title: Molecular characterization of cyp11a1 and cyp11b1 and their gene expression profile in pejerrey (Odontesthes bonariensis) during early gonadal development.
abstract: Sex steroids are known to be involved in gonadal differentiation in fish, but whether androgens are early mediators of testis differentiation remains unclear. We studied the sex-related developmental variations in the gene expression of two key enzymes involved in steroids and androgen synthesis (cyp11a1 and cyp11b1) in trunks and isolated gonads of pejerrey (Odontesthes bonariensis) larvae during and after the sex determination period. Also, and in order to have a better characterization of this process we studied the expression of Sertoli (dmrt1, amh, sox9) and Leydig (nr5a1 or sf-1) cell markers as well as a gene with higher expression in females (cyp19a1a). No clear differences were observed in the expression of cyp11a1 and cyp11b1 during the temperature-sensitive window in the trunk of pejerrey larvae. Nevertheless, a clear increase of cyp11b1 was observed in isolated gonads taken from fish reared at the male producing temperature. In these gonads we also confirmed the trends of genes with higher expression in males (dmrt1, amh) and females (cyp19a1a) as previously described in larval trunks of pejerrey. Our results showed that the expression of cyp11b1 was positively associated with the morphological differentiation of the testis. Nevertheless the involvement of 11-oxygenated androgens during the temperature-sensitive window could not be clearly established.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas-Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (IIB-INTECH), Camino de Circunvalación, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Martín
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blasco
authors.forename: Juan I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Fernandino
authors.forename: Leonardo G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Guilgur
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Strüssmann
authors.forename: Gustavo M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Somoza
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vizziano-Cantonnet
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000728:Androgens / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002786:Cholesterol Side-Chain Cleavage Enzyme / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010053:Ovary / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012733:Sex Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D023701:Smegmamorpha / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D013252:Steroid 11-beta-Hydroxylase / Q000235:genetics*; D013256:Steroids / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013696:Temperature; D013737:Testis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D017931:DNA Primers; D013256:Steroids; D013252:Steroid 11-beta-Hydroxylase; D002786:Cholesterol Side-Chain Cleavage Enzyme