Daily Rhythms of the Expression of Key Genes Involved in Steroidogenesis and Gonadal Function in Zebrafish.
Fish present daily and seasonal rhythms in spawning and plasmatic levels of steroids that control reproduction. However, the existence of the rhythms of expression of the genes that underlie the endocrine mechanisms responsible for processes such as steroidogenesis and reproduction in fish have still been poorly explored to date. Here we investigated the daily pattern of the expression of key genes involved in sex steroid production that ultimately set the sex ratio in fish. Adult zebrafish were maintained under a 12:12 h light-dark cycle at a constant temperature of 27°C and were sampled every 4 h during a 24-hour cycle. The expression of key genes in the gonads and brains of female and male individuals were analyzed. In gonads, the expression of aromatase (cyp19a1a, ovarian aromatase) and the antimüllerian hormone (amh, testis) was rhythmic, with almost opposite acrophases: ZT 5:13 h (in the light phase) and ZT 15:39 h (at night), respectively. The expression of foxl2 (forkhead box L2) was also rhythmic in the ovary (acrophase located at ZT 5:02 h) and the expression of dmrt1 (doublesex and mab-3-related transcription factor 1) was rhythmic in testes (acrophase at ZT 18:36 h). In the brain, cyp19a1b (brain aromatase) and cyp11b (11beta-hydroxylase) presented daily differences, especially in males, where the expression peaked at night. These results provide the first evidence for marked time-of-the-day-dependent differences in the expression of the genes involved in sex ratio control, which should be considered when investigating processes such as reproduction, sex differentiation and steroidogenesis in fish.
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
Viviana
V
Di Rosa
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
Jose Fernando
JF
López-Olmeda
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
Ana
A
Burguillo
Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
Elena
E
Frigato
Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
Cristiano
C
Bertolucci
Institut de Ciències del Mar, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain.
Francesc
F
Piferrer
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
Francisco Javier
FJ
Sánchez-Vázquez
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006066:Gonads / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013256:Steroids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013737:Testis / Q000201:enzymology; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000235:genetics*
D013256:Steroids