downregulation of cyp19a1a expression are not necessary to trigger the female-to-male transformation, whereas increased 11-KT concentration and upregulation of hsd11b2 expression may be key events for the initiation of sex change in the orange-spotted grouper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Peng
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Herong Shi
- Marine Fisheries Development Center of Guangdong Province, Huizhou, China
| | - Jiaxing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shuisheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huihong Zhao
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haoran Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianchun Yang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Marine Fisheries Development Center of Guangdong Province, Huizhou, China
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30
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Straková B, Rovatsos M, Kubička L, Kratochvíl L. Evolution of Sex Determination in Amniotes: Did Stress and Sequential Hermaphroditism Produce Environmental Determination? Bioessays 2020; 42:e2000050. [DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Barbora Straková
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science Charles University Viničná 7 Praha 2 12844 Czech Republic
| | - Michail Rovatsos
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science Charles University Viničná 7 Praha 2 12844 Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Kubička
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science Charles University Viničná 7 Praha 2 12844 Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Kratochvíl
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science Charles University Viničná 7 Praha 2 12844 Czech Republic
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31
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Hodge JR, Santini F, Wainwright PC. Correlated Evolution of Sex Allocation and Mating System in Wrasses and Parrotfishes. Am Nat 2020; 196:57-73. [DOI: 10.1086/708764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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32
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33
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Lee SLJ, Horsfield JA, Black MA, Rutherford K, Gemmell NJ. Identification of sex differences in zebrafish (Danio rerio) brains during early sexual differentiation and masculinization using 17α-methyltestoterone. Biol Reprod 2019; 99:446-460. [PMID: 29272338 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/iox175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual behavior in teleost fish is highly plastic. It can be attributed to the relatively few sex differences found in adult brain transcriptomes. Environmental and hormonal factors can influence sex-specific behavior. Androgen treatment stimulates behavioral masculinization. Sex dimorphic gene expression in developing teleost brains and the molecular basis for androgen-induced behavioral masculinization are poorly understood. In this study, juvenile zebrafish (Danio rerio) were treated with 100 ng/L of 17 alpha-methyltestosterone (MT) during sexual development from 20 days post fertilization to 40 days and 60 days post fertilization. We compared brain gene expression patterns in MT-treated zebrafish with control males and females using RNA-Seq to shed light on the dynamic changes in brain gene expression during sexual development and how androgens affect brain gene expression leading to behavior masculinization. We found modest differences in gene expression between juvenile male and female zebrafish brains. Brain aromatase (cyp19a1b), prostaglandin 3a synthase (ptges3a), and prostaglandin reductase 1 (ptgr1) were among the genes with sexually dimorphic expression patterns. MT treatment significantly altered gene expression relative to both male and female brains. Fewer differences were found among MT-treated brains and male brains compared to female brains, particularly at 60 dpf. MT treatment upregulated the expression of hydroxysteroid 11-beta dehydrogenase 2 (hsd11b2), deiodinase, iodothyronine, type II (dio2), and gonadotrophin releasing hormones (GnRH) 2 and 3 (gnrh2 and gnrh3) suggesting local synthesis of 11-ketotestosterone, triiodothyronine, and GnRHs in zebrafish brains which are influenced by androgens. Androgen, estrogen, prostaglandin, thyroid hormone, and GnRH signaling pathways likely interact to modulate teleost sexual behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie L J Lee
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Julia A Horsfield
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Michael A Black
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Kim Rutherford
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Neil J Gemmell
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
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34
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Todd EV, Ortega-Recalde O, Liu H, Lamm MS, Rutherford KM, Cross H, Black MA, Kardailsky O, Marshall Graves JA, Hore TA, Godwin JR, Gemmell NJ. Stress, novel sex genes, and epigenetic reprogramming orchestrate socially controlled sex change. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaaw7006. [PMID: 31309157 PMCID: PMC6620101 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw7006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Bluehead wrasses undergo dramatic, socially cued female-to-male sex change. We apply transcriptomic and methylome approaches in this wild coral reef fish to identify the primary trigger and subsequent molecular cascade of gonadal metamorphosis. Our data suggest that the environmental stimulus is exerted via the stress axis and that repression of the aromatase gene (encoding the enzyme converting androgens to estrogens) triggers a cascaded collapse of feminizing gene expression and identifies notable sex-specific gene neofunctionalization. Furthermore, sex change involves distinct epigenetic reprogramming and an intermediate state with altered epigenetic machinery expression akin to the early developmental cells of mammals. These findings reveal at a molecular level how a normally committed developmental process remains plastic and is reversed to completely alter organ structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica V. Todd
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Corresponding author. (E.V.T.); (O.O.-R.); (N.J.G.)
| | - Oscar Ortega-Recalde
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Corresponding author. (E.V.T.); (O.O.-R.); (N.J.G.)
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Melissa S. Lamm
- Department of Biological Sciences and WM Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | | | - Hugh Cross
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Michael A. Black
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Olga Kardailsky
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - Timothy A. Hore
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - John R. Godwin
- Department of Biological Sciences and WM Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Neil J. Gemmell
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Corresponding author. (E.V.T.); (O.O.-R.); (N.J.G.)
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35
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Thomas JT, Todd EV, Muncaster S, Lokman PM, Damsteegt EL, Liu H, Soyano K, Gléonnec F, Lamm MS, Godwin JR, Gemmell NJ. Conservation and diversity in expression of candidate genes regulating socially-induced female-male sex change in wrasses. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7032. [PMID: 31218121 PMCID: PMC6568253 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Fishes exhibit remarkably diverse, and plastic, patterns of sexual development, most striking of which is sequential hermaphroditism, where individuals readily reverse sex in adulthood. How this stunning example of phenotypic plasticity is controlled at a genetic level remains poorly understood. Several genes have been implicated in regulating sex change, yet the degree to which a conserved genetic machinery orchestrates this process has not yet been addressed. Using captive and in-the-field social manipulations to initiate sex change, combined with a comparative qPCR approach, we compared expression patterns of four candidate regulatory genes among three species of wrasses (Labridae)-a large and diverse teleost family where female-to-male sex change is pervasive, socially-cued, and likely ancestral. Expression in brain and gonadal tissues were compared among the iconic tropical bluehead wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum) and the temperate spotty (Notolabrus celidotus) and kyusen (Parajulus poecilepterus) wrasses. In all three species, gonadal sex change was preceded by downregulation of cyp19a1a (encoding gonadal aromatase that converts androgens to oestrogens) and accompanied by upregulation of amh (encoding anti-müllerian hormone that primarily regulates male germ cell development), and these genes may act concurrently to orchestrate ovary-testis transformation. In the brain, our data argue against a role for brain aromatase (cyp19a1b) in initiating behavioural sex change, as its expression trailed behavioural changes. However, we find that isotocin (it, that regulates teleost socio-sexual behaviours) expression correlated with dominant male-specific behaviours in the bluehead wrasse, suggesting it upregulation mediates the rapid behavioural sex change characteristic of blueheads and other tropical wrasses. However, it expression was not sex-biased in temperate spotty and kyusen wrasses, where sex change is more protracted and social groups may be less tightly-structured. Together, these findings suggest that while key components of the molecular machinery controlling gonadal sex change are phylogenetically conserved among wrasses, neural pathways governing behavioural sex change may be more variable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodi T. Thomas
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Erica V. Todd
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Simon Muncaster
- Faculty of Primary Industries, Environment and Science, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
| | - P Mark Lokman
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Erin L. Damsteegt
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Kiyoshi Soyano
- Institute for East China Sea Research, Organization for Marine Science and Technology, Nagasaki University, Taira-machi, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Florence Gléonnec
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
- BIOSIT - Structure Fédérative de Recherche en Biologie-Santé de Rennes, Université Rennes I, Rennes, France
| | - Melissa S. Lamm
- Department of Biological Sciences and WM Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
| | - John R. Godwin
- Department of Biological Sciences and WM Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
| | - Neil J. Gemmell
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
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Holmes MM, Monks DA. Bridging Sex and Gender in Neuroscience by Shedding a priori Assumptions of Causality. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:475. [PMID: 31143099 PMCID: PMC6521798 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa M. Holmes
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
- Department of Cell & Systems BiologyUniversity of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - D. Ashley Monks
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
- Department of Cell & Systems BiologyUniversity of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Todd EV, Liu H, Lamm MS, Thomas JT, Rutherford K, Thompson KC, Godwin JR, Gemmell NJ. Female Mimicry by Sneaker Males Has a Transcriptomic Signature in Both the Brain and the Gonad in a Sex-Changing Fish. Mol Biol Evol 2019; 35:225-241. [PMID: 29136184 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msx293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity represents an elegant adaptive response of individuals to a change in their environment. Bluehead wrasses (Thalassoma bifasciatum) exhibit astonishing sexual plasticity, including female-to-male sex change and discrete male morphs that differ strikingly in behavior, morphology, and gonadal investment. Using RNA-seq transcriptome profiling, we examined the genes and physiological pathways underlying flexible behavioral and gonadal differences among female, dominant (bourgeois) male, and female-mimic (sneaker) male blueheads. For the first time in any organism, we find that female mimicry by sneaker males has a transcriptional signature in both the brain and the gonad. Sneaker males shared striking similarity in neural gene expression with females, supporting the idea that males with alternative reproductive phenotypes have "female-like brains." Sneaker males also overexpressed neuroplasticity genes, suggesting that their opportunistic reproductive strategy requires a heightened capacity for neuroplasticity. Bourgeois males overexpressed genes associated with socio-sexual behaviors (e.g., isotocin), but also neuroprotective genes and biomarkers of oxidative stress and aging, indicating a hitherto unexplored cost to these males of attaining the reproductively privileged position at the top of the social hierarchy. Our novel comparison of testicular transcriptomes in a fish with male sexual polymorphism associates greater gonadal investment by sneaker males with overexpression of genes involved in cell proliferation and sperm quality control. We propose that morphological female-mimicry by sneaker male teleosts entails pervasive downregulation of androgenesis genes, consistent with low androgen production in males lacking well-developed secondary sexual characters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica V Todd
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Melissa S Lamm
- Department of Biological Sciences and WM Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Jodi T Thomas
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Kim Rutherford
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Kelly C Thompson
- Department of Biological Sciences and WM Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - John R Godwin
- Department of Biological Sciences and WM Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Neil J Gemmell
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Chen J, Xiao L, Peng C, Ye Z, Wang D, Yang Y, Zhang H, Zhao M, Li S, Lin H, Zhang Y. Socially controlled male-to-female sex reversal in the protogynous orange-spotted grouper, Epinephelus coioides. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2019; 94:414-421. [PMID: 30684293 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Socially controlled sex change in teleosts is a dramatic example of adaptive reproductive plasticity. In many cases, the occurrence of sex change is triggered by a change in the social context, such as the disappearance of the dominant individual. The orange-spotted grouper Epinephelus coioides is a typical protogynous hermaphrodite fish that changes sex from female to male and remains male throughout its life span. In this study, male-to-female sex reversal in male Epinephelus coioides was successfully induced by social isolation. The body length and mass, gonadal change, serum sex steroid hormone levels and sex-related gene expression patterns during the process of socially controlled male-to-female sex reversal in E. coioides were systematically examined. This report investigates the physiological mechanisms of the socially controlled male-to-female sex reversal process in a protogynous hermaphrodite grouper species. The results enable us to study the physiological control of sex change, not only from female to male, but also from male to female.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Healthy Breeding of Important Economic Fish, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Ling Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Healthy Breeding of Important Economic Fish, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Healthy Breeding of Important Economic Fish, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhifeng Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Healthy Breeding of Important Economic Fish, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Dengdong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Healthy Breeding of Important Economic Fish, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuqing Yang
- Marine Fisheries Development Center of Guangdong Province, Huizhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Haifa Zhang
- Marine Fisheries Development Center of Guangdong Province, Huizhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Mi Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Healthy Breeding of Important Economic Fish, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuisheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Healthy Breeding of Important Economic Fish, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Haoran Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Healthy Breeding of Important Economic Fish, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
- College of Ocean, Hainan University, Haikou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Healthy Breeding of Important Economic Fish, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
- Marine Fisheries Development Center of Guangdong Province, Huizhou, People's Republic of China
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Yang CH, Andrew Pospisilik J. Polyphenism - A Window Into Gene-Environment Interactions and Phenotypic Plasticity. Front Genet 2019; 10:132. [PMID: 30863426 PMCID: PMC6399471 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity describes the capacity of a single genotype to exhibit a variety of phenotypes as well as the mechanisms that translate environmental variation into reproducible phenotypic modifications. Polyphenism describes the unique sub-type of phenotypic plasticity where the outputs are not continuous, but rather discrete and multi-stable, resulting in several distinct phenotypes on the same genetic background. Epigenetic regulation underpins the stable phenotypic divergences that exemplify polyphenism and their evolutionary origin. Here, we briefly summarize the apparent ubiquity and diversity of polyphenisms across the animal kingdom. We briefly review the best characterized models across taxa and highlight the consistent themes both in their epidemiology and what little we know about molecular mechanisms. Finally, we highlight work that supports the possibility that humans may have a subtle polyphenism at the level of metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Hsiang Yang
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany.,Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, United States
| | - John Andrew Pospisilik
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany.,Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, United States
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40
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Abstract
Sexual fate can no longer be considered an irreversible deterministic process that once established during early embryonic development, plays out unchanged across an organism's life. Rather, it appears to be a dynamic process, with sexual phenotype determined through an ongoing battle for supremacy between antagonistic male and female developmental pathways. That sexual fate is not final and is actively regulated via the suppression or activation of opposing genetic networks creates the potential for flexibility in sexual phenotype in adulthood. Such flexibility is seen in many fish, where sex change is a usual and adaptive part of the life cycle. Many fish are sequential hermaphrodites, beginning life as one sex and changing sometime later to the other. Sequential hermaphrodites include species capable of female-to-male (protogynous), male-to-female (protandrous), or bidirectional (serial) sex change. These natural forms of sex change involve coordinated transformations across multiple biological systems, including behavioral, anatomical, neuroendocrine and molecular axes. Here we review the biological processes underlying this amazing transformation, focusing particularly on the molecular aspects, where new genomic technologies are beginning to help us understand how sex change is initiated and regulated at the molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil J Gemmell
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
| | - Erica V Todd
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | | | - Timothy A Hore
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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41
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Maruska K, Soares MC, Lima-Maximino M, Henrique de Siqueira-Silva D, Maximino C. Social plasticity in the fish brain: Neuroscientific and ethological aspects. Brain Res 2019; 1711:156-172. [PMID: 30684457 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2018] [Revised: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Social plasticity, defined as the ability to adaptively change the expression of social behavior according to previous experience and to social context, is a key ecological performance trait that should be viewed as crucial for Darwinian fitness. The neural mechanisms for social plasticity are poorly understood, in part due to skewed reliance on rodent models. Fish model organisms are relevant in the field of social plasticity for at least two reasons: first, the diversity of social organization among fish species is staggering, increasing the breadth of evolutionary relevant questions that can be asked. Second, that diversity also suggests translational relevance, since it is more likely that "core" mechanisms of social plasticity are discovered by analyzing a wider variety of social arrangements than relying on a single species. We analyze examples of social plasticity across fish species with different social organizations, concluding that a "core" mechanism is the initiation of behavioral shifts through the modulation of a conserved "social decision-making network", along with other relevant brain regions, by monoamines, neuropeptides, and steroid hormones. The consolidation of these shifts may be mediated via neurogenomic adjustments and regulation of the expression of plasticity-related molecules (transcription factors, cell cycle regulators, and plasticity products).
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Maruska
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA
| | - Marta C Soares
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos - CIBIO, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Monica Lima-Maximino
- Laboratório de Biofísica e Neurofarmacologia, Universidade do Estado do Pará, Campus VIII, Marabá, Brazil; Grupo de Pesquisas em Neuropsicofarmacologia e Psicopatologia Experimental, Brazil
| | - Diógenes Henrique de Siqueira-Silva
- Laboratório de Neurociências e Comportamento "Frederico Guilherme Graeff", Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá, Brazil; Grupo de Estudos em Reprodução de Peixes Amazônicos, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá, Brazil
| | - Caio Maximino
- Grupo de Pesquisas em Neuropsicofarmacologia e Psicopatologia Experimental, Brazil; Laboratório de Neurociências e Comportamento "Frederico Guilherme Graeff", Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá, Brazil.
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42
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Tripp JA, Feng NY, Bass AH. Behavioural tactic predicts preoptic-hypothalamic gene expression more strongly than developmental morph in fish with alternative reproductive tactics. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 285:rspb.2017.2742. [PMID: 29343607 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproductive success relies on the coordination of social behaviours, such as territory defence, courtship and mating. Species with extreme variation in reproductive tactics are useful models for identifying the neural mechanisms underlying social behaviour plasticity. The plainfin midshipman (Porichthys notatus) is a teleost fish with two male reproductive morphs that follow widely divergent developmental trajectories and display alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs). Type I males defend territories, court females and provide paternal care, but will resort to cuckoldry if they cannot maintain a territory. Type II males reproduce only through cuckoldry. We sought to disentangle gene expression patterns underlying behavioural tactic, in this case ARTs, from those solely reflective of developmental morph. Using RNA-sequencing, we investigated differential transcript expression in the preoptic area-anterior hypothalamus (POA-AH) of courting type I males, cuckolding type I males and cuckolding type II males. Unexpectedly, POA-AH differential expression was more strongly coupled to behavioural tactic than morph. This included a suite of transcripts implicated in hormonal regulation of vertebrate social behaviour. Our results reveal that divergent expression patterns in a conserved neuroendocrine centre known to regulate social-reproductive behaviours across vertebrate lineages may be uncoupled from developmental history to enable plasticity in the performance of reproductive tactics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel A Tripp
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-7901, USA
| | - Ni Y Feng
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-7901, USA
| | - Andrew H Bass
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-7901, USA
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43
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Price SM, Luong K, Bell RS, Rose GJ. Latency for facultative expression of male-typical courtship behaviour by female bluehead wrasses depends on social rank: the 'priming/gating' hypothesis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.180901. [PMID: 30305374 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.180901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Although socially controlled sex transformation in fishes is well established, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Particularly enigmatic is behavioural transformation, in which fish can rapidly switch from exhibiting female to male-typical courtship behaviours following removal of 'supermales'. Bluehead wrasses are a model system for investigating environmental control of sex determination, particularly the social control of sex transformation. Here, we show that the onset of this behavioural transformation was delayed in females that occupied low-ranking positions in the female dominance hierarchy. We also establish that expression of male-typical courtship behaviours in competent initial-phase (IP) females is facultative and gated by the presence of terminal-phase (TP) males. Dominant females displayed reliable TP male-typical courtship behaviours within approximately 2 days of the removal of a TP male; immediately following reintroduction of the TP male, however, females reverted back to female-typical behaviours. These results demonstrate a remarkable plasticity of sexual behaviour and support a 'priming/gating' hypothesis for the control of behavioural transformation in bluehead wrasses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Price
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Kyphuong Luong
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Rickesha S Bell
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Gary J Rose
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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44
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Breton TS, Kenter LW, Greenlaw K, Montgomery J, Goetz GW, Berlinsky DL, Luckenbach JA. Initiation of sex change and gonadal gene expression in black sea bass (Centropristis striata) exposed to exemestane, an aromatase inhibitor. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2018; 228:51-61. [PMID: 30414915 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2018.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Revised: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Many teleost fishes exhibit sequential hermaphroditism, where male or female gonads develop first and later undergo sex change. Model sex change species are characterized by social hierarchies and coloration changes, which enable experimental manipulations to better understand these processes. However, other species such as the protogynous black sea bass (Centropristis striata) do not exhibit these characteristics and instead receive research attention due to their importance in fisheries or aquaculture. Black sea bass social structure is unknown, which makes sex change sampling difficult, and few molecular resources are available. The purpose of the present study was to induce sex change using exemestane, an aromatase inhibitor, and assess gonadal gene expression using sex markers (amh, zpc2) and genes involved in steroidogenesis (cyp19a1a, cyp11b), estrogen signaling (esr1, esr2b), and apoptosis or atresia (aen, casp9, fabp11, parg, pdcd4, rif1). Overall, dietary exemestane treatment was effective, and most exposed females exhibited early histological signs of sex change and significantly higher rates of ovarian atresia relative to control females. Genes associated with atresia did not reflect this, however, as expression patterns in sex changing gonads were overall similar to those of ovaries, likely due to a whole ovary dilution effect of the RNA. Still, small but insignificant expression decreases during early sex change were detected for ovary-related genes (aen, casp9, fabp11, zpc2) and anti-apoptotic factors (parg, rif1). Exemestane treatment did not impact spermatogenesis or testicular gene expression, but testes were generally characterized by elevated steroidogenic enzyme and estrogen receptor mRNAs. Further research will be needed to understand these processes in black sea bass, using isolated ovarian follicles and multiple stages of sex change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy S Breton
- Division of Natural Sciences, University of Maine at Farmington, 173 High Street, Farmington, ME 04938, USA.
| | - Linas W Kenter
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, 38 College Road, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Katherine Greenlaw
- Division of Natural Sciences, University of Maine at Farmington, 173 High Street, Farmington, ME 04938, USA
| | - Jacob Montgomery
- Division of Natural Sciences, University of Maine at Farmington, 173 High Street, Farmington, ME 04938, USA
| | - Giles W Goetz
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - David L Berlinsky
- Department of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Food Systems, University of New Hampshire, 46 College Road, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - J Adam Luckenbach
- Environmental and Fisheries Sciences Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA 98112, USA; Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
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45
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Zizzari ZV, Jessen A, Koene JM. Male reproductive suppression: not a social affair. Curr Zool 2018; 63:573-579. [PMID: 29492017 PMCID: PMC5804194 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In the animal kingdom there are countless strategies via which males optimize their reproductive success when faced with male–male competition. These male strategies typically fall into two main categories: pre- and post-copulatory competition. Within these 2 categories, a set of behaviors, referred to as reproductive suppression, is known to cause inhibition of reproductive physiology and/or reproductive behavior in an otherwise fertile individual. What becomes evident when considering examples of reproductive suppression is that these strategies conventionally encompass reproductive interference strategies that occur between members of a hierarchical social group. However, mechanisms aimed at impairing a competitor’s reproductive output are also present in non-social animals. Yet, current thinking emphasizes the importance of sociality as the primary driving force of reproductive suppression. Therefore, the question arises as to whether there is an actual difference between reproductive suppression strategies in social animals and equivalent pre-copulatory competition strategies in non-social animals. In this perspective paper we explore a broad taxonomic range of species whose individuals do not repeatedly interact with the same individuals in networks and yet, depress the fitness of rivals. Examples like alteration of male reproductive physiology, female mimicry, rival spermatophore destruction, and cementing the rival’s genital region in non-social animals, highlight that male pre-copulatory reproductive suppression and male pre-copulatory competition overlap. Finally, we highlight that a distinction between male reproductive interference in animals with and without a social hierarchy might obscure important similarities and does not help to elucidate why different proximate mechanisms evolved. We therefore emphasize that male reproductive suppression need not be restricted to social animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Valentina Zizzari
- Department of Ecological Science-Animal Ecology, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Andrea Jessen
- Department of Ecological Science-Animal Ecology, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joris M Koene
- Department of Ecological Science-Animal Ecology, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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46
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Nishimura K. An interaction-driven cannibalistic reaction norm. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:2305-2319. [PMID: 29468045 PMCID: PMC5817123 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Revised: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannibalism is induced in larval-stage populations of the Hokkaido salamander, Hynobius retardatus, under the control of a cannibalism reaction norm. Here, I examined phenotypic expression under the cannibalism reaction norm, and how the induction of a cannibalistic morph under the norm leads to populational morphological diversification. I conducted a set of experiments in which density was manipulated to be either low or high. In the high-density treatment, the populations become dimorphic with some individuals developing into the cannibal morph type. I performed an exploratory analysis based on geometric morphometrics and showed that shape characteristics differed between not only cannibal and noncannibal morph types in the high-density treatment but also between those morph types and the solitary morph type in the low-density treatment. Size and shape of cannibal and noncannibal individuals were found to be located at either end of a continuum of expression following a unique size-shape integration rule that was different from the rule governing the size and shape variations of the solitary morph type. This result implies that the high-density-driven inducible morphology of an individual is governed by a common integration rule during the development of dimorphism under the control of the cannibalism reaction norm. Phenotypic expression under the cannibalism reaction norm is driven not only by population density but also by social interactions among the members of a population: variation in the populational expression of dimorphism is associated with contingent social interaction events among population members. The induced cannibalistic morph thus reflects not only by contest-type exploitative competition but also interference competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinya Nishimura
- Graduate School of Fisheries SciencesHokkaido UniversityJapan
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Horiguchi R, Nozu R, Hirai T, Kobayashi Y, Nakamura M. Expression patterns of sex differentiation-related genes during gonadal sex change in the protogynous wrasse, Halichoeres trimaculatus. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 257:67-73. [PMID: 28663108 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2017] [Revised: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 06/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The three-spot wrasse, Halichoeres trimaculatus, can change sex from female to male (i.e. protogyny) due to sharp decrease in endogenous estrogen. During the sex change, ovarian tissue degenerates and testicular tissue arises newly. Finally, ovarian tissue disappears completely and replaces into mature testis. In order to predict the molecular mechanisms controlling the processes of sex change, we investigated the expression patterns of four genes (rspo1, figla, sox9b and amh), which have been thought to be associated with ovarian/testicular differentiation in vertebrates. Expression levels of rspo1 and figla, which play important roles for ovarian differentiation in vertebrates, were stable until the middle stage of the sex change, and subsequently down-regulated. Therefore, it was indicated that decrease in rspo1 and figla could result from ovarian degeneration. On the other hand, basis on the expression pattern, it was indicated that sox9b and amh, which are involved in testicular differentiation in vertebrates, were implicated in testicular formation and spermatogenesis during the sex change as well. The present results could be fundamental information for investigating the relationship between these factors and E2 depletion, which is crucial trigger for sex change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Horiguchi
- Advanced Research Facilities and Services, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu 431-3192, Japan
| | - Ryo Nozu
- Zoological Laboratory, Okinawa Churashima Research Center, Okinawa Churashima Foundation, Okinawa 905-0206, Japan.
| | - Toshiaki Hirai
- Department of Food Production & Environmental Management, Faculty Agriculture/Sanriku Fisheries Research Center, Iwate University, Iwate 026-0001, Japan
| | - Yasuhisa Kobayashi
- Laboratory for Aquatic Biology, Department of Fisheries, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kindai University, Nara 631-0052, Japan
| | - Masaru Nakamura
- Zoological Laboratory, Okinawa Churashima Research Center, Okinawa Churashima Foundation, Okinawa 905-0206, Japan; Sesoko Station, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa 905-0227, Japan
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48
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Schärer L. The varied ways of being male and female. Mol Reprod Dev 2017; 84:94-104. [PMID: 28032683 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.22775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Our understanding of sexual reproduction is mainly informed by research on gonochorists (i.e., species with separate sexes), including insects, birds, and mammals. But the male and female sexes are not two types of individuals; they actually represent two different reproductive strategies, and in many organisms, these two strategies are distributed among individuals in a population in a variety of ways. For example, sequential hermaphrodites (or sex-changers) exhibit one strategy early in life and later switch to the other, while simultaneous hermaphrodites exhibit both strategies at the same time. There are also many intermediate sexual systems that mix gonochorists and hermaphrodites in the same species and within many organismal groups, shifts occur between these sexual systems. A fascinating collection of six articles in this special issue on Hermaphroditism & Sex Determination impressively documents some important challenges to our understanding of sex determination, and the specification of male and female reproductive function when these need to occur within the same individual rather than in two separate individuals. Moreover, hermaphroditism changes how we need to think about reproductive allocation to sexual functions, how such allocation can be specified, as well as how the sexual system affects sexual conflict and the resulting antagonistic coevolution. Our understanding of sexual reproduction will profit greatly from exploring the varied ways of being male and female. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 84: 94-104, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Schärer
- Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Shima JS, Noonburg EG, Swearer SE, Alonzo SH, Osenberg CW. Born at the right time? A conceptual framework linking reproduction, development, and settlement in reef fish. Ecology 2017; 99:116-126. [PMID: 29032595 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Revised: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Parents are expected to make decisions about reproductive timing and investment that maximize their own fitness, even if this does not maximize the fitness of each individual offspring. When offspring survival is uncertain, selection typically favors iteroparity, which means that offspring born at some times can be disadvantaged, while others get lucky. The eventual fate of offspring may be further modified by their own decisions. Are fates of offspring set by birthdates (i.e., determined by parents), or can offspring improve upon the cards they've been dealt? If so, do we see adaptive plasticity in the developmental timing of offspring? We evaluate these questions for a coral reef fish (the sixbar wrasse, Thalassoma hardwicke) that is characterized by extreme iteroparity and flexible larval development. Specifically, we monitored larval settlement to 192 small reefs over 11 lunar months and found that most fish settled during new moons of a lunar cycle (consistent with preferential settlement on dark nights). Settlement was significantly lower than expected by chance during the full moon and last quarter of the lunar cycle (consistent with avoidance of bright nights). Survival after settlement was greatest for fish that settled during times of decreasing lunar illumination (from last quarter to new moon). Fish that settled on the last quarter of the lunar cycle were ~10% larger than fish that settled during other periods, suggesting larvae delay settlement to avoid the full moon. These results are consistent with a numerical model that predicts plasticity in larval development time that enables avoidance of settlement during bright periods. Collectively, our results suggest that fish with inauspicious birthdates may alter their developmental trajectories to settle at better times. We speculate that such interactions between parent and offspring strategies may reinforce the evolution of extreme iteroparity and drive population dynamics, by increasing the survival of offspring born at the "wrong" time by allowing them to avoid the riskiest times of settlement.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Shima
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand
| | - E G Noonburg
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Davie, Florida, 33314, USA
| | - S E Swearer
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - S H Alonzo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, 95064, USA
| | - C W Osenberg
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602-2202, USA
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Goikoetxea A, Todd EV, Gemmell NJ. Stress and sex: does cortisol mediate sex change in fish? Reproduction 2017; 154:R149-R160. [PMID: 28890443 DOI: 10.1530/rep-17-0408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Revised: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Cortisol is the main glucocorticoid (GC) in fish and the hormone most directly associated with stress. Recent research suggests that this hormone may act as a key factor linking social environmental stimuli and the onset of sex change by initiating a shift in steroidogenesis from estrogens to androgens. For many teleost fish, sex change occurs as a usual part of the life cycle. Changing sex is known to enhance the lifetime reproductive success of these fish and the modifications involved (behavioral, gonadal and morphological) are well studied. However, the exact mechanism behind the transduction of the environmental signals into the molecular cascade that underlies this singular process remains largely unknown. We here synthesize current knowledge regarding the role of cortisol in teleost sex change with a focus on two well-described transformations: temperature-induced masculinization and socially regulated sex change. Three non-mutually exclusive pathways are considered when describing the potential role of cortisol in mediating teleost sex change: cross-talk between GC and androgen pathways, inhibition of aromatase expression and upregulation of amh (the gene encoding anti-Müllerian hormone). We anticipate that understanding the role of cortisol in the initial stages of sex change will further improve our understanding of sex determination and differentiation across vertebrates, and may lead to new tools to control fish sex ratios in aquaculture.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erica V Todd
- Department of AnatomyUniversity of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Neil J Gemmell
- Department of AnatomyUniversity of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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