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Reyer H, Abou-Soliman I, Schulze M, Henne H, Reinsch N, Schoen J, Wimmers K. Genome-Wide Association Analysis of Semen Characteristics in Piétrain Boars. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:382. [PMID: 38540441 PMCID: PMC10969825 DOI: 10.3390/genes15030382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Since artificial insemination is common practice in pig breeding, the quality and persistence of the semen are decisive for the usability of individual boars. In the current study, genome-wide association analyses were performed to investigate the genetic variability underlying phenotypic variations in semen characteristics. These traits comprise sperm morphology and sperm motility under different temporal and thermal storage conditions, in addition to standard semen quality parameters. Two consecutive samples of the fourth and fifth ejaculates from the same boar were comprehensively analyzed in a genotyped Piétrain boar population. A total of 13 genomic regions on different chromosomes were identified that contain single-nucleotide polymorphisms significantly associated with these traits. Subsequent analysis of the genomic regions revealed candidate genes described to be involved in spermatogenesis, such as FOXL3, GPER1, PDGFA, PRKAR1B, SNRK, SUN1, and TSPO, and sperm motility, including ARRDC4, CEP78, DNAAF5, and GPER1. Some of these genes were also associated with male fertility or infertility in mammals (e.g., CEP78, GPER1). The analyses based on these laboriously determined and valuable phenotypes contribute to a better understanding of the genetic background of male fertility traits in pigs and could prospectively contribute to the improvement of sperm quality through breeding approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry Reyer
- Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany; (I.A.-S.); (N.R.); (K.W.)
| | - Ibrahim Abou-Soliman
- Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany; (I.A.-S.); (N.R.); (K.W.)
- Department of Animal and Poultry Breeding, Desert Research Center, Cairo 11753, Egypt
| | - Martin Schulze
- Institute for Reproduction of Farm Animals Schönow, 16321 Bernau, Germany;
| | | | - Norbert Reinsch
- Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany; (I.A.-S.); (N.R.); (K.W.)
| | - Jennifer Schoen
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), 10315 Berlin, Germany;
- Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Klaus Wimmers
- Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany; (I.A.-S.); (N.R.); (K.W.)
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
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Guo S, Liu Y, Xu Y, Gai K, Cong B, Xing K, Qi X, Wang X, Xiao L, Long C, Guo Y, Chen L, Sheng X. Identification of key genes affecting sperm motility in chicken based on whole-transcriptome sequencing. Poult Sci 2023; 102:103135. [PMID: 37856906 PMCID: PMC10590750 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2023.103135] [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: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Sperm motility is an important index for the evaluation of semen quality. Improving sperm motility is important to improve reproductive performance, promote breeding process, and reduce production cost. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating sperm motility in chickens remain unclear. In this study, histological observation and whole-transcriptome analysis were performed on testicular tissue of chickens with high and low sperm motility. Histological observations showed that roosters with high sperm motility exhibited better semen quality than those with low sperm motility. In addition, the germinal epithelial cells of roosters with low sperm motility were loosely arranged and contained many vacuoles. RNA-seq results revealed the expression of 23,033 mRNAs, 2,893 lncRNAs, and 515 miRNAs in chicken testes. Among them, there were 417 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs), 106 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs), and 15 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) between high and low sperm motility testes. These differentially expressed genes were involved in the G protein-coupled receptor signaling pathway, cilia structure, Wnt signaling, MAPK signaling, GnRH signaling, and mTOR signaling. By integrating the competitive relationships between DEmRNAs, DElncRNAs, and DEmiRNAs, we identified the regulatory pathway of MSTRG.3077.3/MSTRG.9085.1-gga-miR-138-5p-CADM1 and MSTRG.2290.1-gga-miR-142-3p-GNAQ/PPP3CA as crucial in the modulation of chicken sperm motility. This study provides new insights into the function and mechanism of ceRNAs in regulating sperm motility in chicken testes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shihao Guo
- Animal Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Yizheng Liu
- Animal Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Yaxi Xu
- Animal Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Kai Gai
- Animal Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Bailin Cong
- Animal Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Kai Xing
- Animal Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Xiaolong Qi
- Animal Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Xiangguo Wang
- Animal Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Longfei Xiao
- Animal Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Cheng Long
- Animal Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Yong Guo
- Animal Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Li Chen
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Xihui Sheng
- Animal Science and Technology College, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China.
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Zabihi MR, Norouzkhani N, Karkhah S, Akhoondian M. Identification of a valuable gene network for the diagnosis and treatment of non-obstructive azoospermia: in-silico analyses - experimental research. Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2023; 85:5941-5951. [PMID: 38098601 PMCID: PMC10718319 DOI: 10.1097/ms9.0000000000001358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) is an etiology of infertility in men. NOA may have various classifications; however, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism can be regarded as a class of NOA associated with genetic factors. Former studies have shown that noncoding RNA (ncRNA) plays an essential role in NOA incidence, but few studies have been performed on the NOA-related ncRNA interaction network. In the current study, genes, NOA-related microRNA (miRNA), and circular RNA (circRNA) were found by bioinformatics methods to offer a new perspective on NOA treatment. Methods The gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR)-related protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was extracted by searching in 'string-database'. GO, KEGG, and Enrichr databases were used to identify pathways, molecular function, and biological processing. Four databases, including TargetScan, mirDIP, miRmap, and miRWalk, were used to extract miRNAs. At last, the circ2GO, circBase, and literature were used to identify circRNAs and their genes. Results The current study identified the four proteins associated with the GnRHR signaling; eight shared miRNAs that affect the expression of found proteins and 25 circRNAs and their origin genes that regulate the miRNAs' function. Conclusion The two miRNAs, hsa-miR-134-3p and hsa-miR-513C-3p, the three genes, VCAN, NFATC3, and PRDM5, and their associated circRNAs can perform as a valuable gene network in the diagnosis and treatment of NOA pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Reza Zabihi
- Laboratory of Complex Biological Systems and Bioinformatics (CBB), Department of Bioinformatics, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IBB), University of Tehran, Tehran
| | - Narges Norouzkhani
- Department of Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad
| | - Samad Karkhah
- Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery
- Burn and Regenerative Medicine Research Center
| | - Mohammad Akhoondian
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Cellular and The Molecular Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Science, Rasht, Iran
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Zhu M, Zhang H, Yang H, Zhao Z, Blair HT, Liang H, Wu P, Yu Q. Targeting GNAQ in hypothalamic nerve cells to regulate seasonal estrus in sheep. Theriogenology 2022; 181:79-88. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2022.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 12/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Fractionated Seminal Plasma of Boar Ejaculates Analyzed by LC-MS/MS: Its Effects on Post-Thaw Semen Quality. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12101574. [PMID: 34680969 PMCID: PMC8536186 DOI: 10.3390/genes12101574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to characterize the protein composition of fractionated seminal plasma (SP) by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) analysis and investigate its effects on survival of frozen-thaw (FT) boar spermatozoa following storage. Seminal plasma (SP) was fractionated by gel filtration chromatography to give two fractions, SP1 with more than 40 kDa (>40 kDa) and SP2 with less than 40 kDa (<40 kDa). SP1 and SP2 were subjected to LC–MS/MS and bioinformatics analysis. Following cryopreservation, FT boar semen (n = 7) was thawed in Beltsville Thawing Solution (BTS), BTS + SP1 or BTS + SP2, stored at different periods and subjected to post-thaw (PT) quality assessment. A total of 52 and 22 abundant proteins were detected in SP1 and SP2, respectively. FN1, ANGPTL1, and KIF15 proteins were more abundance in SP1, whereas a high abundance of spermadhesins (PSP-I and PSP-II) was detected in SP2. Proteins of the fractionated SP were involved in various biological processes, such as cell motility and signal transduction. The dominant pathway of SP1 proteins was the apelin signaling pathway (GNA13, MEF2D, SPHK2, and MEF2C), whereas a pathway related to lysosome (CTSH, CTSB, and NPC2) was mainly represented by SP2 proteins. In most of the boars, significantly higher motility characteristics, membrane integrity, and viability were observed in FT spermatozoa exposed to SP1 or SP2 compared with BTS. The results of our study confirm that a combination of several proteins from the fractionated SP exerted beneficial effects on the sperm membrane, resulting in improved quality characteristics following PT storage.
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Transcriptomic and metabolomic insights into the variety of sperm storage in oviduct of egg layers. Poult Sci 2021; 100:101087. [PMID: 33887680 PMCID: PMC8082553 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2021.101087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In birds, the sperm storage tubules (SST) are dispersed in uterovaginal junction (UVJ) and highly correlated with differential capacity of sperm storage (SS) in and among species with unspecified mechanisms. Here, the SS duration of 252 egg layer breeders was evaluated in 5 rounds with 3 phenotypic traits to screen high- and low-SS individuals, respectively, followed with transcriptome of UVJ tissues and metabolome of serum (high-SS vs. low-SS) to decipher the candidate genes and biochemical markers correlated with differential SS capacity. Histological characterization suggested slightly higher density of SST in UVJ (high-SS vs. low-SS). Transcriptome analyses identified 596 differentially expressed genes (336 upregulated vs. 260 downregulated), which were mainly enriched in gene ontology terms of homeostasis, steroid and lipid metabolism and hormone activity, and 12 significant pathways (P < 0.05) represented by calcium, steroid, and lipid metabolism. Immunohistochemical staining of GNAQ, ST6GAL1, ADFP, and PCNA showed similar distribution in UVJ tissues between 2 groups. Several candidates (HSD11B2, DIO2, AQP3, GNAQ, NANS, ST6GAL1) combined with 4 (11β-prostaglandin F2α, prostaglandin B1, 7α-hydroxytestosterone, and N-acetylneuraminic acid) of 40 differential metabolites enriched in serum metabolome were considered as regulators and biomarkers of SS duration in egg layer breeders. The integrated transcriptome and metabolome analyses of chicken breeder hens will provide novel insights for exploration and improvement of differential SS capacity in birds.
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Yurchenko AA, Deniskova TE, Yudin NS, Dotsev AV, Khamiruev TN, Selionova MI, Egorov SV, Reyer H, Wimmers K, Brem G, Zinovieva NA, Larkin DM. High-density genotyping reveals signatures of selection related to acclimation and economically important traits in 15 local sheep breeds from Russia. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:294. [PMID: 32039702 PMCID: PMC7227232 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5537-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Domestication and centuries of selective breeding have changed genomes of sheep breeds to respond to environmental challenges and human needs. The genomes of local breeds, therefore, are valuable sources of genomic variants to be used to understand mechanisms of response to adaptation and artificial selection. As a step toward this we performed a high-density genotyping and comprehensive scans for signatures of selection in the genomes from 15 local sheep breeds reared across Russia. Results Results demonstrated that the genomes of Russian sheep breeds contain multiple regions under putative selection. More than 50% of these regions matched with intervals identified in previous scans for selective sweeps in sheep genomes. These regions contain well-known candidate genes related to morphology, adaptation, and domestication (e.g., KITLG, KIT, MITF, and MC1R), wool quality and quantity (e.g., DSG@, DSC@, and KRT@), growth and feed intake (e.g., HOXA@, HOXC@, LCORL, NCAPG, LAP3, and CCSER1), reproduction (e.g., CMTM6, HTRA1, GNAQ, UBQLN1, and IFT88), and milk-related traits (e.g., ABCG2, SPP1, ACSS1, and ACSS2). In addition, multiple genes that are putatively related to environmental adaptations were top-ranked in selected intervals (e.g., EGFR, HSPH1, NMUR1, EDNRB, PRL, TSHR, and ADAMTS5). Moreover, we observed that multiple key genes involved in human hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies, and genetic disorders accompanied with an inability to feel pain and environmental temperatures, were top-ranked in multiple or individual sheep breeds from Russia pointing to a possible mechanism of adaptation to harsh climatic conditions. Conclusions Our work represents the first comprehensive scan for signatures of selection in genomes of local sheep breeds from the Russian Federation of both European and Asian origins. We confirmed that the genomes of Russian sheep contain previously identified signatures of selection, demonstrating the robustness of our integrative approach. Multiple novel signatures of selection were found near genes which could be related to adaptation to the harsh environments of Russia. Our study forms a basis for future work on using Russian sheep genomes to spot specific genetic variants or haplotypes to be used in efforts on developing next-generation highly productive breeds, better suited to diverse Eurasian environments. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-019-5537-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey A Yurchenko
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, The Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICG SB RAS), Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Tatiana E Deniskova
- L.K. Ernst Federal Science Center for Animal Husbandry, Podolsk, 142132, Russia
| | - Nikolay S Yudin
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, The Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICG SB RAS), Novosibirsk, Russia.,Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
| | - Arsen V Dotsev
- L.K. Ernst Federal Science Center for Animal Husbandry, Podolsk, 142132, Russia
| | - Timur N Khamiruev
- Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine of Eastern Siberia, The Branch of the Siberian Federal Scientific Center for Agrobiotechnologies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chita, Russia
| | - Marina I Selionova
- All-Russian Research Institute of Sheep and Goat Breeding - branch of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution North Caucasian Agrarian Center, Stavropol, 355017, Russia
| | - Sergey V Egorov
- Siberian Research Institute of Animal Husbandry, Krasnoobsk, Russia
| | - Henry Reyer
- Institute of Genome Biology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Klaus Wimmers
- Institute of Genome Biology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Gottfried Brem
- L.K. Ernst Federal Science Center for Animal Husbandry, Podolsk, 142132, Russia.,Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Natalia A Zinovieva
- L.K. Ernst Federal Science Center for Animal Husbandry, Podolsk, 142132, Russia.
| | - Denis M Larkin
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, The Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICG SB RAS), Novosibirsk, Russia. .,Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, UK.
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Skaftnesmo KO, Edvardsen RB, Furmanek T, Crespo D, Andersson E, Kleppe L, Taranger GL, Bogerd J, Schulz RW, Wargelius A. Integrative testis transcriptome analysis reveals differentially expressed miRNAs and their mRNA targets during early puberty in Atlantic salmon. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:801. [PMID: 29047327 PMCID: PMC5648517 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-4205-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Our understanding of the molecular mechanisms implementing pubertal maturation of the testis in vertebrates is incomplete. This topic is relevant in Atlantic salmon aquaculture, since precocious male puberty negatively impacts animal welfare and growth. We hypothesize that certain miRNAs modulate mRNAs relevant for the initiation of puberty. To explore which miRNAs regulate mRNAs during initiation of puberty in salmon, we performed an integrated transcriptome analysis (miRNA and mRNA-seq) of salmon testis at three stages of development: an immature, long-term quiescent stage, a prepubertal stage just before, and a pubertal stage just after the onset of single cell proliferation activity in the testis. RESULTS Differentially expressed miRNAs clustered into 5 distinct expression profiles related to the immature, prepubertal and pubertal salmon testis. Potential mRNA targets of these miRNAs were predicted with miRmap and filtered for mRNAs displaying negatively correlated expression patterns. In summary, this analysis revealed miRNAs previously known to be regulated in immature vertebrate testis (miR-101, miR-137, miR-92b, miR-18a, miR-20a), but also miRNAs first reported here as regulated in the testis (miR-new289, miR-30c, miR-724, miR-26b, miR-new271, miR-217, miR-216a, miR-135a, miR-new194 and the novel predicted n268). By KEGG enrichment analysis, progesterone signaling and cell cycle pathway genes were found regulated by these differentially expressed miRNAs. During the transition into puberty we found differential expression of miRNAs previously associated (let7a/b/c), or newly associated (miR-15c, miR-2184, miR-145 and the novel predicted n7a and b) with this stage. KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that mRNAs of the Wnt, Hedgehog and Apelin signaling pathways were potential regulated targets during the transition into puberty. Likewise, several regulated miRNAs in the pubertal stage had earlier been associated (miR-20a, miR-25, miR-181a, miR-202, let7c/d/a, miR-125b, miR-222a/b, miR-190a) or have now been found connected (miR-2188, miR-144, miR-731, miR-8157 and the novel n2) to the initiation of puberty. CONCLUSIONS This study has - for the first time - linked testis maturation to specific miRNAs and their inversely correlated expressed targets in Atlantic salmon. The study indicates a broad functional conservation of already known miRNAs and associated pathways involved in the transition into puberty in vertebrates. The analysis also reveals miRNAs not previously associated with testis tissue or its maturation, which calls for further functional studies in the testis.
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Affiliation(s)
- K O Skaftnesmo
- Institute of Marine Research, Postboks 1870 Nordnes, 5817, Bergen, Norway.
| | - R B Edvardsen
- Institute of Marine Research, Postboks 1870 Nordnes, 5817, Bergen, Norway
| | - T Furmanek
- Institute of Marine Research, Postboks 1870 Nordnes, 5817, Bergen, Norway
| | - D Crespo
- Reproductive Biology group, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - E Andersson
- Institute of Marine Research, Postboks 1870 Nordnes, 5817, Bergen, Norway
| | - L Kleppe
- Institute of Marine Research, Postboks 1870 Nordnes, 5817, Bergen, Norway
| | - G L Taranger
- Institute of Marine Research, Postboks 1870 Nordnes, 5817, Bergen, Norway
| | - J Bogerd
- Reproductive Biology group, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - R W Schulz
- Institute of Marine Research, Postboks 1870 Nordnes, 5817, Bergen, Norway.,Reproductive Biology group, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - A Wargelius
- Institute of Marine Research, Postboks 1870 Nordnes, 5817, Bergen, Norway
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