title: New insights into the factors mediating the onset of puberty in sea bass.
abstract: In populations of 1-year-old male European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), only large males are able to acquire for the first time a functional competence of their reproductive axis; in other words, to attain puberty. To examine the causes and mechanisms involved in the onset of puberty in this species, a size sorting sampling was carried out to obtain two experimental groups of small and large male fish exhibiting different growth rates. As expected, only large fish reached full spermiogenesis (stage V of testicular development) by the end of the experiment. Our study suggests that fish size is a permissive condition to ensure full effectiveness of the hormonal (Gnrh1, gonadotropins and sexual steroids) actions. Thus, though small fish had endocrine profiles similar to those of large fish, their amplitude was much lower, and was most likely the reason why functional competence of the reproductive axis was not achieved. Moreover, this work provides evidence of the involvement of kisspeptin and Gnrh1 systems in the onset of puberty in a marine teleost fish. It also indicates that very likely kisspeptin and Gnrh1 may regulate gonadotropins and sex steroids at specific stages of testicular development.
authors: Department of Fish Physiology and Biotechnology, Instituto de Acuicultura de Torre la Sal (IATS), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 12595 Ribera de Cabanes, s/n, Castellón, Spain.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Espigares
authors: Department of Fish Physiology and Biotechnology, Instituto de Acuicultura de Torre la Sal (IATS), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 12595 Ribera de Cabanes, s/n, Castellón, Spain.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Rocha
authors: Department of Fish Physiology and Biotechnology, Instituto de Acuicultura de Torre la Sal (IATS), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 12595 Ribera de Cabanes, s/n, Castellón, Spain.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Molés
authors: Department of Fish Physiology and Biotechnology, Instituto de Acuicultura de Torre la Sal (IATS), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 12595 Ribera de Cabanes, s/n, Castellón, Spain.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Gómez
authors: Department of Fish Physiology and Biotechnology, Instituto de Acuicultura de Torre la Sal (IATS), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 12595 Ribera de Cabanes, s/n, Castellón, Spain. Electronic address: m.carrillo@csic.es.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Carrillo
authors: Department of Fish Physiology and Biotechnology, Instituto de Acuicultura de Torre la Sal (IATS), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 12595 Ribera de Cabanes, s/n, Castellón, Spain. Electronic address: s.zanuy@csic.es.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Zanuy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001492:Bass / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D004703:Endocrine System / Q000502:physiology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006062:Gonadotropins / Q000097:blood; D059648:Kisspeptins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D011627:Puberty / Q000502:physiology*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*; D012733:Sex Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000502:physiology*; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D006062:Gonadotropins; D059648:Kisspeptins
keywords: Gnrh1; Gonadotropins; Kisspeptin; Puberty; Sex-steroids; Teleost