title: Studies on retinol-binding protein during vitellogenesis in the Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).
abstract: Retinoids are important regulatory signaling molecules during embryonic development and therefore, should be present in the eggs of oviparous animals that develop independently of the maternal organism. Studies were initiated in Rainbow Trout to elucidate the role of retinol-binding protein (RBP), the specific retinol carrier protein in vertebrate plasma, during vitellogenesis. Plasma levels of RBP in pre-vitellogenic, vitellogenic, and post-vitellogenic females were compared to plasma of male trout, using a rabbit polyclonal antiserum that was generated to His-tagged RBP recombinant protein. Western-blot analyses showed that there were no differences in the relative plasma levels of RBP between pre-vitellogenic, vitellogenic or post-vitellogenic females and similar levels were also found in males. In contrast, strong elevation of vitellogenin (VTG) was observed in the plasma from vitellogenic females. Northern-blot analysis of hepatic mRNA revealed that there were no dramatic changes in the abundance of RBP transcripts in the liver of females during vitellogenesis, but showed a significant increase in the expression of VTG in the livers of vitellogenic females. These results indicate differences in the regulation of RBP and VTG during vitellogenesis, suggesting that RBP may not be the main transporter protein for retinoids to fish egg. Recent publications on the association of retinal with VTG in fish and the occurrence of RBP transcripts in ovarian tissues raise the need for reevaluation of the role of RBP during vitellogenesis in oviparous non-mammalian vertebrate species.
authors.affiliation: Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, P.O. Box 8030, Haifa 31080, Israel.
authors.forename: Marei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sammar
authors.forename: Liraz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Levi
authors.forename: Avshalom
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hurvitz
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lubzens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D008099:Liver / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D017686:Oncorhynchus mykiss / Q000502:physiology*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology; D010053:Ovary / Q000502:physiology; D010060:Ovulation; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma; D014818:Vitellogenesis / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma