title: Melatonin-mediated effects on killifish reproductive axis.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the melatonin-mediated effects upon the neuroendocrine axis of the brackish killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus), a suitable experimental model to study reproductive events. The ability of melatonin to enhance reproductive capacity (fecundity, embryo survival and hatching rate) inducing the transcriptional activity of gonadotropin releasing hormone (gnrh), luteinizing hormone receptor (lhr) and melatonin receptor (mtnr) was investigated in adult females. Moreover, the melatonin-mediated enhancement of killifish sperm motility and velocity was found consistent with higher fecundity of melatonin-exposed fishes. As a further extent, Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) microspectroscopy evidenced a reduction of lipid unsaturation level on isolated spermatozoa from treated males. Moreover, the reduction of mtnr gene expression during embryo development and lower biometric parameters documented in the larvae from melatonin-exposed parents suggest that melatonin acts as a hormonal mediator able to transfer the environmental signal to oocytes and then to embryos as inheritance of adaptive environmental changes. These results support the positive role of melatonin on killifish reproduction and its role as a maternal factor on embryo and larval development.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lombardo
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gioacchini
authors.affiliation: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Scienze Marine, UOS Lesina, FG, Italy.
authors.forename: Adele
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fabbrocini
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Candelma
authors.affiliation: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Scienze Marine, UOS Lesina, FG, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: D'Adamo
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giorgini
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy. Electronic address: o.carnevali@univpm.it.
authors.forename: Oliana
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Carnevali
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D023781:Fundulidae / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000235:genetics*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000254:growth & development; D011974:Receptors, LH / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D044094:Receptors, Melatonin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012098:Reproduction / Q000235:genetics*; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000235:genetics; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D011974:Receptors, LH; D044094:Receptors, Melatonin; D008550:Melatonin
keywords: F. heteroclitus; FT-IR; Fecundity; RT-PCR; Sperm Class Analyzer®; Sperm motility; mtnr