title: Characterization of two types of cytochrome P450 aromatase in the serial-sex changing gobiid fish, Trimma okinawae.
abstract: To investigate the role of estrogen in the serial-sex changing fish Trimma okinawae, we isolated complementary DNAs encoding two distinct cytochrome P450 aromatase isoforms from adult ovary and brain (termed P450aromA and P450aromB, respectively). Sequence and phylogenic analyses showed that the goby P450arom forms belong to two separate CYP19 subfamilies. Transient expression of these cDNAs in HEK293 cells caused conversion of exogenous testosterone to estradiol-17beta. RT-PCR showed that P450aromA was expressed in the brain, spleen, testis and ovary. P450aromB was expressed in the brain, liver, testis and ovary. In situ hybridization studies showed that P450aromA mRNA, but not P450aromB mRNA, was present in both ovary and testis. Positive signals were restricted to granulosa cells of vitellogenic follicles and interstitial cells of mature testis. Ovarian expression of both P450arom genes during the spawning cycle was examined by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. P450aromA transcripts increased during vitellogenesis and decreased prior to spawning. In contrast, P450aromB transcripts were barely detectable and did not correlate with ovarian development. These findings suggest that P450aromA, but not P450aromB, is involved in regulating ovarian vitellogenesis in goby.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuhisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Tohru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Tomoki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sunobe
authors.forename: Craig E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Morrey
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagahama
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001141:Aromatase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004958:Estradiol / Q000378:metabolism; D057850:Hermaphroditic Organisms; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007564:Japan; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010473:Perciformes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012623:Seawater; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D019849:Sex Determination Processes / Q000235:genetics*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism; D014818:Vitellogenesis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D001141:Aromatase